Japanese Sumi Brush Painting Story Books
Students studied some cultural art of the country of Japan, including the special painting technique called "sumi" brush painting. They used bamboo brushes and black watercolor paint to create a variety of common Japanese images and kanji (Japanese words). After making many mini-paintings and practicing the Growth Mindset habit of accepting and their embracing mistakes (in Japan, this is called "wabi-sabi"), students reflected upon their entire body of work and selected the best among it.
They then used these 4 best paintings to create a story, inspired by the short haiku poems of Japan. It was amazing fun generating stories out of our paintings, and the final books that they made for their work turned out beautifully. Wow.
They then used these 4 best paintings to create a story, inspired by the short haiku poems of Japan. It was amazing fun generating stories out of our paintings, and the final books that they made for their work turned out beautifully. Wow.
Pop Portraits
Students learned about the Pop Art movement that happened in the US and the UK during the 1950's. They then used this as inspiration to create their own self-portraits in the style of Pop Art. Using printed photos of themselves, they added colored markers and a background of cut paper to make these images eye-catching. What a bunch of artists!
Faith Ringgold Story Quilts
Students learned about the American artist, Faith Ringgold and her "story quilts" which allowed her to tell stories through art styled after traditional quilts. They generated a variety of patterns to create a frame around the outside of their paper before filling it in with a drawing of themselves flying over a favorite place. We greatly enjoyed this imaginative project!