Art Masterpiece How Artists' Tell Their Story

While I have many hobbies and interests, my passion is art and getting students to think about feelings and expressions in art, and how do we get students to look at art differently.

In Arizona most public schools offer the Art Masterpiece program, sponsored by the Phoenix Art Museum. It is designed to introduce significant works of art to children and build an appreciation for fine art.

Art Appreciation is important not only in art, but in the real world to understand that communication does not just occur via spoken or written language, but that people can understand each other using other things. It's the exposure to all kinds of art that encourages children to see that expressions are something that is carried throughout time and art forms.

The Rabbi and his Grandchild by Mark Gertler

Each works of art tells us a story -something about the people, their attitudes or the mood of the art. It will be important for students to understand that they need to make the bodies and gestures of their subjects match the tone and mood they are trying to create in their artwork.
 

Getting children excited about appreciating art can be very challenging. Far too often they're more excited about the project than learning about the artist or the artwork they produced. How do you get children to look at art differently? What would encourage children to look up, down, outside, inside, close up, and all around?

John Brown by John Stuart Curry

Depending on the age of students, ask questions that  help prompt the discussion about the artists' work:

 

• What draws your eye first? 
• Where does your eye go from there? 
• Is there a certain mood projected in the artwork? 
• Where has the artist placed you, the viewer, in relation to the subject? 
• Do you see clues that suggest time and place? 
• Is there a sense of motion? 
• What gives you that sense? 
• What indications, if any, are there of cultural and/or historical connections? 
• What questions do you have about the artwork?

Allow time for observation, let students get up close and walk around if necessary. Afterwards, students can write a story about the time they were sad, scared, happy, etc...They could practice different faces or postures that they associate with that feeling. It would be a fun activity to have them act these out as a class before they begin drawing. 

Another fun activity would be to have students work in groups of two, each one draws five faces and give every one a different expression. When they are finish they swap papers and try to guess what the expression means.

I would love to hear about your projects. Please share your comments below.

Edgar Degas, How to Use Coffee Filters in Art Projects

Ordinary coffee filters used for drip coffee makers are a versatile and inexpensive supply for arts and crafts projects. Perfect for home, or school art program as it can be purchased in bulk. Combine with markers, paint, water, these paper circles can be transformed into a numbers of things.

Edgar +Degas Art Masterpiece

+Degas Style Ballerina

Edgar Degas (deh ɡɑhs); was a French artist regarded as one of the founders of the Impressionism.   He enjoyed capturing female dancers and is famous for capturing movement in his work and  is best known for paintings, pastels and drawings of dancers. 

+Degas Style Sailboat

After a discussion about Edgar Degas, our volunteer art guide Anna, demonstrated how kindergartners in Mrs. Knowlton's class can show movement and texture by using coffee filters. Students drew  and cut out their designs and applied to their background.  Coffee filters were colored with markers and attached as tutus or sails on a sailboat.

Coffee filters also work well with watercolor and diluted tempera paint.  Add the desired about of paint to your water.  The less water you start with the darker your filters will be.  Stir the paint and water together.  Dip each filter in just about an inch in the water.  The coffee filter will soak up the paint. Place on rack to dry. Once dried your coffee filter will have an ombre effect.

Kandinsky Art

2nd grade Kandinsky art

Wassily Vassilyevich Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist. He is credited with painting the first  abstract works. Kandinsky isvthevfeatured artist of this Art Masterpiece presentation.

Children can have fun creating their own Kandinsky art with pastels and back paper. I just love how Laura, a volunteer art guide, has been able to demonstrate how simple materials and limited budget children can learn about art appreciation.