Cubist Still Life Collage

Students began this lesson by learning about Cubism and its leading artist Pablo Picasso. We then spent two class periods creating a still life drawing. This drawing was then intersected with various lines to create the typical Cubist view of seeing the subject from multiple angles. Students then filled in the sections with different values of one color, magazine print and brown pastel. The violin and print were used to symbolize the influence Cubism had on music and literature.

Matisse Goldfish

Students learned about the vibrant and colorful paintings of Matisse and created these in his signature style. We learned about Matisse's love for color and goldfish and created some brightly colored watercolor paintings. Next, we added some cutouts similar to those used in his artworks. During the final class, students created a small table and bowl that were filled with lightly brushed goldfish. The finished paintings really capture the style of the artist and the students learned a lot about Matisse!

Raven

Raven is a trickster tale from the Pacific Northwest. Raven is a bird living in a world of darkness, until he steals light from the great Sky Chief and gives it to the world. It is a interesting Native folktale describing where the sun came from and a Caldecott award winning book. We began by cutting out Raven and adding brightly colored designs to his body. Next, we created textural paintings for an interesting dark sky. The final class, students added a symmetrical cut out border using similar shapes from the body. This was a highly successful lesson for all students and a greatly enjoyed story as well!

Painting Patterns

PreK and Kinder students began learning how to use simple lines and shapes and turn them into patterns. Students needed to demonstrate how to create many different patterns in several different colors. We then painted over these patterns with watercolor paints. This is a great introductory lesson to familiarize students with how to use patterns in artworks and how to use watercolor paints.