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.

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

Life is short. Eat dessert first!

My elementary students are almost finished with their Wayne Thiebaud inspired cakes and ice cream cones. I have many hanging on the wall in my hallway, with the quote "Life is short. Eat dessert first!" As we are completing the projects, I ask the students the following questions to make sure we are meeting the expectations for this project;

Do I have repetition (more than one shape, detail, or object repeating)?

Do I have a ground line (make sure my cake is not floating)?

Did I add details?

Did I trace my shapes and lines with bright colors (halation)?

Here are some of the amazing projects completed by my 2nd grade students. If you wish to see more student samples, you can view our online art gallery at Artsonia.

As art teachers may already know, students never finish at the same time.  If a child finishes early in my classroom, he or she may pick from a menu of art activities to reinforce facts learned about the Artist's life or utilize the artist's style.  Some of the activities include word searches, crossword puzzles, books about the artist's life or inspired by his/her images, and a drawing which involves the artist's style in some way.

The drawing activity for this particular artist requires students to draw their favorite meal and beverage (using a cylinder shape), include utensils and a ground line to reinforce our vocabulary and art skills from this lesson.

A list of anchor activities to complete when finished early. My first and second grade students are required to complete the drawing, but may choose any of the following items for themselves.

Wayne Thiebaud Artist of the Quarter (AoQ)

This week, students will be discovering the art and life of Wayne Thiebaud, artist of the quarter (AOQ), find cylinder shapes in his art, and practice drawing cylinders to add to their own Wayne Thiebaud inspired art. 

Essential Questions:
What is a cylinder? How do I draw a cylinder? Where do I see cylinders in art and around me everyday? What do I see in Wayne Thiebaud's art? (VTS) What do I see that makes me say that? (VTS) What more can I find? (VTS)

After drawing and practicing several cones and cylinders and reviewing Theibaud's style, students are ready to start their cake and ice cream cone projects (applying the learned forms within their projects). Frosting decorations and designs will be added and traced with many different brightly colored oil pastels (halation) as we see in Wayne Theibaud's art.

As students are working on their projects, the following questions should be answered;

1.    Do I have repetition (more than one cylinder, shape, or color repeating)?
2.    Do I have a ground line?
3.    Did I add details?
4.    Did I trace my shapes and lines with bright colors (halation)?