Artist of the Week: Kandinsky

Week of March 30-April 3

We will investigate the artist Kandinsky as a way to learn about abstract art. Abstract art is modern art which does not represent images of our everyday world. It has color, lines and shapes (form), but they are not intended to represent objects or living things. Often the artists were influenced by ideas and philosophies. Abstract art is found in painting and in sculpture.

Abstract Art comes naturally to children who thrive on experimentation and creative expression. After years of being told to color inside the lines, students jump at the chance to express themselves freehand. An abstract art lesson plan for elementary students introduces a novel art form that children can appreciate. Children readily grasp the concept of abstract art when explained in simple terms and illustrated with visuals.

Discuss Realistic or Naturalistic Art

Explain what abstract art is not, by showing examples of realistic or naturalist art. These art pieces look like replicas of their subject matter and are easy to recognize. Use paintings of fruit, a house or some other object children can easily identify. Ask students to call out the objects in each painting or drawing as soon as they recognize them.

Instruct Children to Draw Pictures Using the Vocabulary of Lines: Straight, Curved, Vertical and Horizontal

Direct students to paint or draw a “realist” picture. Students might paint or draw a picture of their families, homes, pets, jungle animals or favorite cartoon characters. Reemphasize that realist pictures are images of real things that are easy to recognize.

Introduce Abstract Art for Kids

Abstract art for kids lends itself well to many types of hands on lessons. Show several abstract works of art, one at a time, and ask the students to identify the subject matter. Students should be slower in responding to this question due to the obscurity of the art pieces. Ask students what colors and shapes they see in the painting. Ask them what emotions they feel while looking at each painting and how colors create that impression.

Explain Abstract Art Definition

Define abstract art in terms they can understand. In simple terms, abstraction in art is a non-lifelike portrayal of real world objects, people and scenes that are usually difficult for other people to recognize. Explain that abstract art portrays what an artist feels and thinks, rather than what he or she sees. An abstract artist uses colors and shapes to express his or her emotions and ideas. Just as we do not know other people’s thoughts, we do not always know what abstract art portrays but if you ask the artist, he or she can explain the painting to you. Briefly explain abstract art history when teaching abstract art for kids to give them a deeper understand of how abstract art evolved.

Create and Discuss Abstract Art and Shapes

Children's attempts to copy what they see onto paper often results in art that looks little like the original and is therefore unidentifiable to others, though the child can explain it easily enough. Instruct students to paint or draw a work of abstract art. Tell them to think about what they are going to draw and consider what colors and shapes will express their emotions and thoughts. Have students discuss one another's paintings, saying what they think each art work is about. The artist can then explain his or her work of art.

Language / Literature

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art

https://www.amazon.com/Noisy-Paint-Box-Kandinskys-Abstract/dp/0307978486

READ ALOUD on YOUTUBE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmpkvQ16d58

Language / Literature

The Dreaming Giant: A Children's Book Inspired by Wassily Kandinsky (Children's Books Inspired by Famous Artworks

https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Giant-Childrens-Inspired-Kandinsky/dp/3791372793

Language / Literature

Lines That Wiggle

READ ALOUD on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1I03hHWGhM

Language / Literature

Follow the Line Through the House

PICTURE WALK on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPLdYT4CMLE

Language / Literature

A Line Can Be

READ ALOUD on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J34QhpNjCBk

Language / Literature

When a Line Bends, A Shape Begins

READ ALOUD on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NopbKaCx-C0

ART CONNECTION

This art project is perfect for scissor cutting skills and combines literacy with art when paired with the book When A Line Bends… A Shape Begins by Rhonda Gowler Greene.

https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/lines-and-shapes/

Language / Literature

The Dot

READ ALOUD on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clpw7PG7m1Q

Langage

Have your child find objects around your home of different shapes. Examples: clock (circle), door (rectangle), block (triangle), and cracker (square). Take a photo of the objects, print, and glue into book make of construction paper.

Mathematics

How to Incorporate Math and Art?

https://theartofeducation.edu/2019/01/15/6-ways-to-connect-math-and-art-in-the-elementary-classroom/

Mathematics

Lessons that Pair Math and Art: Use a black sharpie and a ruler to draw various straight lines on paper in different directions. Color in the shapes that are created with markers, crayons, or colored pencils.

https://theartofeducation.edu/2015/08/20/35-lessons-that-explore-the-beautiful-pairing-of-math-and-art/

Mathematics

Making straight lines using rulers. The children found that when the lines connected they made shapes.

Science

STEM activities are inquiry-based and usually involve your children planning, experimenting, and creating something. STEM activities involve learning in (usually at least three of) the STEM domains: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

SCIENCE: Even preschoolers and toddlers learn about gravity, balance, and structural stability with every tower they build!

Building with Blocks

Science

Tape Tower Challenge: Put strips of painter’s tape on the wall. Use large colored blocks or Duplo Lego blocks to build towers of different heights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p0lG4u84GM

Science

Button STEM Activity: Use buttons and play dough to create a tower. How high can you go?!

https://theeducatorsspinonit.com/button-stem-activity-challenge/

Music

Shape Scavenger Hunt - Listen to the “The Shape Song” and find the shapes as prompted (Super Simple Songs)

https://open.spotify.com/track/0N9VGvyhVZAKAa9uKlGCvr?si=p_Faed-AQOG4adwoaQ70Fw

Art

ART PROJECT :: KANDINSKY CIRCLES

One of Kandinsky’s most well-know images is not a painting intended to be displayed as an art work, but rather a set of images he used as a color study, trying out combinations of colors together.

https://nurturestore.co.uk/kandinsky-circles-art-lesson-for-children

Art

Play Dough Art for Kids: Use different colors of play dough to make 3-D stacked circles

https://www.theartkitblog.com/kandinsky-playdough-art-kids/

Art

Watercolor Circle Art: Trace Circles with Black Sharpie and then color in with markers, crayons, or colored pencils.

https://www.messforless.net/watercolor-circle-art/#_a5y_p=2393251

Art

3-D Paper Sculptures: Cut several strips of colored paper. Bend and curve the paper and glue on the paper.

http://nhartgallery.blogspot.com/2013/02/inspired-by-masters-abstract-paper.html?m=1

Gross Motor

Chalk Hop Scotch - Make large circles on the sidewalk/driveway with chalk and create a game of hop scotch. Add numbers to incorporate some math.

Gross Motor

We're Going On a Shape Hunt: Read Tana Hoban Book and then go through your house or neighorhood looking for shapes: Cirlces, Squares, Rectangles, Triangles, Diamonds, Ovals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE77a0la7Rc

Fine Motor

Drawing circles with pastels, crayons or colored pencils, Kandinsky Circles Art Project

https://www.projectswithkids.com/kandinsky-art-for-kids-chalk-pastels/

Fine Motor

Use different colors of play dough to stack on top of one another to make 3-D circles

https://www.theartkitblog.com/kandinsky-playdough-art-kids/

Fine Motor

Kadinsky Art - Cutting Circles / Using Sciossors

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/744360644649587854/

SCHOOL PINTEREST PAGE

https://www.pinterest.com/kmorrow0798/kandinsky/