Pablo Picasso: A Mini Unit

An introduction. Well, my son already knew of Pablo Picasso, but we watched the above video and a few others on YouTube then proceed to books!

Picasso and Minou by Maltbie is a fun way to learn about Picasso. It's mostly a true story with a bit of fiction thrown in (explained in the end notes) packaged in a lovely illustrated book. For an Amazon look-inside follow the link! Ages 4-8, but I think can go higher.

Getting To Know The World's Greatest Artists: Picasso by Mike Venezia was also a nice introduction but much more factual and chronologically based. This also has an Amazon look-inside and seems to be recommended for Grades 1-3 or ages 9-12 (nice to know Amazon doesn't have conflicting concepts on its pages, lol). Mike Venezia has a whole series of books and videos that introduce famous people: artists, composers, etc.


When Pigasso Met Moostise by Nina Laden was a funny and fiercely colourful story that my son enjoyed. Amazon look-inside. A homage to Picasso and Matisse.






These were two other books we borrowed from the library: What Makes a Picasso a Picasso? and Who Was Pablo Picasso?
They were great ideas but didn't get examined much.





Inspired by the videos, out came the paints and wonderfully large paper!

Here my son creates a colourful Jabba the Hutt  ;-)





And out of the blue, while having fun with the iPhone app Doodle Buddy, my son declared this creation of his...

"The Creative Process of Pablo Picasso!"

lol.

 I first ran across these sticker books over at Almost Unschoolers blog and have since spotted them at the Art Gallery of Alberta.

Basically there is a write up and photo of the artist followed by 6 examples of his or her work.

Along with each example is a partially completed example that you can use the stickers in the book to complete.

Or, as my son prefers, to make your own masterpiece!








For some online fun, go to Picasso Head and create your own Picasso inspired head or just browse the gallery and see what others have done.

For a Picasso Artist Study.

This has been linked with Picasso-An Arty Crafty Party over at Our World Wide Classroom!


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Book: Palazzo Inverso

The above video takes you through the first half of this MC Escher-esque book, it's a teaser. But not enough of a teaser if you ask me; the book itself is much more exciting to look at and read. I love the way the text wraps the pages and sends you back to the beginning.

Palazzo Inverso is by DB Johnson.
Amazon's summary: "Mauk's master is drawing up plans for a grand palazzo, and Mauk is NOT allowed to help. Mauk only sharpens the master's pencils--he doesn't actually use them.
...Or does he? One morning, Mauk's master is horrified to discover that his plans have run amok, and the construction of the grand palazzo has, too! Is Mauk really to blame? Or is that just the master's point of view?"

This is a cute book to read on it's own, but would make a great addition to a study about MC Escher or drawing.

Although I recommend getting the book itself, you can read it online here. Problem is, you just don't get the whole tactile experience of reading the text, getting to the end, and flipping the book upside down and reading the wrapped text back to the beginning. It's much more fun to explore the actual book!

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Fun With Amazing Paper Toys and Models

From The Toy Maker

Way back when, we used to have fun exchanging flat travellers (aka flat Stanley)-- check out this old post for details. We used to make our own flatties and even got into paper dolls. One thing led to another and we discovered all kinds of paper doll and paper toy sites! Really, there seems to be an endless supply of free paper dolls... all you have to do is Google "free paper dolls" and you'll be flooded with websites or click over to just the images! From Berenstain Bears to old vintage sets, some cost but many are free.

Well, I'm not going to list all those sites. What I am proposing to share are just a couple I had left over in my bookmarks.

Download a Dragon is a good start for those mythologically oriented. Here you can print out castles, dragons, mermaids, unicorns, and more. The creators of this website also did Download a Dinosaur. The items here vary in quality, but are sure to entertain!

From Paper Toys

And more fun can be found at general paper toy websites (just search "paper toys").

The Toy Maker has some really lovely paper toys to make. They have everything from cards, boxes, baskets, and bags to origami, paper toys, and ephemera. Categories include animal and bug friends, fairies and magic, math and learning toys, toys that move, gifts and boxes, and fun and whimsy! Great for children and adults alike.

