Art classes in Berlin
As a pioneer of abstract art, Sonia Delaunay became known for bringing colour, rhythm, dynamic forms and movement into painting. Her works are visual rhythms on canvas, almost like music or dance.
She designed costumes, fabrics and stage sets. Her work feels like a celebration of movement, colour and freedom.
It’s not the first time we did this project with the students but every time is a little different and every time is a little better. Because I learn too, with every new start.
Speaking about Oskar Schlemmer and the Bauhaus, Triadic ballet and it’s costumes, shapes, colours. It’s a broad topic. Kids loved the ballet. They thought it’s so weird and cool.
This was a beatiful project kids loved for it strangness and me for its avant-garde.
Our unit in Grade 2 is for the kids to get to know and make a simple machine. We incorporated pulleys into these little theaters. Kids watched videos of triadic ballet, observed the costumes, shapes and colours. They really were amazing at cutting, their collages were perfect and their creativity endless. They did their backrgounds in a Bauhaus style.
Talking about children’s rights in a technique of a collage caused a need to talk about nudity in art since we are using many art magazines that are so cracking funny.
Collages turned out so meaningful as well.
Children were learning about simple machines in their main subjects. To strenghten the knowledge gained by connecting it in as many areas as possible we spoke about Rube Goldberg and possibilities in art. We’ve decided for pulleys and mini collaged theaters.
Curtains to be pulled apart by a string would be a great addition but although this project didn’t leave kids bored for a single minute, it took us probably two months to finish. So no curtains, sorry!
These children are learning about geometric shapes at the moment so I thought this could be a good starting point in art.
“Castle and sun”, the beautiful Paul Klee. The lone sun shines in the ingeniously designed sky created by strong lines and structure while various shades of colour and rectangular sizes add depth to the abstract image.
To spice up the technique I really didn’t fell like coming in with paints. Also not with rulers. These children are really young and rulers can be frustrating and boring if the task is complicated. So we simply used tissue paper, scissors and stick glue. For the outlines we used wood glue I dyed black with inks.
Voilà Paul!
I did same kind of workshop with the preschool children before (scroll down if interested). It was not the easiest workshop, it takes time, patience and involves a lot of thinking but I think it is a very important subject and kids adore it. Great stories filled with power, imagination, super powers and mystery.
This time around I offered them quite dark materials but no one complained. Instead they created, enjoyed and did a family of Pegasus (guess who!)!
Starring:
See monster Medusa
One eyed giant, Cyclops
Pegasus&Pegasus&Pegasus
Monster of riddles, the Sphinx
100 eyed Argus
Monster of 9 heads, one is immortal, Hydra
This was a very nice activitiy inspired by Small Hands Big Art’s amazing blog. I love the black paper we used and the credit cards are extra fun. Special usage of cards as brushes is reall enjoyment to play around. How and where to press on the card, which direction to pull it into, movements you can use to create different results. The effect is great and it’s amazing to see how they bring colours into mixing. A nice project with a clear goal.
We read There is a bird on your head by Elephant&Piggie. The book is really funny and my mini course group had much lough. After the reading we spoke about the nests, what is in them, who is in them, what are they made of. The children then each got a paper and were challenged to make nests with it’s inhabitants. Photos do speak for themselves.
After reading a book Masks in the forest children made animal masks. They were working their finger muscles by gluing little pieces of paper on not such small surface. Quite some patience and focus were demanded and they did it really well.
