1st graders are now learning about the artist Wassily Kandinsky. After a short powerpoint on Kandinsky's artwork and life, the students first experimented with conveying their emotions through colors and sound (music.) Kandinsky was widely known to paint while listening to music and letting his emotions speak through the music and colors. While listening to different genres of music, the students will select a color that coincides with the emotion they feel from the particular song. They then will close their eyes and quite literally, draw to the music. Through this exercise, we learned that according to our emotions can change our lines, color choices and pressure of the art supplies.
Watch this video below of us drawing to music!
The students will then create an artwork that is inspired by Kandinsky's artwork by painting 8 different concentric circles like that of the artwork, “Squares With Concentric Circles”. We discussed his use of line, shape and color in his artwork. We reviewed what the word abstract means and spoke about the differences between representational abstract and non-representational abstract. We looked closely at Kandisnky's artwork, "Concentric Circles". The students noticed that he used and mixed together both primary and secondary colors and that he used only 2 shapes in this artwork, squares and circles. We discussed what the word concentric meant as well. The students were then given a paper that was folded into 8 boxes. They drew a small circle that got bigger and bigger with each ring of circles in every square. They were then given oil pastels to color in each ring a different color, they were encouraged to overlap and mix the colors in between each ring. During the coloring of each set of concentric circles, we again listened to different music for inspiration for line and color.
They then were given watercolors to create the background of square, using only one color just as Kandinsky did. The results were these beautiful pieces of abstract artwork that reviewed some of the most important elements of design: line, shape and color.
They then were given watercolors to create the background of square, using only one color just as Kandinsky did. The results were these beautiful pieces of abstract artwork that reviewed some of the most important elements of design: line, shape and color.
click here to view the powerpoint the students have received on the artist, Wassily Kandisnky.