Community Study: City Mural - Province of Manitoba · 2013-01-23 · mural. They practiced gesture drawing both with art and magazine visuals, wooden mannequins ( human and animal)

Community Study: City Mural

By Gr. 1&2

Overview of the inquiry process for City Mural First the students • went on a tour of the city, took photographs and made sketches for future reference • viewed and discussed work by artists, noticing shades of grey • painted pictures from photographs of the downtown buildings using shades of grey • cut out their paintings and glued them onto mural paper • viewed and discussed artworks by Hundertwasser and were inspired to paint a night

sky with sparkly stars onto their mural Next they • looked at the art of various artists & architects to explore interpretations of houses • read and discussed many picture books set in the city • used a variety of media to depict different styles of houses: observational drawing,

crayon melt, collage, water based crayons, felt pens • cut out and attached their images to the class mural Then the students • created people, trees and animals to add to the mural Finally they • worked together as a group to add more city elements to the mural • wrote city stories

The city in the winter had many shades of grey.

First the students • went on a bus tour of the city for a first-

hand experience with art & architecture • viewed and discussed artworks in

picture books, especially work by artists who only used shades of grey

In Understanding Art in Context, students describe works of art and design experienced first-hand in own community K–2 A–U1.3 In Valuing Artistic Experience, students describe, with teacher guidance, own and others’ artworks in terms of subject matter and art elements and media K–2 A–V2.1

The students participated in a grey scale painting lesson.

Art Toolbox tips: Only very small amounts of black are needed to turn white into grey. Young students can learn to dip the tip of the brush into a small amount of black and then mix it into the white. The more black they add to the white, the darker the shade of grey will become.

In Art Language & Tools, students use art media, tools, and processes to explore and demonstrate awareness of the elements of art: line, shape, colour & value K–2 A–L1.1

They then painted the downtown buildings using black and white tempera paint. The pictures were painted while referring to photographs taken by the children on their field trip to the top of the Can West Building.

In Creative Expression in Art, students create images and objects in response to ideas derived from a variety of stimuli (e.g., from memory, learning in other subject areas, observation of art and of life) K–1 A–C1.1

Students applied what they learned about grey scale (also known as tints & shades) to painting pictures of their own homes.

In Valuing Artistic Experience, students describe, with teacher guidance, own and others’ artworks in terms of subject matter and art elements and media K–2 A–V2.1

The students then discussed ideas for a city mural

Their paintings were then cut out and glued onto primed mural paper. Students looked at the murals of many artists including Faith Ringgold and Picasso in order to understand how a mural can tell a story. The children were inspired by the visuals in the picture book Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold.

In Understanding Art in Context, students engage thoughtfully with artworks from various times, places, and peoples K–8 A–U1.1

See appendix for more slides of grey scale work

They students noticed that the artist Hundertwasser used sparkles in his art and decided to make the sky of their mural into a night sky with sparkly stars. They painted the sky with tempera paint and glued on little plastic mirrors recycled from a small disco ball.

In Creative Expression in Art, students search for and discover ideas for artmaking through observation of others’ (peers’ and artists’) use of art elements, principles, and media 2–4 A–C1.3 And students incorporate serendipitous discoveries into own creative work, as appropriate K–4 A–C2.5

In Creative Expression in Art, students collaborate with others to develop artmaking ideas K–4 A–C2.6

Next the students looked at books, calendar pictures and the Internet to see how different artists and architects painted and designed buildings and houses. For example: • Hundertwasser (German painter & architect) • Frank L. Wright (American architect) • Ton Schulten (Dutch painter) • Douglas Cardinal (Canadian architect, Canadian Museum of Civilization) • Etienne Gaboury (Manitoba architect, Royal Canadian Mint) • Link: Strange Houses

In Creative Expression in Art, students collect visual and other information for use in stimulating and developing own art ideas 2–4 A–C1.5

The students examined photographs taken while out on community walks. These photographs were used again and again throughout the year.

