Famous North American Painters Students Should Know?

Question: Could you list famous North American painters you think students should be able to identify by the time they graduate from high school and also show a sample of their work?
Answer: Well, if they could recognize these painters, they really would be well educated. Unfortunately, students educated in American public schools are far more familiar with Western European painters. There are many more painters I would include in this list but can not for fear of violating copyrights. Artists like Fritz Scholder, he is also an exquisite painter but I haven't any jpgs. of his work.

Albert Bierstadt, "The Rocky Mountains, 
Lander's Peak", 1863, Hudson River School

James McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in 
Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother (1871)
popularly known as Whistler's Mother,
Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Read his letters here.

Edward Hicks, "The Peaceable Kingdom"
(1826), National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

"A Bigger Splash", by David Hockney
1967, Tate Collection, London.

"Keith" by Chuck Close in
The Saint Louis Art Museum

"Washington Crossing the Delaware" is by German American artist Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. It commemorates General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War. That action was the first move in a surprise attack against the Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey in the Battle of Trenton. The painting is part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. There are many copies of the painting, one of which is in the West Wing reception area of the White House.

"American Gothic" is a painting by Grant Wood,

in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

"The Builders" by Jacob Lawrence

"Boston Cream Pies" by Wayne Theibaud
in the South Dakota Art Museum

"Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth is now
at The Museum of Modern Art, New York City

"Black Mesa Landscape" by Georgia
O'Keeffe in the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.
O'Keeffe painted the majority of her landscapes
at Ghost Ranch where she lived out the later part of her life.

"Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper is one of
his best known works, Art Institute of Chicago

"Little Girl in a Blue Armchair" by Mary
Cassatt is at The National Gallery of D.C.

Charles Demuth (1883-1935)
The Figure 5 in Gold (1928)
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Thomas Hart Benton's "Lord Heal This Child"
preliminary painting, in a private collection

"Beyond the Easel" self-portrait and boy scouts
of America by Norman Rockwell

abstract by Willem de Kooning (1957)

"Gloucester Harbor," 1873, oil on canvas by Winslow Homer.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Robert Rauschenberg, untitled "combine," 1963.

any suggestions for a storybook about weaving?

"The Village Basket Weaver" by London

Question: Can you think of a book that I could read aloud to my elementary students before we start a weaving project?

Answer: "The Village Basket Weaver" is an excellent introduction to weaving and island culture in the Caribbean. I've included here an introductory lesson for this storybook.

Teacher: Mrs. Grimm

Subject: Art Appreciation

Level: 4th -6^th grade

Topic: The Importance of Heritage

Standards: Show-Me Standards for Missouri Schools

Strand I: Product Performance – communicate ideas about subject matter and themes in artworks created for various purposes

·  Create an original artwork that communicates ideas about the following themes – Functions of Art in Culture and Personal Identity

Strand IV: Interdisciplinary Connections – Explain the connections between Visual Art and Communication Arts, Math, Science or Social Studies

·  Explain how artworks reflect the cultures in which they were created

Advance Organizer: A young boy approximately 10 or 11 years old who lives in the Caribbean in a small fishing village, feels that the old ways of his grandfather, a basket weaver by trade, will be forgotten.

Objectives:

·  The teacher will read aloud a story called “The Village Basket Weaver,” so that the students may draw conclusions about village life, culture and traditions of the Black Carib people living in a sea village of Central America. It is expected that 80% of students will demonstrate proficiency at the GLE level.

·   Students will distinguish the characteristics of a cassava basket and compare it’s differences and similarities to baskets they are most familiar with. It is expected that 80% of students will demonstrate proficiency at the GLE level.

Materials Needed:

• The book, “The Village Basket Weaver,” by Jonathan London
• Drawing pencils
• Every student should get a Xerox copy of the worksheet included with this lesson plan and one piece of blank white drawing paper.
• A slide show prepared ahead of time about baskets.

Phase 1: Introduction: Because we will be making sample baskets in the future, I will be reading a story today about a basket weaver and the life-style he wishes to pass on to his grandson. I am sure that most of you are familiar with different types of baskets found in American homes and how these are frequently used. This book that I’m going to read aloud describes cassava baskets used in the Caribbean by bakers. It also describes in great detail the culture of these village fishermen as well. Listen carefully to the story so that you will be prepared to describe what you hear on a worksheet you will be filling out after the story is read.

Phase 2: Show a slide presentation of baskets and review orally the questions below about the story with the students.

• What does it mean to “inherit a tradition?” The teaching of information from the older people to the younger.
• What is the Caribbean culture like in the story? Students may give a wide variety of answers concerning this content, such as: people work under thatched roofs, their bread was not purchased at a store, villagers lived by the beach, people catch fish for a living, village children want to work on farms and drive tractors, the local rooster wakes people up in the morning, Tavio lives in a one-room house, etc…
• Can you describe what a cassava basket looks like and what is used for.  A cassava basket is long and narrow and stretches while it is filled up cassava pulp so that poisonous juices will be drained out of the bottom.

