What better way to kick off our new school year than focusing on the complexity of a DOT!
We began the unit with a discussion about how a simple mark, blot, circle, dot can morph into many, many things and sometimes even become an important symbol within many cultures.
We chatted about how the sun symbolizes warmth/growth, the moon can represent rest/peace, the Earth, life, and how our spherical eyes act as a portal to the world leading us into the topic of perspective, a crucial tool in the art world.
What one person deems a brilliant piece of work, another may find distasteful. We expanded this discussion by emphasizing how essential it is to offer polite, constructive criticism considering the fact that art is so personal.
These lessons may simply look like a buncha dots, but the conversation surrounding them can be incredibly thoughtful.
I spread each of the lessons throughout one week to give ample time to create. I like a reasonable deadline, but if there is anything I despise, it's feeling rushed or stuck while creating so, with that, I get the ball rolling and the kids manage their time to create when the spirit moves them.
LESSON ONE: DOTS
Materials: A square piece of tin foil, Acrylic Paint, Paint Brushes, White Card Stock
First! The kids watched a cute children's story, which is where International Dot Day originated from. Yes, it's a children's book, but one for all ages, in my opinion. My preteens definitely enjoyed it. Click the image below to read the story!
Next! The kids started with a base color of their choosing and painted a large dot onto the center of their tin foil.
And Theeeeen! They drizzled, splattered, and painted a few other complimentary colors over their base color.
Lastly! They carefully pressed their white card stock onto the tin foil to transfer their dot.
Below, all three "dots" turned out so differently! Focusing on perspective, we examined what we thought our new Dots resembled. We guessed the dots could be Germs, Planets, Space Ships, Cotton Candy, Coral, and more.
LESSON TWO: POINTILLISM
Materials: Worksheet (linked below), Thin-Tipped Markers/Pens, Sketch Book
First! We watched a YouTube show on George Seurat: Click Here. This was a fun way to introduce Seurat and Pointillism to the kids! Afterward, they did an artist's study and critiqued one of his works of their choice using this FREE resource: Click Here
Next! We watched a video of an artist creating Baby Yoda for the kids to understand the project better (although not as intense) and see the precise focus it takes to create pointillism pieces. Click Here
Third! They chose an animal to create using the pointillism process! Having the students learn the history of a process, see it in action, and then try to create one of their own provides a greater sense of appreciation for art in general. They quickly learned how tedious it was and how slow the process is.
Fourth! The students wrote an Artist's Statement using this FREE resource: Click Here They chose five prompts to complete. It's important for them to reflect on their own work and help others understand their process.
One kiddo chose to create a fish with an aquatic background while the other chose a flamingo with a patterned background. Both, fantastic!
LESSON THREE: YAYOI KUSAMA
Materials: FREE resources (linked below), small pumpkins, acrylic paint, puff paint
This last lesson was the grand finale of our polka dot unit & what better way to celebrate it than with Yayoi Kusama! Years ago, we had the honor of attending one of her infinity rooms, Love Is Calling, in the Tampa area. It was full of her brightly, colored soft sculptures reflected by surrounding mirrors making it feel as though the exhibit went on forever.
We learned from the video below that these infinity rooms are a glimpse into what her hallucinations feel like. She has an incredible background and started an art movement that was greatly overshadowed by Warhol and Lichtenstein. I hope you will take some time to browse her work or even better, attend one of her exhibits when it comes to your town.
First! The kids watched this great biography on Kusama Click Here. It does detail her harsh past, but in a gentle way that most middle schoolers can process.
Second! The kids filled out this FREE introduction to Yayoi Kusama worksheet Click Here and then, did another artist's study and critiqued one of her works of their choice.
Next! The kids picked out small, white pumpkins from the local market and painted them a base color of their choice. They painted the stem, as well, with a color that complimented their base coat.
And Theeeen, after it thoroughly dried, they chose one puff paint color and created patterns of dots.
The goal was to honor Kusama's muse, Pumpkins, and her process. The kids quickly realized how difficult it is to get a pristine polka dot and pattern. To learn more about Kusama and her pumpkins, click her image above.
