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DISCUSSION:
Play some charades
with the students. Make some gestures and ask the students to Present
the photographs of Elaine de Kooning's paintings to the
students and discuss the work. Ask the students the following questions:
- What creates
the feeling of action?
- How many figures
do you see?
- What do you think
the figures are doing?
- Do you see any
objects in the painting?
- Why do you think
the artist used the colors that she did?
ASSIGNMENT:
Students will create
a painting in an abstract expressive style using acrylic
paints.
PROCEDURE:
After looking at
the paintings of Elaine de Kooning and discussing there
content; explain the abstract expressionist movement in art that developed
after WWII (see web link below for information). Choose several photographs
of figures in action. Ask the student to concentrate on doing several
drawings of one type of activity such as football, skating, skiing,
diving, and dance. Create gesture drawings of these figures. Cut out
the gesture drawings and arrange a composition of figures by pasting
chosen ones on a larger sheet of paper. Using a large sheet of illustration
board or canvas sketch the composition of the gesture drawings, retaining
the quick expressive lines of the gesture. Ask the students to practice
painting in a quick expressive way with watercolor on their composite
sketch. Tell them the watercolor will not have the opacity and thickness
of the acrylic paint, but that it is a less expensive media to practice
in. Tell the students to try to create a flow of movement in the brush
strokes. Critique the practice painting and determine what changes should
be made in the final project. Paint the sketched illustration board
with acrylic paints, being careful not to mix the brush strokes and
muddy the paint. You may want to allow drying time between opposite
groups of colors.
SUGGESTIONS:
Play music while
the students work to help keep their movements loose and expressive.
You could try the same project with a still life subject.
CLOSURE:
Ask the students
to write a brief descriptive essay of the action taking
place in their paintings. Tell them to imagine the scene and narrate
the
action. Ask the students to read their essay and present their painting
to
the other students in class.
RESOURCES:
Publications:
Ragans, Rosalind.
Art Talk. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe,1995., pp. 63-64.
Katz, Elizabeth L., Lankford, E. Louis, Plank, Jan D. Themes and Foundations
of Art. St.
Internet Links:
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/a/abstractexpr.html
http://www.abstractart.20m.com/expressionism.html
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