Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts

Modern Art Cakes

0 comments Posted by Kristine at 6/14/2012 09:52:00 AM

I recently found these modern art cake decorating ideas in a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook and thought they were too much fun not to share! Click on the images to enlarge.

Braque and Mondrian Cakes:

Braque and Mondrian Cake Instructions
Picasso Cake:

Picasso Cake Instructions

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Week in Review: 04/01/11

3 comments Posted by Kristine at 4/01/2011 04:13:00 PM

This week our first week back from spring break so work was kept much lighter than usual as we all struggled to get back into the old familiar routine of school.

Religion

We did not do any work out of Faith and Life: Following Christ this week, and honestly, now I'm questioning my decision to begin using it so late in the year. Since I really love the curriculum, I may just save it for next year. The kids were quite busy this week with first communion preparation at church, athough that is still nearly a month away. I've been working like mad at decluttering the house (my goal for Lent), and so far, so good, though there's still an awful lot to do!

History

I kept history as simple as possible this week. The kids continued studying the American Revolution with BJU's American Republic and watched 3 episodes per day of Liberty's Kids. I think they've actually learned more from the DVD's than the textbook, but the textbook stresses them out pretty badly!

They were a bit behind in world history, so I had them read 28 pages per day from Horrible Histories: The Gorgeous Georgians and The Vile Victorians. This was essentially the entire book on the Georgians. In addition, they had reading from The Usborne History of Britain. This weekend we'll be watching a DVD that just arrived from Amazon UK: At Home with the Georgians, though I suspect this will appeal to me far more than it appeals to them! A review of the 3-part series can be found here: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3.

Math

Math was as uneventful as ever. M's working on geometry and J finished up his unit on fractions. They're both pretty much done with their books, so I think I'm going to have them do Khan Academy math for the remainder of the year, maybe.

Language Arts

In Voyages in English grammar, the kids studied singular and plural possessive nouns, nouns showing joint and separate possession, appositives and appositive phrases. We did quite a bit of extra work on these since they both found them difficult. In writing, they worked on dictionary skills.

We did not learn any new terms from Figuratively Speaking this week. For literature, M continued reading The Doll People by Ann M. Martin and J continued reading Monkey: Folk Novel of China (a book that he insisted on). M is enjoying her book, while J is not.

Art

This week finally included some art since I've been busy planning art for next year (it will happen!). When the kids were little, we used to do art every day. At that time, I worked in the industry and trying out new products and coming up with projects was a part of my job. Both M and J miss those days, and really, so do I. So, my goal is to incorporate more art into our lives from here on out (although this week, it seemed to take over). :-)

Over spring break, we watched two excellent documentaries: Herb and Dorothy and The Art of the Steal, both of which provoked some great discussions. One of the things we learned from Herb and Dorothy was that you don't have to be wealthy to collect art. I guess that should be obvious, but I'd honestly never thought about it before. This prompted J and I to spend some time on Etsy looking at original art, and as a result, we purchased a sketch from Berkshires artist Thor Wickstrom (one of his paintings will be next) and an abstract floral painting from California artist Linda Monfort:


The art arrived this week and was absolutely fabulous in person...the painting, in particular, just screams spring, doesn't it?! Also, M and I have become addicted to playing Master Pieces: The Curator's Game on my iPad - it's a terrific way to learn to appreciate the details in art, as well as memorize famous paintings and their creators.

This week's primary art project was a Giuseppe Arcimboldo-inspired collage, borrowed from Do Art!. When I first found the project I fell in love with it, but couldn't quite fit into my plans for next year, so I decided to do it right away. It helped that I had stacks of garden catalogs that I needed to do something with, since I didn't want to pack them when we move this summer. In the end, however, we mostly used the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Catalog which had big glorious pictures.

We reviewed all of Arcimboldo's allegorical portraits (links below), discussed our favorites and learned what an allegory is. As the kids began work on their projects, they occasionally stopped to browse through Arcimboldo's gallery again for inspiration, this time using Art Authority on my iPad. We used a half-sheet of white posterboard for the head, mounted on a half-sheet of black posterboard, so the finished portraits were BIG!

To make the assignment more difficult, I decided that they should use only fruits, vegetables or flowers for their faces, rather than painting on eyes and a mouth. By the time the challenge of composing a face was resolved (this took 3 days), they were pretty much done with the project. The clothing was rather thrown together and it shows!. Overall though, I think they turned out pretty good and they were (initially, at least) a lot of fun.

