abstract painting

Abstract Painting

For this project we experimented painting with a variety of materials- Toilet Paper Rolls, Bubble Wrap, Sponge Brushes etc.  I gave the kids a plate of paint and let them go. Simple and super fun!

Some kids also added strips of tissue paper- I gave them a little cup of watered down glue and a sponge brush.

African Masks and Turtles- In this lesson we talked about African Art and read
this story Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears.  This story is an African folktale which offers a great lesson to be learned by children. The story is about a mosquito who tells a lie to an iguana and annoys the iguana. This sets off a series of events that affects everyone who lives in the forest and the initiation of daylight.




First we looked at pictures of various styles of African Masks and then created our own version on a paper plate.  Materials: Paper Plate, Pipe Cleaners, Buttons, Feathers, Small pieces of tissue paper and construction paper.  I did not tell the students what their mask should look like.  Some were very abstract and didn't necessarily have a distinct face but were their own interpretation/ exploration of the ideas and materials.

Then, for the second project we created an iguana picture- from the story we read.  I pre-cut black or blue construction paper iguanas.  The kids used watercolors to paint the background and then we added the iguana and they colored and decorated them with pieces of construction paper and buttons.