🎨 Exploring Underwater Worlds: Snorkeling Self-Portrait Collage Art Project 🌊
As the weather warms and the days get longer, there’s no better time to dive into a summer-themed art adventure! This week in our art room, we explored the vibrant beauty of the underwater world—through the lens of us! Our young artists created whimsical snorkeling self-portrait collages, blending photography, drawing, and imagination to explore ocean life while tying into our unit on the four seasons—with a focus on summer.
🌞 Why Summer?
In our unit on the four seasons, we talk about what makes each one special—spring’s flowers, fall’s changing leaves, winter’s snow, and of course, summer’s sunshine and adventurous outdoor fun. Summer is the perfect season to dive into (literally)! Whether it’s trips to the beach, swimming pools, or just dreaming of exploring the deep sea, summer stirs our imaginations. This project gives students the chance to connect seasonal learning with personal expression.
🧑🎨 The Project: Snorkeling Self-Portraits
Here’s how we brought our underwater worlds to life:
1. Start with a Selfie
Each student began with a black-and-white printout of a photo of themselves—just their face. We talked about how artists use self-portraits to express who they are, and how we could imagine ourselves as summer explorers.
2. Snorkel Up!
Using markers and construction paper, students designed snorkel masks, breathing tubes, and even swim caps. Some added details like water droplets, goggles, or funny expressions. They cut out their face and added it to a background that would soon become their ocean world.
3. Dive Into the Ocean
Students then created their underwater scene using a collage technique. We used torn tissue paper for water, construction paper for coral reefs, and even bubble wrap painted white to stamp ocean bubbles! Fish, sea turtles, jellyfish, and even some sea monsters made appearances.
4. Finishing Touches
Some students added sunlight filtering through the water, seaweed swaying with the current, and schools of glittery fish. We encouraged them to think about what kind of underwater world they would want to explore in summer—and the results were magical.
🧠 What We Learned
This project wasn’t just fun—it was full of learning!
- Art techniques: portrait composition, collage, texture-making
- Science connections: ocean life, light underwater, the importance of coral reefs
- Seasonal awareness: what makes summer unique and how we enjoy it
- Personal expression: showing personality and creativity in a self-portrait
💬 Reflections from Our Artists
“I made myself diving with dolphins!” – Ava, Grade 3
“My ocean is super deep and has a sea dragon in it.” – Eli, Grade 2
“This is my dream summer vacation. I’ve never been snorkeling, but now I really want to go!” – Maya, Grade 4
🖼 Displaying Our Work
Our colorful snorkeling self-portraits are now proudly displayed in the hallway under the banner: “Summer Adventures Under the Sea!” It’s a great way to show how art connects to the seasons—and how every student’s perspective can bring something new to the surface. 🌊