Links:

Vertumnus by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Oil on panel, 1590

The Clown by M

Untitled by J

On Friday, we also attempted these ink creatures, though they weren't such a success. The kids enjoyed blowing the ink around far more than they enjoyed having to create something from their ink shapes.



Monster by J


Butterfly by M

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Art for Grades 6/7, Part Two

2 comments Posted by Kristine at 3/30/2011 11:19:00 AM

Part One

*This page still needs a lot of fine-tuning!

Unit 4: A World of Art and Artists

  • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 15: Interpretation: There Is More to It Than Meets the Eye, pp. 200-205
  • Lesson 1: Mysteries of Long Ago
  • Lesson 2: Art of Ancient Egypt
    • Studio 2: Design a Symbolic Throne
    • Studio: Draw Like an Egyptian
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 18: Islands of Time I (Egypt), pp. 246-249
  • Lesson 3: Art of Ancient Greece
    • Studio 3: Make an Olympic Poster
    • Studio: Three Columns
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 18: Islands of Time I (Greece), pp. 250-253
  • Lesson 4: Art of Ancient Rome
    • Studio 4: Design a Model with Arches
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 18: Islands of Time I (Rome), pp. 254-258
  • Lesson 5: Art in the Middle Ages
    • Studio 5: Make an Illuminated Storybook
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 18: Islands of Time I (The Middle Ages), pp. 259-265
  • Meet the Artist: Diego Rivera
  • Look and Compare: Faces of Motherhood
  • Lesson 6: Architecture in the Americas
    • Studio 6: Design a Mayan-Style Movie Theatre
  • Lesson 7: The Art of Renaissance Europe
    • Studio 7: Create a Renaissance-Style Portrait
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 18: Islands of Time I (The Renaissance), pp. 266-273
  • Lesson 8: Early Eastern Art
    • Studio 8: Make a Banner
    • Studio: Tie-Dye Shibori Vessel
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 16: Non-Western Art, pp. 206-223
      • India, pp. 206-211
      • Southeast Asia, pp. 212-218
        • Studio 16.1: A Watercolor Wash Landscape
        • Studio: Cat Painting (China/Shen Quan), Usborne Art Treasury, pp. 56-59
      • Japan, pp. 219-223
  • Additional Reading:  The Visual Experience, Chapter 16: Non-Western Art II, pp. 224-243
  • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 19: Islands of Time II, pp. 274-305
    • The 1600s and the Baroque Style, pp. 275-279
    • The Enlightenment, Rococo, and Neoclassicism, pp. 279-281
    • Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post Impressionism, pp. 283-288
    • The Industrial Revolution; Architecture: Frame Construction, pp. 288-289
    • Art of the First Half of the Twentieth Century (Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Dadaism), pp. 290-297 (See projects below)
    • Architecture of the First Half of the Twentieth Century, pp. 298-299
    • Art of the Second Half of the Twentieth Century, pp. 300-302
    • Architecture of the Second Half of the Twentieth Century, p. 303
    • Postscript: The Post-Modern Era, pp. 304-305
  • Lesson 9: Modern Western Art
    • Studio 9: Create an Abstract Collage
    • Studio: Reptile Relief (Kandinsky), Dynamic Art Projects, pp. 29-30
  • Lesson 10: Modern Global Art
  • Portfolio Project: Create a Clay Vehicle Create a Free Form Vessel
Unit 5: Subjects and Styles Lesson
Unit 6: Expression and Meaning
  • Lesson 1: Murals Tell Stories
    • Studio 1: Create a Mural for Your School
  • Lesson 2: Mosaic Expression
    • Studio 2: Design a Mosaic Mural
  • Lesson 3: The Art of Assemblage
  • Lesson 4: Expressive Points of View
    • Studio 4: Create an Abstract Cityscape
  • Meet the Artist: Georgia O'Keefe
  • Look and Compare: A Change of Styles
  • Lesson 5: Expression Through Symbols
    • Studio 5: Create a Totem
  • Lesson 6: Maks for Expression
  • Lesson 7: Expression Through Humor
    • Studio 7: Create a Caricature
  • Lesson 8: The Art of Industrial Design
    • Studio 8: Create a Model for a Prototype
  • Lesson 9: Graphic Design as Expression
  • Project: Create a Found-Object Sculpture
  • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 20: Criticism and Critics, pp. 308-311
  • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 21: A Critical Method, pp. 312-323

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Art for Grades 6/7, Part One

0 comments Posted by Kristine at 3/30/2011 11:12:00 AM


This is a very rough draft of my plans for art next year, but I thought I'd go ahead and post them just in case someone finds them useful. First, I decided to go with a proper textbook for art, to help keep myself focused more than anything. After much deliberation, I chose Scott Foresman Art 6 as our spine (preview here) because it seemed to be the most appealing option, though it's ridiculously hard to find information about any of the art textbooks online.

After receiving the books, I also decided to order an inexpensive older (2nd edition) copy of The Visual Experience because, while it's more dry and textbook-like, it includes a lot of information that the Foresman book does not and will be helpful as a supplement. I'm going to try to use these books over the course of two years, and thus have added in a lot of extra art projects (and likely, will be adding many more).

My goal is that we'll do art at least 2-3 days per week, saving Friday as an "open studio" day to experiment with new techniques and/or finish up other projects. I'm also thinking of implementing a 15-20 minute period for sketching every day. Other supplements that we'll be using are included on the blog sidebar - books on technique are here, along with my supply list.

Introduction
  • The Visual Experience, Chapter 1: Seeing, Wondering, Enjoying, pp. 3-9
  • The Visual Experience, Chapter 2: When Is It Art?, pp. 10-17
  • The Visual Experience, Chapter 3: Describing What You See, pp. 20-25
Unit 1: The Elements of Art

Trois Danseuses by Edgar Degas

Unit 2: The Principles of Design
  • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 10: Design, pp. 116-122
  • Lesson 1: Balance
    • Studio 1: Draw to Show Balance
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 10: Balance, pp. 122-127
  • Lesson 2: Emphasis
    • Studio 2: Draw with Emphasis
  • Lesson 3: Proportion
    • Studio 3: Draw with Altered Proportions (Variation: All Out of Proportion, Drawing and Painting, pp. 26-27)
  • Lesson 4: Pattern
  • Meet the Artist: Henri Matisse
  • Look and Compare: The Art of the Everyday
  • Lesson 5: Rhythm
    • Studio 5: Create Op Art
  • Lesson 6: Unity
    • Studio 6: Create a Unified Design
  • Lesson 7: Variety
    • Studio 7: Use Variety in a Drawing
  • Portfolio Project: Paint a Still Life
Unit 3: Media and Methods
  • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 11: Introduction to Media, pp. 130-133
  • Lesson1: Drawing, pp. 108-109
    • Studio 1: Create a Gesture Drawing
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 12: Two-Dimensional Media, pp. 134-136
      • Studio 12.1: Contrasts in Chalk Drawing
  • Lesson 2: Painting
    • Studio 2: Paint a Landmark
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 12: Two-Dimensional Media, pp. 137-142
      • Studio 12.2: Watercolor Washes (Variation: Oil Pastel Resist, Drawing and Painting, pp. 40-41)
      • Studio 12.3: A Tempera Painting
    • Studio: Paul Klee Landscape (watercolor techniques), Dynamic Art Projects, pp. 18-19
  • Lesson 3: Printmaking
  • Lesson 4: Collage
    • Studio 4: Make a Hobby Collage
    • Studio: Gelly Bowls (Dimensional Acrylic Collage)
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 12: Two-Dimensional Media, pp. 155-157
      • Studio 12.6: A Unified Collage
    • Studio: Muse of Chance Collage (Arp), Discovering Great Artists, p. 74
  • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 13: Three-Dimensional Forms (Jewelry), pp. 177-179
  • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 13: Three-Dimensional Forms (Soft Sculpture and Glass), pp. 182-185
  • Lesson 5: Fiber Artworks
    • Studio 5: Make a Fiber Weaving (Variation: Burlap Weaving)
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 13: Three-Dimensional Forms (Woven Fiber Forms), pp. 179-181
  • Meet the Artist: M.C. Escher
  • Look and Compare: Arts and Crafts
  • Lesson 6: Sculpture
  • Lesson 7: Architecture
  • Lesson 8: Pottery and Ceramics
    • Studio 8: Make a Hand-Built Pottery Vessel
    • Studio: Slab Vase (uses self-hardening clays)
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 13: Three-Dimensional Media, pp. 175-176
  • Lesson 9: Still Photography
    • Studio 9: Make a Photomontage
    • Additional Reading: The Visual Experience, Chapter 12: Two-Dimensional Media, pp. 150-153 (Film, Video and Computer Art)
  • Portfolio Project: Tessellation Design (Variation: Vasarely Was a Colorful Fellow)
    • Vasarely: The official artist website; includes many examples of his work.
Part Two

