The Art Bug!

Lesson Plan, Grades 9-12, Art, Science, Language Arts, History, 3-D

Description

Lesson Plan and Artwork by Phyllis M. Annett

Using humor and three dimension, students will depict the style of a specific artist or movement in art using an insect as the vehicle that delivers the chosen essence.

Objectives

Students will study styles of specific artists and the movement to which the artist belonged.

Students will create a 3-D work using mixed media.

Students will introduce a humorous approach as the vehicle to deliver the details of their chosen artist or art style by using the subject of an insect to deliver their chosen art style.

Supplies Needed

Sax® Professional Plaster Wrap, 4" x 180" roll, 40 rolls
Sax® Tru Flow Acrylic Paint Set, Gold, Silver, Copper, 1 pint each
Sax® Filbert Golden Taklon Artists Brush Set, Set of 4: 2, 4, 6 and 10 sizes
Sax® Tru Flow Tempera Varnish, Gloss, 1 Gallon
Decorate Me® White Art Boxes, 4 7/16" x 4 13/16" x 2 3/16", Pack of 24
Graphix® Shrink Film, Clear, 8 1/2" x 11", Pack of 50
Chenille Kraft® Round Wiggle Eyes, Black on White, Assorted Sizes, Pack of 100
Crayola® Model Magic Modeling Dough, White, 1 oz. each, Pack of 75
Playcolor® Water Soluble Solid Tempera, Assorted Metallics, Set of 72
Sakura® Permapaque Markers, Assorted Metallics, Pack of 10
Sargent Art® Liquid Metal Acrylic Paints, 4 oz. each, Set of 6
Creativity Street® Super Stem Wire Pipe Cleaners, Assorted Colors, 5/16" x 12", Pack of 50
School Smart® Sulphite Folding Bristol Tagboard, 110 lb., Assorted Colors, 9" x 12", Pack of 100
Sax® True Flow® Tempera Varnish, Matte, 1 quart
School Specialty Styrofoam Balls, White, 2" dia., Pack of 12
Aleenes Tacky Glue, 1 pint jar
*Here are the supplies needed for this lesson plan for reference. Find a convenient carousel of shoppable products for this lesson below.

Standards

Standard #1: Generated and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Standard #2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Standard #3: Refine and complete artistic work.
Standard #6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
Standard #7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
Standard #8:Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
Standard #11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.

Instructions

1

Discuss and show work and written sources for specific art movements and the artists involved in them. Also show various art work that has a humorous twist to it, such as that of Bernard LeDuc's 'Mona Lisa', Salvadore Dali's 'Face of Mae West', and Rene Magritte's 'Time Transfixed' or even Mark Farand's painting in the style of Edward Hopper entitled 'Jersey and Holstein'. Discuss how humor in art has been present for centuries and has been a form of communication and record of history seen with a different view. Humor is a treasured human emotion that allows us to retain good health physically and emotionally. Humor allows the artist to make the familiar strange, or to put unrelated objects together and even transpose a subject into a new context or situation and moving a subject out of its normal placement.

2

Inform students they will depict the work of these artists and art movements in a humorous way by creating a 3-D work in mixed media of an insect that has painted details on its body. For example a winged insect whose wings and body have art work on them that reminds one of Vincent Van Gogh's work or that of Mondrian's work, and in this case the style of Gustav Klimt. Discuss various types of insects to use as the vehicle to convey the art style. Discuss parts of insects and have students make sketches to get the essence of the insects shape. Remind students of a good rule of thumb for making 3-D sculptures: Don't make any appendages loom out in space, for they will be prone to breakage.

3

Instruct students to create an armature for the head and legs of the insect from a styrofoam ball, model magic and Plaster Wrap. After covering the ball with Model Magic to give a smooth surface, the plaster wrap will be the last layer on the body and legs of the insect. The plaster wrap will set in place, therefore students need to plan how the insect is positioned on its base. (The base will be a box in order to elevate the bug and put it in a seated position, a human characteristic but humorous for a bug to do!). Allow the armature to dry over night to harden in place. Next, the body and head and legs of the insect will be painted with Metallic Acrylics. The insect sits on a base, which is the white box with a lid attached. Tape the lid closed. This box is covered in white paper, therefore regular paint and water would warp it. Instead, color it with the Tempera Sticks that dry immediately. Use the Folding Bristol Board to make foliage or other objects of interest by coloring the board with Tempera Sticks, then lightly coat the board with Sax Tempera Varnish to give it strength and bend it into shapes to be glued onto the boxes. The white boxes can be designed with Tempera Sticks, which do not need water otherwise they would soak the box.

4

Use Graphix Shrink Film or plastic sheets to create the wings for the insect. This clear material can be designed in the style of the artist or art movement by using Permanent Markers. The wings will be inserted into the back of the bug by cutting small slits with an X-acto knife. No shrinking of this Film is needed.

5

To add additional humor and human characteristics to the "Art Bug," create props for the insect. Perhaps a hat or scarf, a beard, fuzzy hair, a palette, maybe wiggle eyes, brush and a painting. If it is a vehicle to show the work of a specific artist like Dali, a mustache and dark eyebrows may evoke the essence of his personality! Poke holes in the head of the insect and insert wire to represent antenna. Use Tacky Glue to glue everything in place. Glue the bug seated on its base. Caution: Do not use a heat gun. It does not work on the painted body of the insect and it will melt the Graphix Shrink Film used to make the wings.

6

When all is done, students will find they have created a three dimensional art work that combines art and humor. At the same time, knowledge of a specific artist or style will shine through.