Lines, Lines, and more Lines!

I must admit that this lesson idea is not my own, but an idea I borrowed from the great Cassie Stephens at  "What the Art Teacher Wore" blog.  Line is one of six basic design elements in art and students learn about new line vocabulary at the kindergarten level through this lesson and my first and second graders can review their basic line vocabulary as we paint, draw, and sculpt various different lines.  First, kindergarten students are introduced to basic line vocabulary through a poem called "Larry the Line" written by Cassie Stephens.

Larry the Line

Is a friend of mine 

(creating a snake by opening the fingers of your hand, puppet style and there's your snake!)

He can make three

(hold up a three with your fingers)

Straight lines for me!

Ver-tickle

(create a vertical line with your forearm)

Diagonal and horizontal!

(pantomime each)

Any curve, he can learn

With a twist and a turn.

When he's out of his tangle

he makes a great...angle.

(created by placing your hand on your hip and pointing to your elbow)

Any line, he can make

After all, he's a snake! 

After learning the Larry the Line poem, students receive a demonstration on painting. Cassie Stephens likens the bristles of the paint brush to a ballerina: It always dances on it's toes and never scoots around on it's bottom. We also discuss how we dip only the tip of our brush in the paint and never smash Mr. Brush's hairs for that will give him one bad hair day and an awful headache! After demonstrating how to paint a zig zag, wavy, straight, dotted, and dashed line, the students paint the same lines on their own paper using black tempera paint.

Kindergarten add colors of their choosing.

On the next day of this unit, kindergarteners were introduced to our tempera paint cakes.  Students were reminded to use lots of water to activate the tempera cakes and how to clean the brush before choosing another color. 

My first and second graders are also reviewing lines, painting, and brush procedures with a Kandinsky inspired art lesson. On the first day, we examined one of Kandinsky's Compositions using Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS). We also discussed key life facts like where he was born, what inspired him, what was going on during his life, etc. with a keynote presentation. Over the course of 3-4 art classes, students painted chinet plates (perfect plates for painting because of its stiff texture) with Kandinsky inspired concentric circles. We also discussed how radial designs can also appear circular like Kandinsky's concentric circles. Once the plates are painted and patterned, my first and second graders will turn these paper plates into looms and weave. I will be honest, I am a little nervous about teaching first and second graders how to weave. Can you imagine the chaos, but we are going to give it a try!

Norman Rockwell: Artist of the Quarter

Norman Rockwell is an amazing illustrator, an artist who tells stories using images.  The artist was introduced to students through an examination of his "Triple Self Portrait" using VTS strategies.

"Triple Self Portrait" by Norman Rockwell

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) allows each child to share what they see or find in a piece of art and connect their findings to visual evidence within the painting. Through VTS' rigorous group 'problem-solving' process, students cultivate a willingness and ability to present their own ideas, while respecting and learning from the perspectives of their peers.  Common questions asked during a VTS discussion include: 

What's going on in this picture?

What do you see that makes you say that?

What more can we find?

To learn more about Norman Rockwell and his life, Kindergarten and First Grade students listened to the story "Norman Rockwell" written and illustrated by Mike Venezia from the "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists" Series.

A selection of books from our public library about Norman Rockwell.

After learning more about Norman Rockwell and his life, Kindergarten students worked as a class to develop a fictional story.  Students have already started illustrating their book pages. Each kindergarten class section has written a book and currently, each student is assigned a page from the book to illustrate. Today, students will be adding more details to their drawings with pencil and adding color with crayons. Students may need help reading the words on their assigned page as to remember what their assigned page says and illustrate accordingly. Students were also asked to help each other brainstorm ideas or details to add to their illustrations to make them better and to make sure the picture or illustration is “telling a story” like our artist Norman Rockwell.

First and Second grade students discovered an interesting comic on the front of the "Norman Rockwell" book written and illustrated by Mike Venezia.

"Hey Mr. Rockwell! Why don't you paint some cool modern stuff like us?"

I wanted to make sure students understood why this quote was so important, so we examined other art created around the same time of Norman Rockwell's illustrations and made notes using a Venn Diagram.  I think the category that was most difficult for students was finding words to describe what was similar between Norman Rockwell's illustrations and the modern abstract artwork that was created at the same time.

Working together in groups of 3-4, students compare art using a Venn Diagram.

First and Second grade students also designed a cover for "The Saturday Evening Post". This lesson puts the student in the role of illustrator with the assignment of designing a cover for “The Post”. Students were shown examples of Post covers by Norman Rockwell from the books in the above photo. Students were reminded that Norman Rockwell felt that the idea of a cover must be readily evident, the viewer should be able to understand the situation in about thirty seconds for the cover to have the desired impact. Grades K-3: Remember that the drawings may be only somewhat representational. Continue to be supportive of the efforts and open to spontaneous or unrealistic use of color. Next week, students will be creating Norman Rockwell inspired artwork of their own!

"The Saturday Evening Post" Cover Design

SD Visual Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

K.VA.Re.8.1.a. Describe what an image represents.

1.VA.Re.8.1.a. Compare images that represent the same subject.

