Before we started our awesome paintings, we began with a simple cut and paste collage activity dealing with geometric and organic shapes. We discussed historical and contemporary artists that use(d) these different shapes within their work such as: Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, and Reggie Laurent.
Once these collages were completed, the girls were introduced to Peter Max and his world of bright wonderful colors. They loved his work, and inspiration was born! So we began designing our own "Organic Landscapes" with a Peter-Max-like palette.
Below are some examples of how we got started:
Students began with a design in their sketchbooks first. They were then given a larger piece of paper and reproduced that initial sketch. Once their drawing was finished in pencil, they outlined their drawing with a black permanent marker. After that, paint was applied.
Check out the final product!
Overall the project was fun, engaging, and pretty successful. It also allowed every student to have a huge amount of creative freedom. The results were outstanding, way to go fifth grade!