Phase 3: Present learning materials: On the worksheet there are a list of questions that I want you to answer and turn in tomorrow along with a drawing of a cassava basket and another basket that you may find in your home, in a magazine, or on the internet. Take the rest of the time in class to focus on answering the questions. You may work with a partner if you prefer. Please speak softly between yourselves as you work. I’ve included with your worksheets a blank piece of write paper for your drawing assignment. 
Below are the questions about “The Village Basket Weaver” by Jonathan London.  Please fill out the worksheet with complete sentences and bring it into the next class period to share with your peers! (Teachers will need to swipe the questions and put into a Word document and add spaces.)

1. What kind of basket did Tavio help his grandfather weave and what was it used for?
2. What was the village school like compared to our school?
3. Describe the Culture of the Caribbean children in the story. 
4. What did Tavio want to inherit from his grandfather?
5. What will you hope to inherit from your parents or relatives someday?
6. Based upon the story that was read in class, what do you think our next art project will be about? 
   

Phase 4: Application: The following session the students will discuss and compare with each other the answers they gave on the worksheet. We will also tack the drawings of baskets up on the board and make comparisons between the illustrated baskets. I will then collect their work and grade it. Next, I will then introduce a new art lesson about weaving.

Written content is original to Donna Grimm copyright 2009

diorama of a fashion window display lesson plan

Student diorama of a fashion window display.

Title: Diorama of a fashion window display

Unit Title & Sequence Number: Fashion Design I: Lesson IV

Goals/Objectives:

• Students will be able to interpret a 2-dimentional sketch into a 3-dimentional display no smaller than the standard sized 12’’x12’’ pizza sized box.
• Students will be able to research window displays on the internet and/or in public spaces in order to gain inspiration and design concepts for this assignment.

Missouri Show-Me Standards:

• (VA2) FA2 - Artists communicate ideas through artworks by selecting and applying art elements and principles.

GLEs:

• EP.2.C.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use forms expressively to communicate ideas.
• EP.2.D.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use textures expressively to communicate ideas.
• Ep.2.C.HS Level 3 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Identify and create complex form in-the-round

Grade Level: High School (10 – 12)

Length of Class Period: 55 minutes a day, five days a week

Frequency of Class Periods Needed To Complete Lesson: Approximately fifteen, days will be necessary for the completion of this project. Students are given four weeks to complete and submit large studio projects during my fashion design courses because sketchbook assignments are also worked on during class at the same time.

Facility & Equipment Requirements:

• large tables
• good lighting
• computer for power point presentations
• large locked cabinet and keys
• blackboard
• sink

Resources:

• Fashion window display power point
• “Fashion Design Drawing Course” by Tatham/Seaman 

Materials:

• markers, colored pencils, pastels, watercolors
• cardboard box, 12”x12” inch pizza box
• variety of papers and chipboard
• white glue

Vocabulary Words: All vocabulary definitions were taken directly from “Fashion Design Drawing Course” by Tatham/Seaman

• target market – The range of target customers that a retailer aims to satisfy.
• working drawing – The representation of a garment as it would look laid out flat, rather than drawn on a figure. Used to convey precise information about the construction, trims, finishes, and any other details of the pieces. Also known as “flats,” or technical or specification drawings.
• presentation board – A light foam board available in various sizes from art supply stores. Used for presenting work to tutors, employers, and clients.
• Range – Used interchangeably with “collection” to describe the group of garments produced each season by a designer. “Range” has also more specifically commercial overtones, indicating a selection of coordinating garments that offers maximum choice to the customer within the parameters of the range.
• mixed media – A combination of different media within the same image. Possible media include color pencils, oil pastels, crayons, gouache, watercolor paints, pen and ink, or even a computer or photocopier
• color theming – Giving the items in a collection a common identity through the repeated use of certain colors
• mixed media – A combination of different media within the same image. Possible media include color pencils, oil pastels, crayons, gouache, watercolor paints, pen and ink, or even a computer or photocopier

Step-by-step Activity Specifics:

1. Students will first be shown a power point presentation of the studio assignment

2. Students will be given an opportunity to search for window displays online during a visit to the technology lab or library computer lab

3. Students will be asked to bring an appropriate 12’x12’’ pizza box or large shoe box to class in order to cut and paste paper and textile elements into it to create a diorama.

4. Students will make sketches and review their ideas with peers and the teacher in class prior to beginning the studio assignment

5. The teacher will give a simple demonstration of diorama techniques

6. Students will be given ample time to finish and turn in their project

Health & Safety Concerns: There are no health and safety concerns for this lesson.

