This was a piece for our exploration of Fauvism, the critical joining movement between Impressionism and Expressionism. This project was especially fun to let the kids create more expressively while providing an art history lesson.

Students were read Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, exploring how Jackson Pollock utilized colors as expression of action rather than painting objects as expression. Students were given set colors to finger paint with, having the paint poured or splattered onto their paper. About halfway through the project, I came back around with an alternate color. It was difficult for some and exciting for others to have paint shplopped onto their papers midway through the project!

Teaching from Van Gogh’s “Irises,” students spied colors around the painting, noting that paintings aren’t just basic colors, but shades and tones. They practiced wax resist technique, like Van Gogh, creating their own flower gardens.

Students took a break from art history and practiced art technique, taking a look at drawing from life. Utilizing Mr. Martin’s Three Rules for Drawing, they worked to draw basic shapes, objects, and drawing big as the lessons increased in difficulty.

For this project, students took a look at Rorschach prints, noting the symmetry between the two sides and providing their own psychological interpretations of the blots. They then made their own, creating the symmetrical print first, then coming back in with detail paints after it had dried.

After a long project, I like to provide the kids an opportunity to utilize their free thinking. This helps loosen creativity, explores art technique, and pushes a growth mindset. I place song titles at the top, providing no context, and ask the students to illustrate what they believe the title looks like. So far we’ve illustrated songs by Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd.