This piece was inspired by Hallinan's new gardens right outside Mrs. Burdick's classroom. The students got to see the project from first sketches and brainstorming as a class all the way through completion.  They decided what to "grow" in the painted garden and while getting into the creative spirit, suggested growing the "snozcumber" from The BFG, by Ronald Dahl, which they read in class.

The piece is about growing creativity, growing community, and growing the future.  It has textures and layers and even genuine polished agates as well as petrified wood in the lower layer of "soil".  During the previous spring, the fourth graders worked on a geology project in our new science lab. They learned about rocks and helped with the several step process of polishing them.  Pumice stone was actually mixed in with the paint to give a truly rocky and sandy look.  Painting with plastic forks and palette knives to build layers and texture of the side view of plants growing beautifully underground was a fun experience for the kids.  Some worked on bumpy layers with interesting texture and some painted detailed plants. 

Mixed Media on a 40" x 30"wood panel.