And then there is Paper Toys with all kinds of detailed vehicles to make, masks, dinosaurs, houses (Bill Gate's), buildings (Empire State Building/ Shakespear's Globe Theatre), historical places (Mt Rushmore/ Great Wall of China), and way more... well, just follow the link to see the list.

From RavensBlight

Step it up a notch with a more spookier set of very detailed, rich coloured paper toys at RavensBlight Toy Shop. These haunted paper treasures are sure to delight those of us with a different sense of humour ;-) What's there? Coffin gift boxes (awesome for Halloween parties!), cemeteries, haunted houses, all kinds of skeletons and monsters, magic tricks, cards, dice, board games, life sized human skeleton, werewolf mask, colouring pages, a balancing bat, pinhole camera, skull, more masks, helmets, a marionette, and so much more. And several of the haunted houses come with background stories!!! This is a real must check out ;-) Um, can you tell I like Halloween!   

From RavensBlight

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A Mathematician's Lament Against School Math

I thought I'd share this very interesting article on mathematics. Written by Paul Lockhart, a mathematician, it challenges our culture's perception of what mathematics really is and how schools in no way teach real math. It focuses on K-12 education and how mathematics is more of a beautiful art form than a jumble of utilitarian formulas and practices.

It's 25 pages long (pdf), but well worth the time. I found this opinion piece illuminating and inspiring.

A Mathematician's Lament by Paul Lockhart.

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Documentary: My Kid Could Paint That!

Abstract art: a controversy. Is it valid art or a spit in the face? Do you love it or hate it?

My Kid Could Paint That is a documentary that explores the sensational story of Marla Olmstead, a four year old abstract painter of amazing paintings that sold for thousands of dollars, whose work could easily be slipped into major famous galleries according to some. It starts off all pro-Marla and ends full of intrigue and doubt. Did she really paint those canvasses? All by herself without any coaching? Does it matter?

Intriguing to be sure and it raises many questions. My son watched this with me and was instantly inspired to paint! I spread out a table cloth on the floor with a large sheet of paper and finger paints. Finger paints are great to use if you wish the resulting art work to become wrapping paper! I believe he completed 6 great works of art by the end of the film ;-)

Art Shows

Maps

I love art shows and gallery openings. My son? Well, he often gets bored if the food isn't good enough!

An art opening isn't everyone's cup of tea, but what about an informal private family art show?

This is exactly what my friend did and it was a great idea that turned out awesome. Once the idea was conceived, she sent out invitations to two other families (yes, we were one of them, lol) requesting their attendance for an afternoon of art and fun (read... play time). Actually, I think the idea and dates were bounced around for a while before the formal invites went out, so we all had lots of time to create. Adults and children alike were encouraged to provide art pieces for the occasion in whatever form inspired them. No pressure. No rigid rules. Anything was possible, even not contributing!

Since this was on a weekend day, it was a  whole family participation event and almost everyone was able to make it. It was a typical cheese and cracker event complete with beverages and ?candy?! Ok, not quite sure who's idea that was....   :P

Origami

With little plates in hand (or drink) we toured around the house taking in all the creative pieces displayed. The artists all had a chance to talk about their work and answer questions. Taking cues from the younger artists, we didn't over linger but kept the momentum going. Once all displays were enjoyed, play time erupted and the ensuing chaos was dismissed to the upper or lower floors of the domain  ;-)

I'll share some of the art that was conjured up for this day! There were two video installations (one Lego, one Pokemon), four sketch books, origami, snowflakes, kirigami, drawings, paintings, play dough model of Falling Water, two house models, maps, a display about the zodiac, and ice candles!

It was a great time!

The initial idea was that we'd drop off the art (and bios) before hand for our hosts to put up and display. Like I said, this was a wonderfully informal event and that little bit did not come to pass. We arrived with our treasures and chose rooms or wall spaces in which to set up. It worked out great. 

AGA-- Children's Gallery: Play On Architecture!

I know I've shared plenty of posts on the Art Gallery of Alberta, but I'd be terribly remiss if I failed to write about the BMO World of Creativity, (aka the children's gallery). Why would I be derelict in my duties? Why, because, one of the trio that designed this current space is a home schooling Dad!