Special Needs Adaptations:

Modifications for the hard-of-hearing or deaf student:

• Student will be seated closer to instructor so they will be better equipped to hear instructions or read lips
• Student will be provided with written instructions so that they read about the discussions and demonstrations
• The instructor may use a amplification devise provided by the school or student’s parents

Modifications for the student with limited vision or blindness:

• Students will be allowed to observe samples of art projects with their hands and for extended periods of time
• Students will be provided with safe tools and one-on-one guidance during a demonstration of the project
• The project may be slightly adjusted to accommodate the student’s limitations or for safety reasons
• Student will be given ample time to exist classroom before large crowds gather outside of the classroom.

Modifications for students with mild brain injury:

•  Students will be provided with duplicate instructions for home and school. Student will not need to remember to carry home materials to review.
• Students will be given ample time to exist classroom with a pre-determined aid or peer before the official end of a class.
• Instructor will provide for parent e-mail communication concerning the progress and needs of their student.
• Student may be given special seat assignment in order to enable his participation in class appropriately. Specific peers may be better equipped to articulate projects visually for this student.

Cleanup Time & Strategy: At the end of every school class period, students are expected to take a few minutes to clean their area, store their supplies and shelf their art project in an area set aside for their work. Storage space in a locked cabinet is reserved for fragile work if needed.

Assessment: An art rubric and a class critique day will be assigned for the grading of this project.

Reflection & Revision: This must be filled out at a later date.

Lesson plans and jpgs copyrighted by Grimm 2001

excluding  vocabulary definitions, from “Fashion Design Drawing Course” by Tatham/Seaman

 

Window Displays on The Web:

• Custom Window Displays for The Sony VAIO
• Show Off Your Window Displays 
• More Unique Window Displays
• Windows that Wow!
• Visual Display Inside & Out (video) 
• Legend Studios Visual Merchandising (video)

what are your favorite christmas stories to read aloud?

 Question: What are your favorite Christmas stories to read aloud?

Answer: We recommend the following selections of Christmas Books for parents to read aloud to their children during the holidays. Some of these are suitable for public school classrooms and some are more suitable for the home or parochial schools.

• "The Birthday of a King" by Bob Hartman Michael McGuire
• "A Taxi Dog Christmas" by Debra and Sal Barracca, Illustrated by Alan Ayers - "Maxi and Jim the taxi driver gladly interrupt their Christmas celebration to lend Santa a hand." publisher
• "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Barbara Shook Hazen Adapted from story by Robert L. May, Illustrated by Richard Scarry. "Here is a delightful version of the tale of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer--the little reindeer so well known in song and story." publisher
• "One Wintry Night" by Ruth Bell Graham, Illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson. "Ruth Bell Graham retells the Christmas story in a contemporary setting, beginning with creation and closing with Christ's resurrection." publisher
• "All Is Well" by Frank E. Peretti - Poverty stricken and low on hope. A divorced mother and her daughter prop up their sagging spirits and keep the flames of faith alive by clinging to a phrase heard on a previous Christmas, "All is well."" publisher
• "Frosty the Snowman" Adapted from the song of the same name, retold by Annie North Bedford, illustrated by Corinne Malvern. "Frosty the Snow Man was born in 1950 as the subject of a phonograph record, and soon after appeared in many different forms. He has been in numerous Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Parades. Unlike other snow men, he is at home even in the warmest parts of the United States." publisher
• "This is the Star" by Joyce Dunbar and Illustrated by Gary Blythe.
• "Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree" by Robert Barry.
• "Christmas at Long Pond" by William T. George, paintings by Lindsay Barrett George. - "Father and son observe the plant and animal life around Long Pond before finding just the right Christmas tree." publisher
• "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore, Illustrated by Ted Rand (our favorite version)
• "The Nightmare Before Christmas" by Tim Burton - "When the king of Halloween decides he wants a new holiday, Christmas will never be the same." publisher
• "The First Noel", Illustrated by Jody Wheeler - "Illustrated version of the well-known carol in which an angel appears to poor shepherds to announce the birth of Christ.
• "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" by Hans Christian Anderson and Illustrated by Fred Marcellino - (our favorite illustrated version)
• "The Advent Book" by Jack and Kathy Stockman - A MUST Have for Christian parents celebrating the true gift of Christmas with their small children this Christmas. (Crossway Books a division of Good News Publishers.)
• "Santa's Book of Names" by David McPhail - A young boy who has trouble reading helps Santa with his yearly rounds and receives a special Christmas present.
• "Winnie The Pooh's Stories For Christmas" by Bruce Talkington, Illustrated by John Kurtz
• "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg
• "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss 

 More Recommended Film and Books for Children at Christmas

 

Asian Art of Ink Wash Power Point

      In an old Chinese legend, an artist named Zhang Sengyou (張僧繇) was asked to paint a mural in a temple. He painted four dragons but left out the pupils from their eyes. The Abbot asked him why. Zhang explained that if he painted the pupils, the dragons would come alive. When the Abbot insisted, Zhang proceeded to paint two of the dragons’ eyes. As soon as he finished painting the pupils on two of the dragons, they roared to life and flew away in a thunderous flash of lightning. The two dragons that had no pupils stayed on the wall.

