Van Gogh Project

Our third art project was to create a piece that was similar Van Gogh's Starry Night. In order to create this project, I used a piece of 12x18 construction paper as our background. Then, I ripped and cut small pieces of tissue paper and placed them onto the construction paper. To help hold the tissue paper in place, I used a small dot of glue. Next, I took gel medium and brushed it over the entire picture. (You have to make sure you keep your paintbrush wet with the gel medium the entire time or it will turn rock hard.) Now I had to let my picture dry for about 10-15 min. While I was letting it dry, I cut out a wavy piece of brown construction paper which will represent sand. After the gel medium had dried, I glued the piece of "sand" on. The last step of this project was to draw lines with a Sharpie on the picture just as Van Gogh did on his. I drew wave lines to represent the motion of water, some coral, as well as some swirl lines for fish and shells. You could use oil pastels as well to draw the lines. 

A way to extend this activity into other curriculum areas is to bring it into science. If all the students did their own version of Starry Night, you could tie it into astronomy by learning about the stars and constellations.  

Before reading the chapters, I did not think it was very realistic to bring art history into the classroom. This thought may have come from the fact that I never had an art class or was exposed to art history until I came to college. After reading, I realized that it is very simple to take small pieces of art history and bring them into the classroom in a way students can understand and relate to. One activity I could use in my classroom is to have students draw on paper on the bottom side of a table/desk. I would teach the children about Michael Angelo, and how he had to lay in order to paint the Sistine Chapel. This activity would not only help them experience what Angelo experienced  but it also helps them develop better grip on a pencil. By having students lay on their back. It puts their wrist in a better position to hold the pencil properly.