It's a very fun area where kids can build with big foam blocks, draw with the tracing tables, and doodle on the white board. There are two cameras on the ceiling, aimed at the white board, so people can photograph themselves and their art and even email home the pictures.... before or after manipulating them on the computers in all kinds of fascinating and wacky ways!

Straight from the AGA website:

"Discover how the buildings around you are designed! Play with giant building blocks to create your own 3-D structures. Mix traditional drawing and drafting techniques with modern technology to share your architectural designs!

The BMO World of Creativity is an interactive, hands-on space where children and their grown-ups can explore their creativity! BMO World of Creativity exhibitions and themes change from year-to-year.

Play on Architecture at the BMO World of Creativity is designed by local architects Laura Plosz, Troy Smith and Shafraaz Kaba and sponsored by Group 2 Architecture and Engineering and Manasc Isaac Architects."

The website indicates this gallery closing November 28, 2010. However, I heard a rumour that it will be held over into December. I will need to confirm that though.

AGA-- Let's Explore Art, At Home

The Art Gallery of Alberta website has a Let's Explore Art section! It looks like it suggests 'at home' activity ideas based upon the current AGA exhibits. (Thank you to my friend who pointed this out to me). It would probably be beneficial to bookmark the site to investigate every now and then and check for new ideas. Oh, and, of course, go and visit the exhibits themselves, get inspired!

If this helps, the AGA has free admission on the last Thursday of every month from 6-9pm.

More Info:
Tours For Tots Wednesdays 11-noon, each week a different theme
All Day Sundays Second Sunday of every month, themed family art activities, 1-4pm


These are some of their ideas:

Create your own Textile Landscape

Use recycled fabric to create your own layered landscape!

What you need: old fabric and material, glue, scissors, stiff paper
What you do:

1. Collect fabric from old towels, drapes, clothes or visit a second hand store for re-used fabric pieces
2. Decide what type of landscape you would like to make: seaside, forest, ocean, field, prairie, mountains
3. Cut different shapes using the fabric and begin to layer and experiment. Try to use lots of overlapping to show things that are up close and far away
4. When you are ready, glue your fabric to the stiff paper to complete your project!

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Create your own Cel Animation

Work like a Warner Brothers artist to create your own background and cel to bring a story to life!

What you need: pencil crayons, paper, transparency paper, sharpie markers, your imagination
What you do:

1. Create a story. Think of a setting, characters and an action for your story.
2. Draw and colour a background that shows your story setting.
3. Draw your characters using sharpie marker on the transparency paper. This is called a ‘cel’ (short for celluloid).
4. Place the ‘cel’ on the background and then you have the beginning of your animation! Create multiple characters or new poses to animate your story.

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Create your own Escher-inspired Drawing

Use a spoon to create a stretched-out drawing just like M.C. Escher!

What you need: large metal spoon, paper, drawing tools
What you do:

1. Find a large metal spoon and turn it over so the curved side is facing up
2. Look carefully in the spoon to see how the shape changes your reflection
3. Draw what you see on your paper. Make sure to look at what parts are stretched and what parts are squished together!

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Create your own Imaginary Architectural Sculpture

Use recycled objects to create your own architectural sculpture.

What you need: Recycled objects, glue, scissors, paper.
What you do:

1. Collect recycled objects in your home such as plastic bottles, disposable dishware, juice containers, and cardboard boxes
2. Think about what type of building you want to make and sketch your idea. Will your building be symmetrical? Asymmetrical? Look at images by M.C. Escher for inspiration.
3. Use the recycled objects and start building your design. Your idea may change as you start to build.
4. Add folded strips of paper to your building to show stairs like M.C. Escher’s!

M.C. Escher Scavenger Hunt

Well, the AGA is only holding the Escher exhibit until October 11, 2010. Since there is still time and this exhibit will exist elsewhere, I suppose I can post this hunt too. Perhaps it can be used with a book of M.C. Escher's collected works! Maybe.

