BÒGÒLANFINI (MUD CLOTH)!
This has become one of my favorite lessons of the year. I know that I say that a lot, but I really mean it with this lesson. While our Kinders study Kenya, in art class we spend our time looking across Africa for inspiration because it’s a huge continent with amazing variety in its geography, religions, history, flora and fauna, its cultures and people, and its art. We begin in the west African country of Mali with the traditional craft of bògòlanfini. Meaning “earth/mud with cloth”, this is the art of handmade cotton fabric dyed with fermented mud. Traditional production saw men weave the cloth and women do the dying. There are a couple of techniques to dyeing the fabric and some are considered more superior than others. This is where I’d show a youtube video that details the multi-stepped dyeing process. It’s complicated and rich and really interesting to investigate.
MATERIALS:
+ pencil
+ paper
+ ruler
+ neutral, mud colored paints
+ paintbrush
For us to have a successful painting we use the ruler as a straight-edge to divide our paper into squares and rectangles. This is not how mud cloth is produced but it makes sense, and helps speed along the process, for tiny humans. My parameters: stick to a mix of 12 to 15 spaces. Some are large, some small. Without this boundary I’ve seen kids go wild with boxes and it’s too much- they’ll never finish or end up just blurring several together.
With your background set, pour yourself a mix of neutral mud colors. I usually offer several browns, black, white, yellow, peach, and even some copper, gold, and silver for some extra spice. Start painting in those squares and rectangles. Mix colors on your palette to change their hue from dark to light. Below are some examples from previous years. Fill that paper with color!
When your background is finished let it dry for a little while. I went with a very symmetrical background but it doesn’t have to be. Now we’ll be creating the patterns. Bògòlanfini was worn by hunters to serve as camouflage, protection, and as a status symbol. Traditional patterns and motifs have meanings: they told stories, recalled historical events, or proverbs. Tiny humans can use traditional patterns or create their own. A mix is always great to see- it really makes it their own.
These are just a few symbols I share with the tiny humans. It’s a good start when adding pattern!
Notice there’s no water on the table. Since we’re using a palette of neutral colors and it’s based on mud, the occasional mixing of colors is encouraged. They wipe brushes onto the paint mats if they really need a cleaner start to a color. We also switch to smaller brushes for the pattern step- less paint needed too!
My finished example is below. There is still room on the central black square but it’s a nice break for the eyes since it’s surrounded by so much pattern so I decided to leave it as it is. Doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind later.
Several finished pieces from previous Kindergarten tiny humans!
What are some things you notice about the finished pieces? Do you have a favorite pattern? Good luck and happy making, artists!