Art-A-Baloo Crew: Matisse Flower Vases

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Matisse Flower Vases

Medium: Paper collage and sharpie

Reason for Lesson: Learn about the artwork of Henri Matisse and the principle of patterns and color.

Label: Color, movement, harmony, 5th grade, Matisse

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Preparation prior to lesson: gather supplies, cut tissue paper into 2x2 inch squares

Class Time: 1 hour

Materials: 12x18 White Background paper. Various colors of construction paper. 1 8 1/2 X 11 piece of colored construction paper. ]Sharpies, Glue, 2x2 inch square colored tissue paper (5-6 per student)

Instructions to Lead Lesson:

1. Introduce Henri Matisse. Give a brief bio and try to relate his life in some way to the kids (keep this lesson time brief, take no more than 5-10 minutes for the Artist Introduction)

2. Show examples of Henri Matisse’s artwork and have the students discuss what makes Matisse’s artwork unique. Talk about what the artist is trying to convey with his art. What feelings are evoked?

3. Have the students discover different repeating patterns in Matisse’s artwork. Have them look for all the different variations of pattern. What colors, themes, medium does he use? What feeling does the repeating pattern create in the artwork?

Be sure to point out that Matisse “Painted with Scissors”. He used collage and patterned paper in much of his later artwork.

4. Point out that Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) was influenced by Matisse. You may wish to show some of Eric Carle’s books to show how he was influenced.

Create the patterned vase on a collage background

Begin with Vertical 12x18 in white watercolor paper and 5 sheets of various sizes of colored construction paper and 1 8x10 piece of colored construction paper

8. Cut large blocks out of the colorful construction paper students may wish to cut some wavy lines for edges (keep it simple for time)

9. Choose two color blocks and draw a repeating pattern with sharpie (time permitting. To finish in an hour this step may need to be omitted)

1 Glue colored blocks to cover the entire white paper background

Take a 8x10 solid piece of colored construction paper and with the sharpie draw a repeating pattern to fill the entire page.

Fold patterned paper in half (vertical) with pattern on the inside.

1 Draw and S shape on the fold. Be sure to draw the lines from top to bottom staring from the top right corner and finishing at the bottom of the page.