The Art Closet: May 2015

Van Gogh's Sunflowers

The 7th & 8th grade students painted sunflowers in the style of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. They were shown Van Gogh's various series of sunflower paintings and we discussed his style. In our unit on the masterpieces, we had also learned about Monet, but in comparing the impressionist (Monet) to the post-impressionist (Van Gogh),

we noted the differences between the two.

Van Gogh's brush-strokes tended to be more

"heavy" with thick layers of paint.

The students were instructed to lightly sketch their sunflowers in pencil.

I did a demonstration for them on canvas,

showing how you can start by painting the petals, before going back in and adding the center of the flower a well as details and the leaves.

They were encouraged to use the 4 colors of paint provided

(a golden yellow, nutmeg brown, moss green and royal blue)

and blend them to create shades and tints.

At the Junior High level, there is a wide range of skill level and interest and their exposure to techniques (and art in general).

I really LOVE working with these students,

because for some it is really their first use of
any type of art technique.

In elementary grades, many assignments
are really just "crafts".
So, the fun begins...

This project was done in February. At this point, I was losing the interest of some of my students. I decided to break out the paint, which turned out to be a GREAT choice.

Even those that are least inclined to participate, excelled at this one.