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Subject Matter:
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Art (Mood and Feeling in Abstract Art)
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Grade Levels:
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4-8 (targets students studying art and/or
music)
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Time Allotment:
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Two 60-minute class sessions
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Overview
This lesson provides students an introduction to the abstract art
movement and terminology, and the opportunity to directly apply
their learning in art pieces of their own. Students will explore
Web pages displaying abstract art, selecting one on which to write
a descriptive paragraph. Students will then paint while viewing
clips from the video, "Art Start: Mood Painting" (20:00),
to practice the concepts introduced. As a culminating activity,
students will paint to music in an effort to evoke a certain mood
and translate that mood into art.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Identify art from the abstract movement.
- Exhibit the use of composition, line, color and painting techniques
in their own art.
- Appreciate the use of mood and feeling in art.
Oregon Standards Available at:
http://www.ode.state.or.us/cifs
The Arts - Aesthetics and Art Criticism
- Recognize and describe how technical, organizational and aesthetic
elements contribute to the ideas, emotions and overall impact
communicated by works of art.
- State preferences for works of art and reasons for preferences
based on key artistic elements and principles used in producing
the art.
The Arts - Historical and Cultural Perspectives
- Describe and explain distinguishing features of works of art
and their historical and cultural contexts.
The Arts - Create, Present and Perform
- Create, present and/or perform a work of art, selecting and
applying artistic elements and technical skills to achieve desired
effect.
- Communicate verbally and in writing about one's own artwork.
Media Components
Video
Check the link at http://www.opb.org/edmedia/trs/
to find access to the video(s) from unitedstreaming™ referenced
in this lesson plan.
- "Art Start: Mood Painting" (20:00)
- Clip: "Mood Painting is Abstract Art: Painting
with Feelings" (03:44)
- Clip: "Working with Tempera Paints to Create
Texture Effects" (05:50)
- Clip: "A Brief History of Abstract Expressionism"
(01:24)
- Clip: "Translating Feelings into Painting: Using
Line, Texture, and Color" (07:53)
Web
Materials
Session I:
- 5 to 7 large sheets of paper per student for use in practicing
concepts and completing finished pieces
- 1" paint brushes appropriate for use with tempera paints
- Pencil
- Enough tempera paint for the entire class to use, especially
red, blue, yellow, white and black
- Paper plates for use as palettes to hold and mix paint
- Large cups of water for cleaning brushes while painting
- Selections of music to evoke different moods and the means to
play them loud enough for the entire class to hear
- CD player, audio cassette player or computer to play selections
of music
- A computer (or computers) with Internet connectivity, the Windows
Media Player installed and downloads of the video clips listed
above
Prep for Teachers
Acquire materials and equipment.
Download and preview the video clips, discovering helpful points
to highlight for students during discussion and activities.
Acquire the means to play the video clip for the entire class at
once (i.e., computer connected to a projector, computer and video
converter connected to a TV, etc.). Acquire the free Window's Media
Player to view clips.
Bookmark Web sites on each computer to be used. Prepare each computer
to be used with the necessary plug-ins for Web sites used (especially
the free Flash and Shockwave Players available at http://www.macromedia.com/).
When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction,
a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during
or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia
elements.
Acquire a digital camera to use during student painting and mounting
activities.
Introductory Activity
Explain to students that they will use an image from a Web site
to do some descriptive writing. Have students acquire a piece of
paper and a pencil. Students should follow your normal routine for
a writing assignment, completing standard information for a writing
piece they plan to turn in (name, date, class, etc.) and be guided
by any expectations you may have for them. Have students work independently
or with a partner to access the Internet. Provide students with
a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to view varied
examples of abstract art from the Guggenheim Museum Collection Web
site and select one image example about which to write a descriptive
paragraph, including the artist, title of work and descriptions
of color, movement and composition. In addition, students should
include in their paragraph details as to how the piece makes them
feel. The writing piece can be immediately turned in or taken home
for proofreading, revision and completion.
Learning Activities
Session I
Step 1: Have students prepare to paint by completely clearing
their desks and acquiring paint shirts/frocks. (4 minutes)
Step 2: Assign a team of responsible students to pass out
materials and supplies. (4 minutes)
Step 3: During Steps 4 and 5, explain to students that the
type of art they are viewing is abstract art, popularized in the
early to mid 1900s by artists such as Kandinsky, de Kooning, Rauschenberg,
Pollock, Klee, Picasso and Mondrian - and that abstract art is still
very popular today. While many people appreciate and enjoy abstract
art, many others do not. Ask students to discuss some of the reasons
why people might like this style of art and why some may not. Responses
may include: "It's fun …" "It's colorful …"
"It's not like other types of art …" "People
don't understand it …" "It doesn't look like anything
…" "It looks like anyone could do it …"
"It doesn't take any skill or creativity …" etc.
(10 minutes)
Step 4: Give your students a Focus for Media Interaction
by having students follow along with the instructor in the video
clip, "Working with Tempera Paints to Create Texture Effects"
(05:50), from the video, "Art Start: Mood Painting" (20:00),
in an effort to practice some painting techniques and to listen
for the facts she gives and quotes she uses from other artists.
Play the video clip.
Step 5: Students should put their work from Step 4 aside
to dry and prepare a fresh piece of paper. As they do so, ask for
responses regarding the facts and quotes the video instructor used,
asking questions such as: "What is field painting?" "What
did they once add to paint as a binder to make it stick to the canvas?"
"What kind of paint are they using in the video?" etc.
(3 minutes)
Step 6: Ask students if they've ever played make-believe.