      This story embodies the philosophy of East Asian ink wash painting. The goal is not simply to reproduce the appearance of the subject, but to capture its soul. To paint a horse, the ink wash painting artist must understand its temperament better than its muscles and bones. To paint a flower, there is no need to perfectly match its petals and colors, but it is essential to convey its liveliness and fragrance. East Asian ink wash painting may be regarded as an earliest form of expressionistic art that captures the unseen.

      East Asian ink wash painting has long inspired modern artists in the West. In his classic book Composition, American artist and educator Arthur Wesley Dow (1857–1922) wrote this about ink wash painting: "The painter ...put upon the paper the fewest possible lines and tones; just enough to cause form, texture and effect to be felt. Every brush-touch must be full-charged with meaning, and useless detail eliminated. Put together all the good points in such a method, and you have the qualities of the highest art". Dow's fascination with ink wash painting not only shaped his own approach to art but also helped free many American modernists of the era, including his student Georgia O'Keeffe, from what he called a 'story-telling' approach. Dow strived for harmonic compositions through three elements: line, shading, and color. He advocated practicing with East Asian brushes and ink to develop aesthetic acuity with line and shading.

      Shading in ink wash painting refers to the varying ink density produced by grinding an ink stick in water. Ink wash painting artists spend years practicing basic brush strokes to refine their brush movement and ink flow. In the hand of a master, a single stroke can produce astonishing variations in tonality, from deep black to silvery gray. Thus, in its original context, shading means more than just dark-light arrangement, it is the basis for the beautiful nuance in tonality unique to East Asian ink wash painting and brush-and-ink calligraphy. (Wikipedia)

The following slides of Asian ink wash paintings are created for art educators who wish to design a Power Point presentation for an art project that I will include with my collection of lesson plans in the near future. Read the Terms of Use before downloading the jpgs. and click on the thumbnails to download the very largest photo available.

Hasegawa Tohaku, 1539 - 1610

Shiokawa Bunrin, Japanese, 1808-1877
River Landscape with Fireflies , 1874
Both screens are at The Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City Missouri

Japanese screen at Tokyo National Museum

Dong Qichang. The Qingbian Mountains

Henry Moore Power Point

The Art Gallery of Ontario's Henry Moore collection is the largest public collection of his works in the world.

      Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art.

      His forms are usually abstractions of the human figure, typically depicting mother-and-child or reclining figures. Moore's works are usually suggestive of the female body, apart from a phase in the 1950s when he sculpted family groups. His forms are generally pierced or contain hollow spaces. Many interpreters liken the undulating form of his reclining figures to the landscape and hills of his birthplace, Yorkshire.

       Moore was born in Castleford, the son of a mining engineer. He became well-known through his larger-scale abstract cast bronze and carved marble sculptures, and was instrumental in introducing a particular form of modernism to the United Kingdom. His ability in later life to fulfill large-scale commissions made him exceptionally wealthy. Yet he lived frugally and most of the money he earned went towards endowing the Henry Moore Foundation, which continues to support education and promotion of the arts. (Wikipedia)

The following slides of Henry Moore's sculptures (from the Nelson Atkins Museum/ Kansas City Sculpture Park) are created for art educators who wish to design a Power Point presentation for an art project that I will include with my collection of lesson plans in the near future. Read the Terms of Use before downloading the jpgs. and click on the thumbnails to download the very largest photo available.

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Two-Piece Reclining Figure No. 9, 1968

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Upright Motive No. 9, 1979

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Reclining Connected Forms, 1969

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Reclining Connected Forms, 1969

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Seated Woman, 1958-1959; cast 1983

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Seated Woman, 1958-1959; cast 1983

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Seated Woman, 1958-1959; cast 1983

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Three-Way Piece No. 1: Points, 1964-1965; cast 1966

Henry Spencer Moore, English, 1898-1986, b. Yorkshire, England
Large Torso: Arch, 1962-1963; cast 1963

Henry Spencer Moore, 1898-1986 Sheep Piece, 1971-72

Henry Spencer Moore, 1898-1986 Sheep Piece, 1971-72

Henry Spencer Moore, 1898-1986 Sheep Piece, 1971-72

Henry Spencer Moore, 1898-1986 Sheep Piece, 1971-72