Year 2 have been busy getting creative and colourful in their recent art lessons, inspired by the vibrant work of Tanzanian artist Edward Tingatinga. We’ve had so much fun exploring his unique style, full of bold patterns, bright colours and imaginative animals.
To begin our unit, we studied some of Tingatinga’s most famous paintings. The children looked carefully at the shapes, colours, and patterns he used, and then had a go at copying a piece of his work. This helped us to really understand his style and the techniques he used.
Next, we began to design our own Tingatinga-inspired animals. We thought carefully about the shapes we wanted to include and how to use pattern to decorate the animals in eye-catching ways. The children were incredibly imaginative, and their sketches were full of personality!
To add colour, we used a mix of pastels and watercolours. The pastels helped us create bold outlines and bright details, while the watercolours gave our backgrounds a lovely soft wash. The combination worked beautifully and brought our animal artworks to life!
It’s been amazing to see how confidently the children have experimented with colour, shape and pattern. Their finished pieces are full of energy and joy — just like Edward Tingatinga’s original work.
Well done, Year 2 — you’ve created some truly stunning art!
How to help at home:
-Practise your sketching skills by drawing an animal at the park.
-Learn about an artist of your choice and create your own piece of artwork inspired by them.