Or maybe it will serve to stimulation your imagination in creating your own hunts!

Idea: Scavenger Hunts

Cross a Bridge

Whether it's for a change of pace, to alleviate boredom, to entice interest in an activity that is less desirable, or to play as an entertaining game, scavenger hunts are often a hit with children and adults alike. It's a treasure hunt, a challenge!

Spot a Pumper Truck

Scavenger hunts come in all shapes and sizes; they can be competitive or cooperative. As an adult, I've participated in scavenger hunt rallies that required driving around town (or bussing it) trying to collect all necessary items or information within an allotted time. Sometimes this was a fundraising event, other times this was simply a fun raising event. I've even designed one for a friend's birthday one year. And then there's geocaching--- but I'll keep that treasure hunting for a separate post for later!

And, of course, most children/ young people love them too. Go figure! Perhaps, like The Box, this is another area of our childhood we never truly grow out of.

My inspiration for scavenger hunts lately has been my son's disinterest in certain activities conflicting with my interest in doing them. Believe it or not, nature walking was one and going to the art gallery another. So I designed a few nature walk scavenger hunts (and a huge list from which to create new ones) and even found one online to print out. As members of our Art Gallery of Alberta, my husband and I love going to the opening receptions. Sometimes our son comes and often he doesn't, but this gives me time to check out the exhibits and ascertain whether there is something that will intrigue him or not. As I walked through the M.C. Escher exhibit, I imagined my son enjoying this one, but he has convinced himself he doesn't like art (weird). So, I examined the prints and jotted down some notes and designed a scavenger hunt for this exhibit.

Find something that doesn't belong

Did it work? Well, no. Lol. My son willingly went with me to the AGA just the other day (he's in a new mood and insists he loves everything) and we had a lovely time. In the first exhibit he carefully paid attention to the various pieces of art until I asked if he wished to sketch the art. He readily agreed. I only had a very small note book in my purse and a pen, but it was well received as my son enthusiastically sketched and sketched and sketched. Awed by his inspiration, we went to the gift shop and purchased an inexpensive sketchbook and pencil which he almost filled up by the time we left. His sketching turned into his own drawing creations inspired by what he saw as we made our way up the floors of the AGA. And the M.C. Escher gallery? He unenthusiastically took my scavenger hunt and started it, but barely did a single item, lol. He just wanted to draw! And who am I to stop him?! A sketchbook, not a scavenger hunt was what he wanted this time. 

Still, scavenger hunts have their place and time. And there are all kinds to be had and the options are endless...

Here are some scavenger hunt themes/ideas:

Photograph Some Graffiti

nature walk scavenger hunt
city walk scavenger hunt
car/vehicle ride scavenger hunts
house items scavenger hunt
photo album scavenger hunt
Halloween/other holiday themed scavenger hunt

themed hunts: find items only beginning with a specific letter or colour
internet scavenger hunts
shopping mall scavenger hunt
....and more



Here's a website to help with specific examples and more ideas:

Scavenger Hunt Guru

this website is intended for both adult and child oriented activities including corporate team building ideas and kids camping hunts.

Find a mushroom not growing on the ground

I will post a few of my nature walk ones for people to copy and print.

AGA -- Edward Burtynsky: Oil

Oil Fields #30

The Art Gallery of Alberta has two new installations, one being Burtynsky's amazing photographs that delve deep into the subject of oil from various vantage points. Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer.

This new exhibit is on the top floor and is a must see. It's a photography exhibit of oil fields, oil sands, oil tankers, the automotive industry, and waste; from the beginnings of oil to the death of oil and everything in between. Some of the photos are painfully stunning and others are breath-taking in their scope. It's a paradox: disturbing beauty.

Oil Refineries #22

These little photos do not do the exhibit justice; one must see these in the large gallery scale. The last photo, was one of my favourites. It was like fallen autumn leaves and white lichen/moss.

Oh, I almost forgot to say: there is a self-guide tour pamphlet just outside the exhibit entrance.

AGA link to the current exhibit.

Edward Burtynsky's website.

Densified Oil Drums #4

Ferrous Bushling #18