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Art Supplies for Grades 6/7

0 comments Posted by Kristine at 3/30/2011 11:08:00 AM

Paint Brushes ©Lindsay Rogerson

My Supply List:

The vast majority of these items are things that I almost always keep on hand for projects, with a few things added for special projects next year. While less expensive brands can be substituted, I personally believe it is important to use "artist quality" materials with kids whenever possible. 
Not totally necessary, but nice to have:

Books on Technique:

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An Introduction to Fauvism: Matisse and Derain

0 comments Posted by Kristine at 3/14/2011 04:34:00 PM


"Henri Matisse" by André Derain, Collioure, 1905

"André Derain" by Henri Matisse, Collioure, 1905

Resources
Lesson Plans

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The Art of Alice Bailly, Part Two

0 comments Posted by Kristine at 1/22/2011 12:06:00 PM


L'Elephant


Femme en rouge 


Nature mort aux mimosas


Le village


Paysage à Orsay (L'Arbre Vert)


Femme au miroir

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The Art of Alice Bailly, Part One

0 comments Posted by Kristine at 1/22/2011 11:54:00 AM

Alice Bailly (February 25, 1872 – January 1, 1938) was a radical Swiss painter, known for her interpretation of cubism and her multimedia wool paintings. Biography


Femme au gant blanc


Hochzeitsfest


Arlequin et femme


Danseuse avec arliquin


Portrait d'un jeune homme


Au bord du ruisseau

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The Photography of Bill Brandt

0 comments Posted by Kristine at 1/12/2011 11:10:00 AM

Bill Brandt, British photographer and photojournalist 
3 May 1904 – 20 December 1983

Biography  - Photography Archive


Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4


Lambeth Walk, 1936

Parlourmaid in Window, Kensington, 1936

1936

Halifax, 1937

East End, 1937

Children in Sheffield, 1937

The House Opposite 12 , Anguir Street, Dublin
(Birthplace of Thomas Moore)

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Picture Study: The Gleaners

1 comments Posted by Kristine at 9/08/2010 07:48:00 AM

A STORY OF HARVEST TIME

BEFORE the sun had risen above the hills, and while yet the dew lingered on the grass, the harvesters were at their work. With their hook-shaped sickles they cut the grain, handful by handful, and laid it in uneven swaths upon the ground; and as they kept time with one another they chanted a song of thanksgiving and praise to the sender of the harvest, the giver of good gifts, the Lord of earth and sky. After them came the boys and young men who had not learned to handle the sickle,— some to gather the swaths up into bundles and others to bind the bundles into sheaves.

Following these were the gleaners, the poor people of the village, and the strangers who were without homes in the land; for it was a law of that county try that all the loose grain that was upon the ground and all that was left uncut by the reapers should belong to the needy and homeless. —James Baldwin.

Read this selection over carefully.
  1. What do the words, above the hills, help you to picture?
  2. Tell how the sky would look before the sun had risen.
  3. How would the air feel?
  4. What sounds would you hear?
  5. Do you think the harvesters noticed these things?
  6. Describe the way in which the grain was cut.
  7. Tell how the reapers kept time with one another.
  8. In what way may the chanting of a song have helped them?
  9. Why was the song one of thanksgiving and praise?
  10. Describe the work of the young men and boys.
  11. Tell who the gleaners were in this country.
  12. What did they do? Tell what the law of the country gave to them.
  13. What do you think about such a law?
Write five sentences telling things that you see and hear early in the morning.

