MiSs Rs ArT RoOm

Santa Flying Pass Moon

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Santa Flying Pass Moon using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use cool colors (blue green purple), value (lightness darkness highlights shadows), and space (positive negative) inspired by American Artist (1916-2001) Howard Finster
• Use painting techniques (blending, dry brush, wet on wet, splatter painting) and design principles (composition, proportion, gradation) based on Naive Art
• Define Silhouette (an image in a single color that shows only the outline of a solid shape of a persona, object, or scene)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start 

1. Santa Claus (1983) Howard Finster

2. Read The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore

3. Discussion Questions "Did you know the illustrations of Santa Claus show him with a warm face, iconic red suit, and prominent wedding ring? How did commercial art of Santa Claus influence the modern vision of Santa Claus now? Did you know Santa Claus was displayed on photographs, artwork, posters, postcards, greeting cards, song sheets, wrapping paper, and telegrams? How do you think the reindeer fly? What kind of technology does Santa Claus use at the North Pole to make toys? What colors did artists use for Santa Claus? Why do you think they choose those colors? What is Santa Claus wearing? Does it look like a typical Santa Claus suit?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use line types (thick, thin) to draw the foreground (forest, building, Santa Claus), middle ground (night sky), and background (moon, night sky, snow) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon

2. Use monochromatic colors (light blue, dark blue) to fill in the background (moon, night sky, snow) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon

3. Use neutral colors (black, grey, white, brown) to fill in the foreground (forest, building, Santa Claus) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon 

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Santa Flying Pass Moon for Assigned Tables 

2. Santa Claus (1985) Howard Finster

3. Discussion Questions "What do we know about the artist after viewing this artwork? What do you think the artist was trying to say in this artwork? What is the meaning or message? How did the artist use line, shape, and color to contribute to the mood or meaning? What would it feel like to be in this painting? Do you want to see this artwork again? What was Howard Finster's motivation for painting secular figures like Santa Claus? How does the Santa figure fit within Finster's overarching mission? How did his childhood memories of Christmas influence his artwork? Why is the provenance of the particular piece? How is the handwritten text incorporated into his Santa Claus pieceS? How does his Santa Claus compare to his depictions of other pop culture figures? How does this piece compare to other Santa artworks by Howard Finster in terms of style, theme, and detail?" 

Lesson Activities  

1. Use a ruler, compass, or straightedge to draw the foreground (Santa Claus, buildings, forest) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon

2. Add details (animals, moon, stars, snowmen, presents) to the middle ground (night sky) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon 

3. Use black tempera paint to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, buildings, forest, Santa Claus) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon 

Day Three, Art Start 

1. Retrieve Santa Flying Pass Moon for Assigned Tables 

2. Set Up Studio Area (paint brushes, white tempera paint, water buckets)

Lesson Activities

1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) within the foreground (Santa Claus, buildings, forest) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon

2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow, shadows) within the middle ground (night sky) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon 

3. Add details (animal, moon, stars, snowmen, elves, presents) within the negative space (background) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon 

Artist Examples

Student Examples 

Midcentury Ceramic Hand Dish

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create a Midcentury Hand Dish using ceramic techniques learned in class
• Use vibrant colors (saturated, high chromatic, pure pigment), line variation (swirls, squiggles, curves), and texture (hatch marks, smooth edges, stamping) inspired by American Artist (1916-2001) Howard Finster, Italian Painter (1913-1988) Piero Fornasetti, & Graphic Artist (1898-1972) M.C. Escher
• Use mishimas techinques (carving, incising, inlaying) and design principles (balance, repetition, composition) based on Bitossi Ceramic Art 
• Define Pottery (first art forms explored by mankind involving pots, dishes, and other earthenware or baked clay articles)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Hand (1980) Howard Finster
2. Read Nadia's Hands by Karen English
3. Discussion Questions "What is the purpose of Indian Mehndi designs? What is the meaning behind these beautiful tattoos? What are some ways you express luck and happiness during deeply moving experiences? What are some ways you express love and strength during important celebrations? What are some ancient traditions we still use today in the United States?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use slab method to trace & cut out the hand template (fingers, thumb, palm) of ceramic work
2. Use coil construction to make the base (bottom, foot, fillet) of ceramic work
3. Use slip & score method to attach base to the back of Midcentury Ceramic Hand Dish

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Midcentury Ceramic Hand Dish for Assigned Table
2. Hands (1942) Piero Fornasetti
3. Discussion Questions "How do artists create Mendhi Designs? Where do these beautiful traditions and festivals originate? Have you ever seen Indian Mendhi Designs in real life? What can hands reveal about your health, personality, and hobbies? How can these hands show ones past and future?"  

Lesson Activities

1. Use sculpting methods to smear, smooth, and connect hand parts (fingers, thumb, palm)
2. Add surface decoration (paisleys, swirls, vines, eyes, stars) to ceramic hand 
3. Add textural details (ring, fingernails, wrinkles) to Midcentury Ceramic Hand Dish

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Midcentury Ceramic Hand Dish for Assigned Table
2. Set Up Studio Area (water bucket, sponges, needle tool)

Lesson Activities

1. Inscribe poem, couplet, and signature on back of ceramic work
2. Apply watercolor paint to hand parts, surface decoration, and textural details
3. Apply gloss finish to hand parts, surface decoration, and textural details

Artist Examples 

Student Examples