Audubon Inspired Animals

 

Students looked at the artwork of artist and ornithologist John James Audubon and discussed how he often painted birds in their natural environment.  First grade chose their favorite animal and painted it nice and big with help from small animal plastic figures and photographs.  

Common American Swan, John James Audubon, 1838

American Flamingo, John James Audubon, 1838

Birds of America, John James Audubon, 1827-1838

Next, we learned how a landscape is a view of the land and a seascape is a view of the sea.  We created a landscape or seascape which our animal could live in and made sure to add in a horizon line, which we defined as where the sky meets the earth.  When we put our animal together with our landscape, we discussed the difference between foreground, middle ground and background.  First grade artists made sure that the foreground included lots of details with  objects larger compared to the middle ground and especially the background, where objects are often out of focus  with less detail.  The last step  was to use oil pastels to brighten up our animal artworks.

Student painting fish from observation.

Student painting dinosaur from observation

Student using oil pastel on top of tempera paint.

Crazy Cubist Creations!

Students were introduced to the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and the art movement he became most popular for called cubism.  However, we first looked at some of his earlier work defined as the Blue Period, where he produced monochromatic paintings in shades of blue and green only, often depicting poverty, loneliness and despair.  At this point in Picasso's life, a close friend of his died, which was said to have a big influence on his work.  Then, we moved into what was considered the Rose Period, where Picasso used brighter colors such as red, orange, pink and earth tones, with his paintings including more pleasant themes of clowns, harlequins, and carnival performers .

At last, we spent the most time examining his work in the style of cubism.  We discussed how to identify a cubist work by breaking it up into six different categories which includes abstraction, geometric shapes, fragmentation or shattered glass look, multiple views, rearranged facial features, and asymmetry.  We created our own portraits in the style of cubism with the website called Mr. Picasso Head. Students got a feel of what it is like in the career of Graphic Design.  Fourth graders carefully chose color schemes and how they could incorporate at least 2 of the 6 elements of cubism in their work. After our portraits were printed, we spent the last day creating a border that showed repetition and unity, by using some design elements from our portrait in our border. Students also filled out a cubist critique, where they circled the elements of cubism used in their work and listed something they learned about cubism, as well as what they liked about their portrait.  The last day we spent some time discussing the close relationship Pablo Picasso and another cubist artist Georges Braque had.  We even learned how they often would sign their work on the back, to make it difficult for people to identify who painted it! Would you be able to tell the difference from the examples below?

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso, Three Musicians, 1921

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso, Girl With a Boat (Maya Picasso), 1938

Pablo Picasso, Violin and Grapes 1912

             Braque and Picasso

  Georges Braque, Man with a Guitar, 1912     Pablo Picasso, The Accordionist, 1911

Students using Mr. Picasso Head

Students using Mr. Picasso Head

Student Examples