Lesson II of Session II - More Picasso and His Three Musician Buddies

Watercolor/Collage Tree Project

The second day of art fulfillment for Session II went very well!

Students finished their watercolor projects and we moved on to another Picasso-inspired project that proves how huge Picasso's range was with style and how it can inspire us.

First, we had other projects to wrap-up. But it's a little misleading to say one thing was completed and another one was commenced. Projects were often done back and forth, because of the steps that included some that needed to be set aside to dry, so to fill the time, another project was picked up.  Then when a break was taken with that one, the other one would be worked on again.

Our Watercolor Discoveries, Warm Color Desert Paintings, and even our Watercolor/Collage Tree Collage projects were done with those interchangeable steps. In fact, while most of those are now completed, there are still a few to be finished next week.

Watercolor/Collage Tree Project

Watercolor/Collage Tree Project in Progress

Watercolor/Collage Tree Project in Progress

Watercolor/Collage Tree Project in Progress

Watercolor/Collage Tree Project Completed

Watercolor/Tree Collage with Watercolor portion finished.

Watercolor/Tree Collage Project Completed

Watercolor/Tree Collage Project Completed

Desert Paintings

Warm Color Desert Watercolor In Progress

Watercolor Discovery Paintings

 

Picasso the Prodigy

It's funny how when we did our first Picasso-specific project on Monday (Picasso's People), it involved pretty much just watercolor pencils (and watercolor paint if desired). Now the next Picasso project will involve all collage. That is the kind of range Picasso had. His early stuff was very traditional. He was even considered a prodigy with his early works. But his early works were very traditional in his techniques. As we saw, he quickly moved onto methods and styles that were groundbreaking for the time. 

Yes, this is a Picasso painting!  (below) And even more amazing? He was FOURTEEN when he painted "Old Fisherman".

"Old Fisherman" Pablo Picasso 1895

"Woman in a Chemise" Pablo Picasso 1904

Then not too long after his "Blue Period" that Woman in a Chemise (above) is from, Picasso took the dramatic turn in his style and focus. After 1907, Picasso's work and "Cubism" go hand in hand. Of course, being that he took his art in a direction that was almost unheard of for the time (or shall I say, "unseen of"), he had a lot of barriers to break through. Therefore, I really like this quote:

“Cubism is no different from any other school of painting. The same principles and the same elements are common to all. The fact that for a long time cubism has not been understood and that even today there are people who cannot see anything in it, means nothing. I do not read English, and an English book is a blank to me. This does not mean that the English language does not exist, and why should I blame anyone but myself if I cannot understand what I know nothing about?”
-- Picasso 

The Three Musicians

In 1921, Picasso completed "The Three Musicians" Technically, this work came after his "Cubist" period, but it's hard to look at this and separate the style from that movement. It is also the inspiration for the project we began on Wednesday.

This is one of my favorite projects. As I've said before, I also love it because it can work with all age groups - from kindergarten all the way into adulthood.And we are all moved by music in one way or another. It is something we can all identify with. Picasso's "Three Musicians" was done over 90 years ago, but we can identify with it today - just as we will 90 years from now.

"Three Musicians" In Progress

"Three Musicians" In Progress

"Three Musicians" Completed

Links:

2011 Summer "Three Musician" Project

Grades 2-8 "Three Musician" Project

High School "Three Musician" Project

After this Picasso-inspired Collage is completed, we're going to cross the pond and look at an American artist (that is still living in fact!) and find inspiration in his "patriotic" art. Those are the only hints I'm giving for now!

Until next time...

Session II Kickoff - Picasso's People and Watercolor Mania!

Yesterday was the first of four Art Lessons for my second session! With 9 students, I am almost at my max. Therefore. I enlisted Mikelle's assistance as Teachers Aid. However, despite having 9 students in my kitchen, they were awesome artists and great kids.

I had to be a little creative with the projects because two of my students had been in my classes before, so I didn't want them to repeat any projects. 

At the same time, I wanted the new students to be able to experience some of those great projects. 

Another way I had to be creative was an age difference. I had 2 students that were on the young end and beginners, and two that were 12 years old and more advanced. Thank goodness Mikelle was there! Sure, Chris and I agreed to pay her 3 bucks for her assistance with the right "attitude", but it was well worth it. 

I also ran into a typical flaky art teacher right-brained pitfall: You get excited about the projects and plan out the projects themselves, but forget to make sure you have enough watercolor paper for all the students to do them! Oops! But that situation has now been rectified for tomorrow!

"Picasso's People"

We began with a look at how Pablo Picasso would create people with his unique arrangement of geometric designs.  The above are just two examples out of many! I love the first one in blue, but it's hard to find a year iot was done by Picasso or the name of the piece. I'm only able to find it through this source. Maybe it's still part of the Sakip Sabanci Museum in Instanbul, but I doubt it because the link indicates it was a traveling exhibition. But I digress. 