(Source: Language Lessons by John Benjamin Wisely)

The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet

(Click on image to enlarge)

Sensier's Interpretation of Millet: "For Millet, the man of soil, represents the whole human family; the laborer gave him the clearest type of our toil and our suffering. Millet is, however, neither a discouraged nor a sad man. He is a laborer who loves his field — ploughs, sows, and reaps it. His field is art. His inspiration is life, is nature, which he loved with all his strength. . . . And if before a painting or a drawing by Millet, we are shocked by the roughness of his hand, the unusualness of his subject, the unexpectedness of his composition, let time do its work. Let us go and look at the plains, the forest, and the sky; let us forget our fashions and our traditions, and we will feel the same strengthening breath that animated Millet. . . . He that understands him will say, Here is a painter who has given a place to the humblest; a poet who has raised to honor those whom the world ignores, and a good man, whose work encourages and consoles."

Jean-Francois Millet (1814-1875) was the son of poor French peasants. His father was a man of beautiful character, a natural musician, and a lover of nature. He said to his son often, " Look at that tree, how large and beautiful; it is as beautiful as a flower," or "See! That house buried by the field is good; it seems to me that it ought to be drawn that way." He tried sometimes to model in clay or to carve a bit of wood. But he died ignorant of his own worth and gifts.

Millet's grandmother named him Jean for his father and Francois for that charming Saint Francis of Assisi, whom even the birds loved and to whom they talked. She loved her little godson and grandson, rocking, caring for him, and singing to him all day long. In the morning she wakened him gently with, "Wake up, my little one; you do not know how long the birds have been singing the glory of God!"

The little Millet was a handsome, hearty, strong lad, quite able to hold his own against the other boys both with his fists and his head. The clergyman of the village taught him Latin for the pleasure of it, and he studied it for the same reason.

His father sympathized with his craze for drawing and helped him to find his first master. Finally, Millet went to Paris, and there entered the studio of the famous painter, Paul Delaroche. The city students could not understand him. They nicknamed him the "Man of the Woods"; but they soon learned that he could draw. " It is easy to see that you have painted a great deal," said Delaroche. But he had never touched the brush before.

Nevertheless he had a hard struggle to get along. His pictures did not sell. He was ready to print signboards even, but the market for them was not inexhaustible. At last he moved from Paris to Barbizon, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life.

At first a small peasant house with three rooms answered for his wife and three children, but as his family increased the house was lengthened, and a studio, wash-house, and chicken-yard built in the garden.

"He had two occupations," writes Sensier; "in the morning he dug or planted, sowed or reaped; after lunch he went into the low, dark, cold room called a studio. . . . His first vision was a Bible subject, Ruth and Boaz, which he drew on the wall in crayon."

Here for years he was wretchedly poor. "But," said he, "let no one think that they can force me to prettify my types; I would rather do nothing than express myself feebly. Give me signboards to paint; give me yards of canvas to cover by the day like a house painter, but let me imagine and execute my own work in my own way."

But recognition came to him at last and in his own lifetime. The knowledge of him, and reverence and love for his teaching have been increasing ever since his death.

Method.— What do you think that the girl in the foreground is saying? What are the others in her group doing? What is she carrying in her left hand? Why? What do you make out of the group toward the right? of the left background? Where is the sun? How do you know? What is the time of day? the season of the year? the country? (Source: Picture Study in Elementary Schools by Williams Wilson; Story and Notes)

The Gleaner by Jules Breton

 
(Click on image to enlarge)

The picture is a favorite with the painter. "Ceres of France" he calls it in one of his poems. "How royally," he says, "is the golden wheat carried on thy shoulder."

"Jules Breton wrote many poems, and a vein of poetry runs through his pictures. They tell of the sadness of the land when the fields sleep dreamily beneath the shadows of the evening, touched by the last rays of the setting sun; but they tell of it in verses where the same rhymes are repeated with wearisome monotony." — Richard Mather.

Jules Breton (1827- ), one of the most popular of living French artists, was born of wealthy, intelligent parents. His mother died when he was but four years old, so his uncle, a genuine nature lover, came to live with his father and helped to bring up Jules and the other children. At the age of six Jules determined to be an artist. This was the more remarkable in that there was no art in his native town. The only painting that he had ever seen was the restoration, by means of bright green paint, of the four statues of the seasons which adorned his father's grounds. This made upon him so vivid an impression that in later years he wrote a poem in commemoration. He was sent to a religious school at the age of ten. While there he made a drawing of a favorite black dog named Coco, representing him in a cassock on his hind feet with a book in his paws. Underneath he wrote, "The Abbe Coco reads His Breviary." Unfortunately this was seen by one of his teachers. "Did you do this through impiety or to laugh at your masters?" he asked. Poor little Jules did not know at all why he had done it. He only knew that it was certainly wrong to laugh at his masters, and so he answered, trembling, "Through impiety." His master whipped him. These undeserved blows caused his family to send him to another school, where, fortunately, the atmosphere was more favorable to his artistic ambitions.

He has always been a hard worker, and his great successes have been well earned. His brother, Emile, and his daughter, Madame Demont-Breton, whose picture of the "Frightened Bather" will be remembered, are both his pupils, and both excellent artists.

Method. — Secure, if possible, a large framed copy for the room and smaller copies for each of the pupil's desks.

The message of this picture is the beauty, the dignity of labor, the health and real wealth that it brings. Therefore, let the study of the picture be preceded by the nature study for the month, by the thoughtful reading of such poems as his magnificent "Songs of Labor," "At Harvest Time," from "Lilliput Levee," etc.

Let the children give their own interpretation, but direct their observation, and thought, too, by leading questions, as they may be necessary.

Of whom is this a picture? What is she doing? What was she doing? How do you know? What time of the year is it? (July.) Why do you think so? Is it hard work or easy work for the girl? Would you find it hard or easy? Why? How would you carry the large sheaf? What will become of the wheat? Why is she barefoot? Was the picture painted in this country? Why do you think not? 1 Who painted the picture? Why did he call her "Ceres of France"? Does she look like a goddess? How? Why? What other harvest pictures have you ever seen?

Stimulate the children to bring other pictures for a loan collection.

Just as soon as possible let them have the keen pleasure and great intellectual stimulus of deciding which picture of several they like the best, and why they prefer it to the others.

The teacher must remember that it is impossible to force into the consciousness of the children artistic feeling, knowledge, and wisdom. Its development and growth is from within outward; therefore it is not a bad plan to let the children shape the course within reasonable limits. Show them either a number of Breton's pictures, or else

Select a number of harvest pictures by other artists. Put them about the room. Then let the children choose each for him or herself which one she wishes to keep on her desk for a day. Give them the opportunity thus silently to study several.

It is a good plan to let the children write an account of the artist or the picture, or both. Give them each a copy of the picture, thus starting them with an art note-book, to which should be added the appropriate poems; or, if possible, give them each the opportunity to buy the picture, or, if nothing better can be done, openly start a note-book of your own in the hope that some of them will feel disposed to follow your example.

(Source: Picture Study in Elementary Schools by Williams Wilson)

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Friday Fine Arts Fiesta!

0 comments Posted by Kristine at 9/01/2010 11:35:00 AM


Starting very soon, and continuing through the end of the semester, we're going to try something new for "Fine Art Fridays." Rather than trying to coordinate art/music/poetry/etc. with our history studies, we're going to focus on modern Latin American art/music/poetry (thus, my daughter has re-named the day "Fiesta Fridays"). We will continue to study the Medieval arts during history.

Since we're all usually dragging by the end of the week, we needed something lively and fun to look forward to, a break from our usual routine - hence this rather unconventional idea. The idea is that we'll study and discuss a piece of art, read a little about the artist, have some dessert (inspired by Latin American flavors), read some poetry, and then do an art or craft project (while listening to music, of course!). Once in awhile there will be a video segment to watch as well.

I haven't worked out all of the details just yet, but my plan is that we'll have two primary artists to study: Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo (not going into their lives too deeply since certain aspects wouldn't be suitable for children); we'll also touch on Pre-Columbian art, Jose Guadalupe Posada and study Mexican folk art (a source of inspiration for both artists), especially that pertaining to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Dia de los Muertos.

Below are some of the initial ideas I've compiled; I'll also be borrowing from the resources listed in my posts Fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe and El Dia de los Muertos. My hope is that we'll be able to further enhance this unit by a road trip to New Mexico to view some folk art first-hand!


Books

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera:
Folk Art:
Art Projects
Lesson Plans and Miscellany
Websites

Desserts
This entire book is online here.
DVDs*

*Pre-screening required; not all are suitable for children.

     

Music






Poetry


Pre-Hispanic America (Book cover for Pablo Neruda's Canto General), Diego Rivera

Pablo Neruda:

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