December Project: Alexander Calder

Circles and Spirals, Alexander Calder

Project Attributes:

• Brief introduction to Alexander Calder & VTS - Visual Thinking Strategy
• Compare/Contract his work to those of Kandinski, Matisse, Miro
• Focus on geometric and freeform shapes plus primary & secondary colors
• Balanced vs. Unbalanced, compositions discussed
• Spirals - demonstration on how to create them

Resources:

• Red Star, Moon Spirals - by Calder (VTS)
• Westport Permanent Art Collection Lithograph

Art Materials:

• Calder tracers
• Oil pastels
• Tempera liquid

Student Examples:

November Project: Henri Matisse Cut-Outs

Project Attributes:

• Geometric & Freeform Shapes - defined
• Tracing and Cutting Freeform Shapes - practicing fine motor skills
• Review of Primary & Secondary Colors
• Layout of Shapes within a Composition
• Brief Introduction to Henri Matisse 
• Compare/Contrast two different styles of Matisse

Vocabulary:

• Contrast
• Balance
• Movement

Resources:

• Matisse Paintings, Beasts of the Sea & Oceanic 
• Book - Cut-out Fun with Matisse: Adventures in Art

Art Materials:

• Construction Paper
• Paper Cut-outs
• Glue
• Scissors
• Tracers

EVENT:

• HENRI MATISSE - The Cut-outs
• Museum of Modern Art, New York City
• Dates: 10/12/14 - 2/8/15

Student Examples:

October Project: Joan Miro

Project Attributes:

• Abstract Art
• Elements of Art - line, shape, color, balance
• Brief background of Joan Miro
• VTS (Visual Thinking Strategy) = Dissecting a Miro painting through student observation and discussion
• Where do artists get their ideas?
• Identification of lines, shapes and colors in a variety of Miro paintings

Resources:

• Miro art cards & Smartboard presentation

Art Materials:

• Black sharpies
• Watercolor pencils

Student Work: 

September Project: Lines

Feature Artist: Wassily Kandinsky

Project Goals:

• Exploring types of lines (worksheet)
• Expressive lines – defined, comparing & contrasting expressive lines – how do we “feel” when we look at a picture that has the same line repeated?
• Lines in our world

Art Materials:

• Oil Pastels & Tempura Cakes (K),
• Construction Paper & Paint (1)

Resources:

• Video: “Getting To Know Lines”, www.gettingtoknow.com
• Book: “Lines That Wiggle”, Candace Whitman

Art Vocabulary: Resist, expressive lines

Student Work:

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