FOURTH GRADE . . . Mirror Image Writing

Today students were asked to read this quote by Leonardo da Vinci as they entered the art room. Everyone recognized it as backwards writing and most had no trouble figuring out what it said, after stumbling over a few words here and there! We talked about the reasons that Leonardo might have written in mirror image and discovered that many of his journals contained top secret inventions he worked on for the government. It could be that he was writing in code. At a glance, the mirror image letters might appear to be from another language and someone glancing at the page would not bother to take the time to figure out his code.
    We also discovered that Leonardo wrote with his left hand. That means that all of you "Lefties" are in good company. Leonardo was a very talented and brilliant man! When you write from Left to Right across the page, a person writing with his left hand might smudge the letters just printed. However, if you write with your left hand and are writing in mirror image, then you write from Right to Left and your hand does not cover the wet ink. Perhaps mirror image writing was simply a brilliant invention by a left handed artist to not smudge his work!

This is Leonardo's quote written the correct way. We then talked about what it could mean and I heard the most wonderful interpretations from my students. People who can "see" can imagine a different way to do something. For a Renaissance man like Leonardo da Vinci, living life to the fullest meant always discovering new and better ways to understand the world. He used painting, music, mathematics and science to help him come up with new visions of the world, amazing inventions, and a new standard of mastery in art.

Danielle F. in Mrs. Bass's class was very clever when she showed us how learning to "see" could mean being a creative thinker. She used an old pencil tray in our room to explain this, showing us how it could be fixed up and made into a jewelry box. Not everyone has the vision to see things re-purposed like that. Great idea, Danielle!

Lily E. in Mrs. K's class came up with a very different explanation. She thought some people might be able to just "see" the good in a person, while others may not "see" this until the person proves it by doing a good deed. In other words, they have to be shown. Imagine being the one who does not see at all? I was so impressed with your thoughts, Lily!

Note to families . . .
    This art blog will be updated regularly with new posts sharing our daily activities in the art room and news about upcoming art exhibits. To respect the privacy of our students, names will always be limited to first name only and identifiable photos will never be accompanied with a name. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write in the comment box below or send me an email at blevine@ranneyschool.org. I would love to hear from you!
    In my class, students are given the chance to explore different materials and fun new techniques as they develop their signature style. Some young artists love to draw with a pencil, some like to paint on canvas or create images in a digital format, while others prefer working with clay and molding three-dimensional forms. In my classroom, we use a variety of materials allowing all artists to experiment and figure out which type of art they like the best. At Ranney School, we place a strong emphasis on originality and celebrate artistic differences, always nurturing and encouraging the imagination of every student.
     Remember to check out our display of finished artwork and student portfolios in the Ranney home page of Artsonia.com.  http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839