Kandinsky Circles

Thanks Lisa Jones for this great Kandisky painting lesson!

Objective: To introduce 1st grade students to the concept of abstract art through the work of Wassily Kandinsky.

Materials:

1. Black & 6 bright colors of tempera paints

2. Paint brushes

3. Paint pallets or cups

4. Yellow cardstock

5. Black sharpies

6. Book:

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

By Barb Rosenstock

7. Optional: Classical CD compilation of music that inspired Kandinsky (I don't have the exact title because we borrowed it and already returned it to Joy Cornish-Bowden at WHS)

Lesson: 
1. Show the class a picture of Wassily Kandinsky and give a few facts about his life. A few:

-When he lived

-From Russia

-Studied to be a lawyer, but decided to become a painter

(here's a link to a Kandinsky for kids biography page)

2. Share a few samples of his artwork (be sure to include his "Circles" work, because that is what they will be doing) (Link to a very simple slideshow with "Circles" image)
3. Introduce the vocabulary word: Abstract
*Hint: when I said the word to my daughter the night before the lesson, she said she had heard the word before on Caillou! I shared that with the class & many of them had also seen that episode, so it helped to explain the word.
4. Hand out yellow cardstock & sharpies, and have students write their name clearly, at the top of the page. Collect sharpies.
5. Demonstrate on the white board how to form the shape of a tree trunk and add 5 branches
6. Pass out black paint and brushes, and have students paint a tree trunk with 5 branches.
 7. Start playing music CD
8. Collect paint & brushes
9. Have students move to the carpet for a story while their tree trunks dry for a short time.
* if you have a helper, this is a good time to have that person wash brushes and set up paint pallets with 6 colors each.
10. Read The Noisy Paintbox, pausing to ask questions about the story, and to point out examples of abstract art in the illustrations.
15. Before students return to their seats, explain that there is a brush for each color of paint, and that they must take turns with the colors at their table groups. They will not be rinsing or using any brush for more than one color.
16. Have students return to their seats and demonstrate on the white board how to make concentric circles in bright colors at the ends of the branches. Encourage the children to use 3-4 colors for each circle set.
17. Hand out paints and brushes, and let them get started
*Be sure to watch closely for when they seem to be finished. We had a few students add "extra" items to their paintings when they had finished the circles, so it is important to collect them before that happens.
18. Let paintings dry overnight
19. Optional: glue paintings on to larger piece of black construction paper for matting effect.