Meera Ramanathan

Motifs are an integral part of textiles. Growing up in India, I always marveled at the beautiful sarees with woven, embroidered, and printed motifs. The elephant signified royalty and wealth, while the peacock symbolized beauty and love. While pursuing textile design for my master’s degree, I had the opportunity to visit handweavers in Tamil Nadu and see firsthand how they created sarees with intricate motifs.

My passion for motifs continues as I create and teach my third-grade students a lesson on motif-making each year. We spend two one-hour classes on this lesson.

Materials

• pencils
• erasers
• worksheets (see Resource)
• 12 x 18" (30 x 46 cm) sheets of construction paper in various colors (one per student)
• 2 x 12" (5 x 30 cm) paper strips in various colors (six or seven of the same color per student)
• markers, oil pastels, metallic markers, and black permanent markers
• glue sticks or white school glue
• magnifying glasses
• fabric pieces (one or two per student)

Preparation

• Fold the 12 x 18" sheets of colored construction paper in half and draw lines 2" apart with a pencil.
• Cut additional sheets of colored construction paper into 2 x 12" strips, enough for six or seven of the same color per student.

Class One
During the first class, we look at a photo of a saree and have a turn and talk, followed by a class discussion about things we notice/wonder. I encourage students to use art vocabulary from my word wall. We discuss repetition and the use of shapes and lines.

I introduce students to the word “motif”—an element of an image that is often repeated in a pattern or design. I show additional examples of sarees and explain how these are handwoven, followed by a short video of a weaver from South India.

I give students magnifying glasses to look closely at a piece of fabric and their clothes. Students notice the lines of the yarn as they examine their shirt, shoelaces, and jackets. We discuss how the process of weaving is different from knitting. I then introduce the words warp, weft, weaving, and loom.

Following our discussion, I give each student a worksheet to practice drawing a variety of lines and shapes. Together, we explore different combinations, leading to the design of four different motifs. Each student combines two lines with two shapes to create four motifs, then chooses two to use in their final work. I encourage them to use thick and thin lines and shapes empty and filled in to create visual interest.

Each student selects a 12 x 18" sheet of colored construction paper and cuts the pencil lines to create the warp. Next, they pick six 2 x 12" strips of a single color and weave the weft strips into the warp by going over and under. By the end of the first class, most students have woven at least one strip. I collect their work and save it for them to finish the next class.

Each motif students create is special and unique, contributing personally to their artwork.

Class Two
During the next class, students finish weaving their paper strips and use glue to secure the ends.

I give them the choice of markers, metallic markers, oil pastels, or a black permanent marker to trace their motifs on their woven work. We use the same motifs on squares of the same color using repetition. I encourage students to complete all of their first motifs on the designated squares before moving on to their second motifs on the remaining squares.

Conclusion
While engaging in this lesson, students have a wonderful opportunity to practice mindfulness. Each motif they create is special and unique, contributing personally to their artwork. The repetition involved in designing motifs encourages students to deeply engage and immerse themselves in the creative process, helping them stay focused in the present moment. In the end, this process can become a relaxing way of creating art and focusing on the here and now.

Meera Ramanathan is a project resource teacher at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy in San Diego, California. mramanathan@sandi.net

The Art of Motif-Making