2.VA.Re.8.1.a. Categorize images based on expressive properties.

Artist of the Quarter Henri Matisse

Goal: 3D/2D shapes, Geometric/Organic Shapes, drawing geometric shapes, creating reflections, art of Henri Matisse

This week's lesson allows first and second grade students to examine Henri Matisse's “Goldfish” painted in 1912 using Visual Thinking Strategies. One of my goals as an art educator is to get students talking about art and drawing their own conclusions from art finding visual evidence within the work. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) allows each child to share what they see or find in a piece of art and connect their findings to visual evidence within the painting. Through VTS' rigorous group 'problem-solving' process, students cultivate a willingness and ability to present their own ideas, while respecting and learning from the perspectives of their peers.  Common questions asked during a VTS discussion include: 

What's going on in this picture?

What do you see that makes you say that?

What more can we find?

Henri Matisse "Goldfish" Painted 1912

While examining Henri Matisse's art and life, students learned the difference between geometric and organic shapes, bright colors and dull colors, and reflections created in art. We also practiced drawing various geometric shapes. In first and second grade, we will practice drawing cones, cylinders and cubes, all three dimensional shapes. 

Students drew hearts on the shapes best drawn!

After examining his art and life and drawing 3D shapes, students will have the opportunity to create their own Henri Matisse inspired cylinder and add background and foreground patterns to create their own environment for their cylinder based on personal preference. 

Here are a few videos we watched to give us more information about Henri Matisse's life and art, all available on You Tube. We especially focused on how others were creating art during his life and how he chose to use bright colors rather than dull colors to express himself which labeled him as a "wild beast" by the art community.

 

 

SD Visual Art Standards:

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. 1.VA.Cr.1.1 Engage in creative art making using observation and investigation. 2.VA.Cr.1.1. Brainstorm and implement multiple approaches, materials, and tools to solve an art design problem driven by personal interests and curiosity or to re-purpose objects to make something new.

Anchor Standard 2 (K-2): Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. 1.VA.Cr.2.1. Explore safe uses of materials, tools, and procedures to create works of art or design.  2.VA.Cr.2.1 Experiment with various materials and tools while demonstrating safe use of materials, tools, and procedures to create works of art or design.

Anchor Standard 7 (K-2): Perceive and analyze artistic work. (examining Matisse's use of geometric and organic shapes as well as bright colors)

Anchor Standard 11 (K-2): Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.

Arcimboldo, Faces iMake, and Kindergarten Art

Arcimboldo; It's just a fun name to say and his art is even more FUN! 

This week's lesson allows kindergarten students to examine Giuseppe Arcimboldo's “Vertumnus” painted in 1590-1591 using Visual Thinking Strategies. One of my goals as an art educator is to get students talking about art and drawing their own conclusions from art finding visual evidence within the work. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) allows each child to share what they see or find in a piece of art and connect their findings to visual evidence within the painting. Through VTS' rigorous group 'problem-solving' process, students cultivate a willingness and ability to present their own ideas, while respecting and learning from the perspectives of their peers.  Common questions asked during a VTS discussion include: 

What's going on in this picture?

What do you see that makes you say that?

What more can we find?

Vertumnus by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Arcimboldo was best known for his fantastical portrait paintings. These were portraits composed of objects such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, books, or even a plate of meat. The public reacted to his paintings much the way we do today: with admiration, humor, and fascination. Students watched a short video called "Arcimboldo's Feast for the Eyes" at Smithsonian Magazine to see multiple examples of these fantastical portraits. 

After examining his art, students had the opportunity to create their own Arcimboldo inspired works. Using the iPads and the app Faces iMake, students could create their own Arcimboldo inspired faces. With only five iPads available in the art room, students rotated through this center while others worked on cutting out food, flowers and other items to glue down and make faces on 9" x 12" drawing paper.  Look to our Artsonia gallery to see more examples of images created by kindergarten in the Faces iMake app.

Visual Thinking Strategies in the Early Elementary Art Room

This week's lesson allows all students kindergarten through second grade to examine Pieter Bruegel the Elder's "Hunter's in the Snow" painted in 1565 using Visual Thinking Strategies. One of my goals as an art educator is to get students talking about art and drawing their own conclusions from art finding visual evidence within the work. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) allows each child to share what they see or find in a piece of art and connect their findings to visual evidence within the painting. Through VTS' rigorous group 'problem-solving' process, students cultivate a willingness and ability to present their own ideas, while respecting and learning from the perspectives of their peers.  Common questions asked during a VTS discussion include: 

What's going on in this picture?

What do you see that makes you say that?

What more can we find?

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, "Hunters in the Snow", 1565

We have come to believe that discussions of art may be one of the most fertile grounds for teaching critical thinking skills precisely because there is no one right answer.

—Abigail Housen

For more information about Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), visit vtshome.org.

SD Visual Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

K.VA.Re.8.1.a. Describe what an image represents.

1.VA.Re.8.1.a. Compare images that represent the same subject.

2.VA.Re.8.1.a. Categorize images based on expressive properties.

1st and 2nd Grade Venn Diagram Activity