Description/Objective
Students learn how contemporary artists work by doing a painting in the style of Joan Miro (pronounced me ro'). The basic lines in drawing vertical, horizontal, diagonal and curved are reviewed through experimentation.
Time
1 hour
Materials
Color photocopy, print, or borrow from the library the painting, "The Beautiful Bird Revealing the Unknown Pair of Lovers", by Joan Miro from the Constellation series, July 23, 1941.
8-1/2" x 11" white exact vellum bristol or 11" x 14" piece of brown paper bag
Mat board cut into small squares and rectangles between 1/2" and 2" (20 pieces per 4-5 students)
5" x 7" small shallow tray (cookie tray) for each color of tempera paint - black, blue-violet, light green, red, chocolate brown and yellow. Use additional trays and colors of paint for larger groups
10" x 13" cookie trays covered with newspaper (1 per group)
Colored pencils (selection for each group)
3/4" drafting tape for border on edge of paper ( 1-2 rolls, 60 yd.) OPTIONAL
Procedure for Drawing
1. Optional - Teacher or older student should tape border before start of activity and carefully and slowly "untape" after work is dry to create white border.
2. Show students the Miro print. Contemporary or modern art is commonly defined as art made after 1940. Contemporary art is characterized by experimentation and diversity. Notice Miro 's vertical, diagonal and horizontal lines. Look for repeated lines and shapes. Have students look for any representational elements in the painting. (Notice the tiger face in the bottom right hand corner).
3. Pass out the 8-1/2" x 11" white vellum or 11" x 14" brown paper.
4. Divide the class into 6 to 8 groups with 4 or 5 students in each group. Each group gets a different color of tempera paint in a small shallow tray and approximately 20 cut up pieces of mat board.
5. Demonstrate dipping the edge of the mat board in the paint and printing straight lines. Tell the students to pretend they are a famous contemporary artist. Have them print a pattern or design that they have never seen. Tell students to avoid copying well known logos or designs. Make sure to repeat patterns. Demonstrate twisting the cardboard to create bow shapes and squares.
6. Allow the students to work for about 5 minutes and then rotate the trays of different colors.
7. Play peaceful music. Tell the students to work slowly with intent. It took Miro three months to complete his painting. Tell the students they will be given colored pencils to draw curved lines, detailed images, and shapes.
8. After the students have used all the colors, give approximately 12 colored pencils to each group.
9. Continue to play the music. Tell the students they may draw representational images or abstract patterns. Explain the meaning of representational (looks like the object) and abstract (doesn’t look like the object).
Subject Matter Integration
MATH: Older students can measure and cut own shapes of squares and rectangles.
HISTORY AND/OR ART HISTORY UNIT: Discuss what was going on in the world and in Spain during Miro's lifetime (1893-1983). What factors may have effected his life experience and expression?
Miro was a Spanish artist who tried his hand at many art mediums. He was a painter, sculptor and ceramist. He painted briefly in a Cubist style, but is considered a Surrealist. He used playful symbols, bright colors and curvilinear shapes.
Variations/Extensions
"Anything but brushes" project. Have students develop their own tools to use with paint.