Kindergarteners created art in the style of Paul Klee. We read "The Cat and the Bird: A Children's Book inspired by Paul Klee" and we looked at the actual painting by Klee titled "The Cat and the Bird." We talked about abstract art (art that doesn't look as real as a photograph) and how some abstract artists like Klee like to use lots of shapes in their artwork. For this project we focused on learning the difference between a line and a shape. Then we moved on to the difference between regular (geometric) and irregular (organic) shapes.
On the first day, we drew and sharpied dog or cat faces. Since I'm a real dog lover I couldn't help but give the kids a choice. When I have done this project in the past, I have focused on the painting "Senecio" by Klee but I must admit drawing animals is a little more fun!
The next day, we painted using warm colors since Klee focused on the warm colors in his paintings. When we paint with the warm colors, we start with the lightest warm colors and work our way to the darkest colors so that the water doesn't get to dirty for the yellow right away. I try to pick the yellow up early on so that it doesn't get too messy! Students were challenged to avoid painting shapes that were touching (sharing sides) with the same color. Some exceptions had to be made at the end when we ran out of colors.
Learning Goals: I can...
- Create abstract artwork in the style of Klee
- Tell the difference between a regular and irregular shape
- Balance colors throughout my artwork
- Use good craftsmanship when drawing and painting
