ExpressionismwithKandinsky’sCircles

Grade:1stMedium:PaintingLearningObjective:Studentswillcreateconcentriccircleswithcontrastingcolors.Theywillchoosecolorstoexpresspersonalrelationshipsbetweencolorandmood.

Author:HeatherMcClure-Coleman

ElementsofArt/PrinciplesofDesignComplementaryColors:contrastingcolors;colorsthatareoppositeonthecolorwheel,suchasyellow/violet,blue/orange,andred/green.Contrast:aprincipleofdesign;atechniquethatshowsdifferencesintheelementsofvisualartsinanartwork,suchassmooth/roughtextures,light/darkcolors,orthick/thinlines.Pattern:aprincipleofdesign;therepetitionoftheelementsofvisualartsinanorganizedway;patternandrhythmarebothcreatedthroughrepetition;seerhythmforexamplesofregular,alternating,random,andprogressiverhythmicpatterns.Shape:anelementofvisualarts;atwo-dimensional(flat)areaenclosedbyaline:Geometric:shapesand/orformsthatarebasedonmathematicalprinciples,suchasasquare/cube,circle/sphere,triangle/cone,orpyramid.Organic:shapesand/orformsthatareirregular,oftencurvingorrounded,andmoreinformalthangeometricshapes.Symmetry:symmetrical/formalbalance.havingbalance;exactappearanceonoppositesidesofadividinglineorplane.Value:anelementofvisualarts;thelightnessanddarknessofaline,shape,orform;ameasureofrelativelightnessanddarkness.

VocabularyAbstract:1.astyleofartthatincludesvarioustypesofavant-gardeartofthe20thcentury;2.imagesthathavebeenalteredfromtheirrealistic/naturalappearance;imagesthathavebeensimplifiedtorevealonlybasiccontours/forms;3.anartworkthatisbaseduponarecognizableobjectthathasbeensimplifiedtoshowsomepurerunderlyingform(sometimes,anyreferencestorecognizableobjectsareremoved).Expressionism:astyleofpaintingofthe20thcentury,expressionismusessimplifieddesignsandbrilliantcolorstoexpressadefiniteorstrongmoodorfeeling.ConcentricCircles:circleswithacommoncenter(con=with,centric=samecenter).

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WarmColors:agroupofcolorsonthecolorwheelthatareassociatedwithwarmth,suchasred,yellow,andorange.Inanartwork,warmcolorsappeartoadvancetowardtheviewer.Warmcolorscanevokefeelingsofwarmthlikesun,fire,heat.CoolColors:agroupofcolorsonthecolorwheelthatincludesblues,greens,andviolets;inanartwork,coolcolorsappeartobefartherawayfromtheviewer.Coolcolorsbringtomindcoolthings,places,andfeelings.Contrast:aprincipleofdesign;atechniquethatshowsdifferencesintheelementsofvisualartsinanartwork,suchassmooth/roughtextures,light/darkcolors,orthick/thinlines.

Materials&Supplies

• Pencil(forwritingname)• 4x4”Cardstock(6perstudent)• 9x12”Paper(tomountfinishedart)• TemperaPaint(4warmcolorsina

paletteand4coolcolorsinanotherpalette)

• One¼”PaintbrushperPaintColor

• Water(forwashingpaintbrushes)• PaperTowels(forblotting

paintbrushesdry)• PaperPlacematsorTableCovering• Book:TheNoisyPaintboxbyBarb

RosenstockandMaryGranpre

Context(Historyand/orArtists)ThisprojectisinspiredbytheexpressionistartistWassilyKandinsky(1866-1944)andhispainting,SquareswithConcentricCircles.Kandinskyearnedalawdegreeandpracticedlawbutlater,atage30,decidedtobecomeanartistandartteacher.HewasborninMoscow,RussiabutalsolivedinGermanyandFrance.Kandinskylistenedtomusicwhilepainting.Kandinskyhadaconditioncalledsynesthesiawhichgavehimtheabilityto“hearcolors”and“seesound.”

“IappliedstreaksandblobsofcolorontothecanvaswithapaletteknifeandImadethemsingwithalltheintensityIcould...”-WassilyKandinsky

Otherfamousexpressionistandabstractexpressionistartists:JacksonPollock(1912-1956),ErnstLudwigKirchner(1880-1938),MarkRothko(1903-1970),EdvardMunch(1863-1944),PaulKlee(1879-1940),LeeKrasner(1908-1984),HelenFrankenthaler(1928-2011),RomareBearden(1911-1988).AdvancedPreparationDispensetemperapaintontopalettesforeachstudentwiththe8colorslistedinthesupplies.Pre-cutcardstockpaper(6perstudent).Eachstudentwillpaint6squarestobemountedonthe9x12”sheetwithaninchatthebottomforthestudents’names.Mountingthe4x4”squaresonthe9x12”papercanbedonebythedocentandhelpersafterthelessoniscompleted,toallowtimeforthepainttodry.However,ifstudentsaregoingtomounttheirownsquares,itishelpfultomarkthe9x12”paperwithlinesinadvancetoguideplacement.Gatherpencils,paintbrushes,waterincups,papertowelsandplacematstogivestudents.

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Tips&Tricks

• BecauseKandinskyplayedmusicwhilecreatingart,youmaywanttoplaymusicwhilestudentsworkontheirpaintings.

• Remindstudentsthatthecirclestheycreatedonotneedtolookperfectlyroundandit’sfineifthecolorsblendastheytouch.

DiscussionPointsExpressionismisaboutexpressingtheartist’semotionswithstrongcolorsanddistortedreality.InadditiontoshowingexamplesofKandinsky’swork,readTheNoisyPaintboxbyBarbRosenstockandMaryGrandpre.DiscussthestoryandthewayKandinskycouldhearcolors.Howcolorsevokefeelings.Howmusiccanmakeamood.

• Askstudentstosomeexamplesoffeelings.• Whatfeelingsdoyouassociatewithwhichcolors?• Reviewwarmcolorsandcoolcolorswithstudents.• Explainthevocabularyword“contrast”andpointouthowandwhytousecomplementary

colorsnexttoeachother.• Discussthedefinitionofconcentriccirclestohelpstudentsunderstandhowtomaketheir

Kandinsky-inspiredpaintings.Firstgradersmayappreciaterelatingtheconcentriccirclestosomethingelsetheycanvisualizelikeadoughnutholewithasmall,mediumandlargecirculardoughnutsurroundingthemiddleone.

InstructionsforLesson

1. Studentswritetheirnameonthebackofthe9x12”paperandthebackofeach4x4”square.2. Place9x12”paperrightsideuponplacematinalandscapeorientation.3. Layoutthe4x4”squaresonatraysidebyside.4. Studentsshouldstartbypaintingadotinthemiddleofeach4x4”squarewithvariedcolors

persquare.Encouragestudentstouseadifferentcolorinthecenterofeachsquare.5. Remindstudentstothinkabouttheemotionstheywouldliketorepresentastheyare

pickingcolors.6. Next,paintacirclearoundeachdot.Chooseacomplementarycolor.Forexample:ifthedot

isacoolbluecolorchooseawarmorangecolortogoaroundit.Paintaringaroundthecenterofeachofthesix4x4”papers.

7. Paintasecondringaroundeachcircleusingwhatevercolor,theywouldlike.Thenpaintthecomplementarycoloraroundthatone(3rdring,4thcircle).Forexample:ifthefirstringiscoolpurplethesecondringshouldbewarmyellow.

8. Paintthelastcirclefollowingthesameruleofcomplementarycolors.9. Each4x4”squareshouldhaveacenterdotandthreerings.10. Paintthebackgroundofeachofthe4x4”squarestocovertheedges.Again,choose

complementarycolorstothelastringpainted.11. Once4x4”squareshavedried,mountthemonthebackground9x12”paper.

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ReflectionPoint(AssessmentofLearningObjectives)Studentscanpointoutandnamethecomplementarycolorsused

• Studentscanpointoutwhichcirclesareconcentric• Studentscanrecalltheartist’snameandafactabouttheartist.• Studentscansay“whenIfeel______(emotion)Ithinkof______(color).(nowronganswers)

Examples:

Exampleofdisplaywithpaintingsfrommultiplestudents.ReferencesandAttributionshttp://www.cfisd.net/en/parents-students/academics/course-descriptions/elementary-art/glossary-art-terms-k-5/http://www.incredibleart.org/files/elem_vocab.htmlhttp://arthistoryresources.net/ARTHLinks.htmlhttp://arthistory.about.com/wassilykandinsky.netPhotosofstudentworkarefrom2016lessonatCreeksideElementarySchool,ISD.

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ResourceImage:WassilyKandinsky,SquareswithConcentricCircles,1913,OilonCanvas.NotesforEducators

21stCenturyThinkingSkillsObserving,makingconnections,visualizing,sequencing,predicting,comparing&contrasting,problemsolving,causeandeffect,decisionmaking,evaluating.

ThinkingHabitsThinkingflexibly,persisting,creating,innovating,takingresponsiblerisks,reflecting.

WAState2017LearningStandards(VA:Cr1.1.1)a.Engagecollaborativelyinexplorationandimaginativeplaywithmaterials.(VA:Cr2.1.1)a.Exploreusesofmaterialsandtoolstocreateworksofartordesign.(VA:Cr2.2.1)a.Demonstratesafeandproperproceduresforusingmaterials,tools,andequipmentwhilemakingart.(VA:Cr3.1.1)a.Useartvocabularytodescribechoiceswhilecreatingart.(VA:Cn10.1.1)a.Identifytimes,places,andreasonsbywhichstudentsmakeartoutsideofschool.