Tuesday, November 23, 2010

VIP: Very Important Painting - Van Gogh's Starry Night

Teaching the story of Vincent Van Gogh and the creation of Starry Night is, to me, one of the greatest moments of the year.  The book Visiting Vincent Van Gogh is a great introduction for younger students.  It discusses his town, his house, his friends, as well as an age appropriate description of his illness.
First graders created their own interpretations of the Starry Night, including many of the artistic elements found in the original - a sense of space, created by overlapping, and a feeling of movement made by swirling brushstrokes.  Our landscapes were created with crayon resist - the details of the picture were colored with wax crayon and the papers were covered in midnight purple tempera and wiped down.  The paper absorbs the pigment where there is no wax, and the result is glowing.  Enjoy!








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