Of course, most, if not all, have. Next, ask them if they ever imagine
hearing anything when they do. As soon as music is mentioned, capitalize
on that response by announcing that students will now paint to different
types of music that should allow them to imagine different kinds
of mood and feelings, and that they will attempt to creatively translate
that mood and feeling into their paintings using the various techniques
they learned about in the previous video clip. Students should be
encouraged to respond to the music - if the music changes, so should
their painting. Announce to students that they will need to begin
and complete their paintings before the music is over. (5 minutes)
Step 7: Have students stand at their desks to paint so they
can better respond to the music and so that they will have their
seat and space under their desks to set paintings aside to dry.
During Steps 8-11, take the opportunity to capture student work
with a digital camera.
Step 8: On the back of their first sheet, using their pencil,
have students write their name and date, and mark the sheet as "Piece
#1." Give your students a Focus for Media Interaction
by asking them to listen to the first selection of music, responding
to it by painting what they hear or the mood they feel. Ask students
to wait for your signal before painting. Play the first selection
of music, allowing for the music to clearly establish its mood.
Signal students to begin. Move around the room checking for progress
and silently encouraging students in their efforts. When the selection
is completed, allow students to set aside their work to dry. (4
minutes)
Step 9: On the back of their second sheet, using their pencil,
have students write their name and date, and mark the sheet as "Piece
#2." Give your students a Focus for Media Interaction
by asking them to listen to the next selection of music, responding
to it by painting what they hear or the mood they feel. Ask students
to wait for your signal before painting. Play the selection
of music, allowing for the music to clearly establish its mood.
Signal students to begin. Move around the room checking for progress
and silently encouraging students in their efforts. When the selection
is completed, allow students to set aside their work to dry. (4
minutes)
Step 10: On the back of their third sheet, using their pencil,
have students write their name and date, and mark the sheet as "Piece
#3." Give your students a Focus for Media Interaction
by asking them to listen to the next selection of music, responding
to it by painting what they hear or the mood they feel. Ask students
to wait for your signal before painting. Play the selection
of music, allowing for the music to clearly establish its mood.
Signal students to begin. Move around the room checking for progress
and silently encouraging students in their efforts. When the selection
is completed, allow students to set aside their work to dry. (4
minutes)
Step 11: On the back of their fourth sheet, using their
pencil, have students write their name and date, and mark the sheet
as "Piece #4." Give your students a Focus for Media
Interaction by asking them to listen to the final selection
of music, responding to it by painting what they hear or the mood
they feel. Ask students to wait for your signal before painting.
Play the selection of music, allowing for the music to clearly
establish its mood. Signal students to begin. Move around the room
checking for progress and silently encouraging students in their
efforts. When the selection is completed, allow students to set
aside their work to dry. (4 minutes)
Step 12: Allow student work to dry completely and collect.
Session II
Step 1: Redistribute student work and allow students to
view and share their work. (2 minutes)
Step 2: Display, in order, the titles of the musical selections
used in the first session. Have students transfer these titles onto
the backs of their paintings. (2 minutes)
Step 3: Encourage students to select their favorite piece,
based on criteria such as their individual aesthetic taste, intent,
feelings, memories, execution of techniques, etc. (2 minutes)
During Steps 4-6, take the opportunity to capture student work
with a digital camera.
Step 4: Have students pre-write a descriptive paper specific
to their selected piece, detailing their intent, use of color, line,
composition and style. Expressed in their writing should be the
feelings they experienced and the mood they intended to translate
to their paintings. (20 minutes)
Step 5: Have each student pair up with a classmate, each
taking turns reading aloud their writing pieces while partners view
their artwork. As students read, they should be encouraged to identify
errors in structure, grammar and spelling. During the reading, students
should make notes of issues they want to address following this
sharing opportunity. (10 minutes)
Step 6: Have students rewrite their descriptive pieces,
paying attention to the notes they made on their pre-writing during
the peer-sharing opportunity. The intention here is that students
will have very few mistakes and the piece be written neatly enough
to turn in for credit and display. (20 minutes)
Step 7: As students complete their writing pieces, have
them carefully paperclip their writing pieces to their artwork and
turn in. (1 minute)
Culminating Activity
Students mount their selected painting and writing pieces together
on oversized black construction paper for display, first in the
classroom for general discussion and later in a common school area.
During this session, digital photos of students working and close-ups
of selected paintings should be taken for newsletter and/or Web
site efforts. As students work, display other pieces from the Guggenheim
Web site, allowing students to discuss. Encourage students to use
terms they learned from the lesson and to speak in terms of feeling
and mood, possibly mentioning pieces of music of which the work
reminds them. Following display of student work, laminate the mounted
pieces back to back and bind (possibly using a series of "O"
rings or large comb binding), creating a class book. Using student
writing and digital pictures, a Web site of the student efforts
can easily be created.
Cross-Curricular Extensions
Language Arts
- Students can create a critical guide to abstract art, defining
its role in the art movement, informing others how best to view
abstract art and promoting local galleries or museums that have
abstract collections.
- Students can pick an artist of the abstract art movement and
write a research paper on their life and art.
History and Social Studies
- Students may find it interesting to compare and contrast abstract
art of different time periods, different cultures and different
artists.
Community Connections
- Invite a local artist who paints in the abstract art style to
speak to the class about their art.
- Invite a local gallery owner to speak to the class about both
the popularity and negative opinions of abstract art and artists.
- Follow the online auction of a piece of abstract art using eBay
(http://www.ebay.com/) or Sotheby's
Auction House (http://search.sothebys.com/liveauctions/).
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