Drawings were completed with water based felt pens, water, and fine tipped permanent markers. If you look closely you will see tiny mirrors taken from a broken mini disco ball

Students also worked at a Crayon Melt centre to create images of the city and their houses.

See appendix for more about “Crayon Melt”

In Art Language & Tools, students observe, talk about, and use various art media to depict visual details in a wide range of subjects (e.g., plants, animals, people, objects) found in images and in life (e.g., in natural and constructed environment) K–2 A–L3.1

They also used the crayon melt centre to apply colour and texture to a variety of papers precut into geometric shapes. The papers were subsequently used for a colour sorting activity and for collage.

Colour sorting

Student Comments: “It looks like Ton Schulton used crayon melt to make his picture.” “He used warm colours the most.”

The crayon melt pieces were used to create collage houses The houses were later added to the mural.

Each time the children explored different art media, they added some of their work to the mural. The mural grew and grew. The students • applied colour to the

ground with tissue paper and glue

• painted a sun, cut it out & glued it in place

• cut out and added their crayon lift collage houses

• painted details directly onto the mural

Then the students

created people and animals to add to the mural. They practiced gesture drawing both with art and magazine visuals, wooden mannequins ( human and animal) and child models.

Learning Conversation: The class talked together about the problem of depicting actions of people on the mural. During an Art Workshop the next day the teacher introduced the mannequins and demonstrated their use. The children were asked to try this technique in their sketch book sometime over the next few days. This became a ‘must do’ at Explorations time.

In Art Language & Tools, students develop skills in observation and depiction A L-3

In Understanding Art in Context, students demonstrate appreciation of art as a means of experiencing and exploring own and others’ lives (e.g., feelings, values, stories, events, cultures) K–4 A–U3.4

Finally

the mural was complete

Appendix: Grey Scale additional slides

In Art Language & Tools, students describe lines, colours, textures, and shapes observed in artworks and in own surroundings K–1 A–L1.3

Teacher Comment: “ I am noticing the interesting grooves on the side of this column. How did you show this? ”

Grey Scale additional slides


In Art Language & Tools, students draw and paint, demonstrating understanding that lines can depict the edges of observed, recalled, or imagined shapes and forms K–1 A–L3.2


In Art Language & Tools, students use art media, tools, and processes to explore and demonstrate awareness of the elements of art: line, colour, texture, shape, form, and space K–2 A–L1.1




Crayon melt: additional slides


Crayon melt : additional slides

In Art Language & Tools, students practise safe and appropriate use of various art media, tools, and processes K–4 A–L2.1





In Creative Expression in Art, students search for and discover ideas for art making through experimentation with art elements, principles, and media 2–4 A–C1.2


Crayon melt : additional slides




Art Language and Tools SLO: K-2 A-L1.1 students used paint, crayon and collage using many different materials to create their mural. They learned to use glue, scissors, photography and other materials to create, explore and demonstrate awareness of the elements of art: line, colour, texture, shape, form, and space

Creative Expression in Art

SLO: K-2 A-C2.1 students learned about murals conveying a message and so were intentionally choosing and making appropriate decisions about the selection and use of art media, elements, and subject matter in the process of solving artmaking problems

Valuing Artistic Experience

SLO: K-2 A-V2.1 students looked at the murals of many artists including Faith Ringold and Picasso in order to understand the story. The children were inspired by the visuals in the picture book Tar Beach by Faith Ringold.

Understanding Art in Context SLO: K-2 A-U1.2 students participated in many ’Art Talks’ while they sat around the mural making decisions about how the murals message would be told. They were able to recall and describe (verbally and in other ways) own experiences of individual artworks

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In

Visual Art

Why was the mural a valuable learning experience?

Documents

Community Study: City Mural - Province of Manitoba · 2013-01-23 · mural. They practiced gesture drawing both with art and magazine visuals, wooden mannequins ( human and animal)