CC Class #5
Project Description:
In this art lesson, students embarked on a collaborative artwork adventure to share ideas and build community. They repurposed non-traditional materials into art-making tools through experimentation with found-object paint brushes. Students worked together to create one large 2-dimensional work of art. In today's art exploration, students communicated and collectively contributed to a collaborative painting, which allowed them to combine different ideas and perspectives.
Essential Understanding:
Artists and designers collaborate to create works of art to combine different ideas and perspectives.
Objectives/Outcomes:
Students will be able to...
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Gather non-traditional materials to use as paintbrushes
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Experiment with non-traditional paint brushes and application techniques
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Collaborate with their peers to create a large work of art together
Skills:
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Reimagine unfamiliar objects as paint brushes
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Apply paint in new and inventive ways
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Collaboration with peers to share ideas and techniques
Reflection
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Lesson plan can be found here.
What worked well for this art experience? Why?
Setting up two collaborative paintings worked well because it allowed all students to work on something at the same time. I also think a collaboration for the last class was a good idea because everyone bonded and had a great time. It was awesome to see everyone adding their own touch to create a cohesive painting. Having students pick up three things from the ground outside also worked well for this art experience because it allowed students to move around and be outside for a little in the nice weather. It was like a scavenger hunt, students got creative with what they picked up, one student even picked up a pinecone to paint with, which ended up creating an interesting effect. I also think that providing other non-traditional paint brushes worked well because it influenced students to experiment more with different mark making.
What didn’t work well for this art experience? Why?
The set up of the paintings got pretty messy. There was paint being splattered on the ground (hopefully we cleaned it all up), but that is what happens in the art classroom. I think using acrylic paint was a bad idea because some students got paint on their clothing and acrylic doesn't wash out. I felt really bad when students got paint on their clothes because there wasn't anything I could do to wash the paint off.
What would you do differently? Why?
Next time I do a collaborative painting with my students I would definitely use washable paint like tempura and tell students that there are aprons to wear. I would also set up a tarp underneath the painting to allow students to get messy without having to worry about the condition of the classroom. Other than that, I think this art lesson turned out well, the students seemed engaged and excited, they explored to see what kind of marks they could make.