Chagall-inspired dream drawings

La Mariee, by Marc Chagall (1912)

I and the Village, by Marc Chagall (1911)

About the Artist: Marc Chagall (1887-1985), pronounced Sha-gall, was a modern artist on the forefront of surrealism in Europe in the early 20th century. (Surrealism is a style of art which attempted to express the workings of the subconscious mind, often creating images with really weird associations). Born in Belarus, he was Jewish and highly affected by the horrors to which the Jews were subjected to in the lead-up and during World War 2 in Europe. His works are characterized by a beautiful dreamlike quality, full of emotion.

Discussion Questions: Using the powerpoint presentation here, choose one Chagall painting (maybe the one that is most interesting to you) to discuss with the kids, letting the discussion be very open-ended - with the KIDS doing 90% of the talking. Remember, the goal with the discussion is to let the kids really look at the painting and connect with it, not to inundate them with facts they will soon forget. There are no wrong answers to any of the following questions. Encourage the kids to formulate their own opinions and then follow up, if applicable, with "what makes you say that?" so they have the opportunity to back it up.

• What's going on in this painting? 
• What makes you say that?
• What more can you find?
• What parts of the scene seem real, and what elements seem dream-like?
• What emotions do you notice in the painting?
• How does the color affect the mood, or feeling, of the painting?

Materials: (thickish, if possible) drawing paper, sharpies, markers. (You might want to put a mat/old manilla folder down under the paper, to protect each desk) 

Activity: (This activity is adapted from a great lesson found here. Thank you, Art Class Curator!) With a pencil, divide each paper with 2 diagonal lines to create 4 triangle sections on the paper. (I think I'll do this before the lesson for younger grades, but older kids could totally just do it). Have the kids start with one section, and draw a picture including animal(s), building(s) and people. It can get as weird as they want! After they fill one section, have them turn the paper and then fill in the next section. Each section will be a different direction, creating kind of the surreal-dream-like effect. When they are done drawing, have them color in with marker. Note: some kids will ask to make their drawing in pencil first. Don't let them! They'll NEVER finish in time! Hopefully their pictures will end up being so busy, any little mistakes they make won't even be noticeable to them. 

Examples: