Van Gough Projects

Van Gough Inspired Projects:

"South Dakota Breeze

through Corn Field"

Tissue Wrap Picture

FEBRUARY 2012

"DESERT SUN"

Finger Painting Picture

FEBRUARY 2012

Elizabeth Maunu  Feb 17, 2012 10:24 AM


The top project "South Dakota Breeze" was inspired by Van Gough's Stary Night.  It was to reflect movement which I used swirls to signify a breeze that caused movement in the cornfield and hit the side of the barn.  I used a 12x18 construction paper and used tissue wrap paper for the breeze and  corn field.  I used sparkly silver grease pencil to draw more swirls for the breeze.  I also used construction paper for the grass and barn.

The set back in this project was that I felt my barn was too big, not to scale.


In the finger painting "Desert Sun"  I used my finger to make squiggly lines to represent the hot sun rays beaming upward from the pink dessert sand horizon.  This was another Van Gough Inspired Picture.  The only set back I encountered is that I had a lot of paint on my fingers when I was done with this painting and had wished that I had another white sheet of paper prepared to do another with the remaining paint on my fingers!

Bulletin Board

As an extension project I would incorporate this project into Geography class. I would start out by teaching the different landforms, have students do the above projects, then request that they type an essay listing at least 3 additional landforms. Sometimes giving an official title to something that we are very familiar with can be confusing to students. Having them construct an art project with a landscape familiar to them helps them to relate that to a variety of landforms.

Vincent Van Gough

Stary Night

Vincent Van Gough

Vincent Van Gough

Art Design and Principles-Favorite Five

Principles of design –
Rhythm or movement

Movement - My son at the
Aberdeen Holiday Inn

     Action shot – The subject is in motion.

Principles of design – Emphasis

         Your eyes tend to see the focal point first....this little tree stands in my front yard.

             Elements of Art –
    Geometric Shapes

Geometric shapes: simple shapes found in geometry, such as circles, squares, or  triangles. Geometric- kitchen rug.

        Elements of Art-
       Organic Shapes

Organic Shapes: shapes based on natural objects, trees, mountains, or leaves…

Element of art - Color

Variety of Color-Living room Carpet

   or

Elizabeth Maunu  Feb 17, 2012 10:29 AM

The five pictures were taken from a power point I did on Art Design and Principles.  I posted the top favorite pictures I took.  The purpose of the power point is to have it prepared as an introduction lesson for students to understand the art designs and principals and to be familiar with the vocabulary associated with art.

The set back I experienced is that I had a hard time choosing just 5 favorite pictures.  The power point has so many great pictures too.

An extension project that I would assign to my students after introducing the concepts described above, would be a wall size mural. It would be the size of one of my classroom wall's draping from ceiling to floor. I would request that each student draw, or paint at least 5 of the art designs. I would incorporate this with a Language Arts reading passage and have the pictures that the students draw and paint, the story setting.