The project was to use Watercolor Pencils and create their own funky portrait, using Picasso's style as inspiration.

Watercolor Mania

Watercolor Pencils are great because they first act as standard colored pencils, but then when you wet the drawing with water and a small brush - it "activates" color like watercolor paint.

After this, the direction that students went depended on their experience level and/or if they had been in any of my sessions before. I had my two young beginners work on the same "sea painting" exercise with salt and masking fluid that I did just last week!

It was then the lack of watercolor paper supply was realized, so these beginners worked on a "Watercolor Discovery" and a warm color desert on smaller thick cardstock. Here are one of the completed Watercolor Discoveries. Their other completed works will be shown in the next entry for tomorrow's class, and they're still "in progress".

As for my other students, they really liked the Watercolor Discoveries and Warm Color Desert paintings too. However,  a couple students may have to wait to start their desert tomorrow.

Another Completed Warm Color Desert Watercolor!

"Watercolor Discovery" In Progress

"Watercolor Discovery" In Progress

"Watercolor Discovery" In Progress

Warm Color Desert Watercolor In Progress

Watercolor Discovery

Watercolor Discovery

Watercolor Discovery

Watercolor Discovery

Since I wanted to make sure I had the larger sheets of watercolor paper available (and we ran out during this class), I had the students use the smaller, but thick white cardstock to do some experimental watercolors with salts or other techniques. 

 And here's a preview to what is to come! Using Masking fluid to help "fence off" the fence area, and then implementing some of the Watercolor Discovery techniques for the sky, a "collage" technique is then used to add a tree in the foreground. Regular brown colored pencil is used to add the texture lines on the tree.

Mikelle's Contest Entry

Mikelle entered the above artwork in a "Safety" Art Contest at her dad's work. She even drew her Dad doing his job with his buddy Mark!

Fathers Day, Lesson IV Re-cap, and Dino Cages

I waited until today, Fathers Day, to recap the last day of Session I, due to the Fathers Day gifts that the kids made. It's safe now to post them as I'm assuming all the dads have received them by now. We took a little detour from true "art" and went a little in the "craft" mode and made dads this desk organizer!

Fathers Day Gift in Progress!

Christian making one for his Daddy that night!

I wasn't able to take pictures of all the organizers because I got ahead of myself and wrapped them in tissue paper and ribbon before remembering the take a picture of them!

Christian's Desktop Organizer for Dad!

Along with the organizers, here is a finished Super Cool Cityscape Hot/Cold Contrast painting.

City Hot/Cold Contrast Painting Completed!

Because a couple students were finishing projects from the previous days that were leftover, I didn't want to have a new project go unfinished by the time to class was over, as it was the end of the session.

 However, I wanted them to see two more techniques with watercolor! Therefore, I sketched out a "sea picture" and showed them the application of masking fluid. Masking fluid is a temporary rubberish type of application that can be pulled off later. It's like "painters tape". I applied the fluid in all the areas you see the white lines. That way, if watercolor paint got on the area with the fluid, it would just be pulled off later with the fluid (which is fun in of itself if you're like me and like to "pick" at things and enjoy such things like bubble wrap and other annoying things...) 

Salt and Masking Fluid Technique Painting Completed

Then, students would use watercolors to paint the picture. More fun begins with this step as  SALT is added to the paint. The salt absorbs the moisture and this is the kind of effect you end up with:

Salt and Masking Fluid Technique Painting in Progress

Salt and Masking Fluid Technique Painting in Progress

Salt and Masking Fluid Technique Painting Completed

Salt and Masking Fluid Technique Painting Completed

Here are the rest of the Sea Painting with Salt paintings (using masking fluid). Now that they've seen the techniques, they'll be able to draw their own ideas on subsequent paintings and try the techniques (alone or together) if they choose to.

I'm a little sad to see this Session end! But exciting things await in the next two! 

Phoenix Art Museum

Yesterday, we took the kids to the Phoenix Art Museum. Chris has a perk from now until a specific date in August for us to get in free (through work) and yesterday was a kids day. Here are Mikelle and Christian making boats out of maps and newspaper. We then explored the Modern/Contemporary section of the museum.

Christian's Map Boat

Our X-man (almost 18 months) on Daddy's Shoulders! This is before the anal museum people said that he couldn't ride on shoulders near the artwork.

The strange things called "art" in the Modern/Contemporary Section.

Afterwards, as we were waiting for Chris to go out to our shady (but far away) parking spot and bring the car around, the kids were "caged" on the toy dinosaur giant art outside. It was *only* 108 degrees! (cough-choke-cough)

That night, Mikelle and Alexander sacked out on the couch. The heat and all the running around will really wear you out!

Happy Fathers Day to my husband of over 17 years, Chris! And Happy Fathers Day to all the good Dads out there! Remember, anyone can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a DAD.

 

 Hard to believe, isn't it? Mikelle (age 1) and Chris. August 2001.