Pumpkins On Plaid Blankets
Learning Targets
I can...
- Create an original Pumpkins On Plaid Blankets using collage techniques learned in class
- Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and value (lightness, darkness, tone) inspired by Contemporary Artist (1929-Present) Yayoi Kusama
- Use shading techniques (tone, darkness, lightness, depth) and design principles (composition, repetition, balance) based on Contemporary Art
- Define Pipette Painting (an art technique where liquid paint is applied to a surface using a dropper instead of traditional brush)
Lesson One
Day One, Art Start
1. Pumpkin (2018) Yayoi Kusama
2. Read The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis
3. Discussion Questions "Does this pumpkin symbolize abundance, harvest to transformation, or playfulness? How was the pumpkin significant in different art movements? How does this painting, with its quiet simplicity, offer insight into how art can serve as a form of resilience or refuge during dark times? What does it suggest about how art reflects emotional and historical realities? How can we apply this idea to other areas of life or creative expression? In what ways can simplicity and calmness be forms of resistance to suffering? How might this reflect the artists view of the world? Can you think of other ways artists (writers, filmmakers) use everyday objects to explore bigger ideas like time, mortality, or beauty? How does knowing about the artists personal life change the way you view these pumpkins?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use geometric shapes (oval, circle, rectangle) to draw an assorted vegetable (pumpkin, onion, squash) for the pumpkin collages
2. Use geometric shapes (oval circle rectangle) to draw details (stems, leaves, table) for the pumpkin collages
3. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to draw the positive space (pumpkin) and details (stem, leaves, table) of the Pumpkins On Plaid Blankets
Day Two, Art Start
1. Retrieve Pumpkins On Plaid Blankets for Assigned Tables
2. Red Colored Pumpkin (1994) Yayoi Kusama
3. Discussion Questions "If you had to paint something from your own background or daily life, what would you choose? How does art help us celebrate ordinary things? What emotions or ideas do you think this artist is trying to express with these choices? How does this painting challenge traditional still-life paintings you have seen before? What makes it feel more modern or different? What objects from nature would you choose to paint or draw to show themes of growth or life? How do you think color alone can make us think of objects or seasons, even if they are not there? How does the artist use lines and colors to represent a well-known object? How does the use of subtle colors change the mood of the painting? Why do you think artists' styles change over time? Can you think of an example of an artist, musician, or write whose style has changed as they have gotten older or experienced new things?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to add details (stems, leaves, vines) to the positive space (pumpkins, foreground) of the pumpkin collages
2. Use oil pastels to fill in the positive space (pumpkins, foreground) with neutral colors (black, grey, white) for the pumpkin collages
3. Use oil pastels to fill in the negative space (background, blanket) with neutral colors (black, grey, white) for the Pumpkins On Plaid Blankets
Day Three, Art Start
1. Retrieve Pumpkins On Plaid Blankets for Assigned Tables
2. Set Up Studio Area (tempera paint, paint brushes, water buckets)
Lesson Activities
1. Add pumpkin parts (brown stem, green leaves, vines) with neutral colors (black, white, grey) for pumpkin collages
2. Use texture techniques (eraser, cloth, sponge) to add details (stems, green leaves, vines) for the pumpkin collages
3. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) and shadows (cast shadow, shadow) to the negative space (background) of the Pumpkins On Plaid Blankets
Artist Examples
Student Examples
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