When Pigasso Met Mootisse
As teachers, we often get overwhelmed with what to teach, how to teach (x, y, and z), what to emphasize, what to allow students to explore on their own, and so on, and so on. In the Art Room, I often struggle finding a balance of creating projects that teach about artists, while also teaching art concepts, but also making sure kids are engaged in the creative process and have the freedom to create individual art, while also learning new skills, and still meeting state standards. It’s a seriously unhealthy predicament for anyone with a creative mentality because our brains literally hop around like kids in a bounce house with ideas. The process of coming up with new, engaging ideas is exhausting, and the lessons haven’t even been taught! THEEEENNNNN add in teaching in 2020-2021, and you now have to find projects that kids can do at home with limited supplies and support because you’re teaching kids in the classroom and at home AT.THE.SAME.TIME. Whew! But bless, I stumbled across a fellow art teacher who also loves using books as a launching pad for projects, and in came How Pigasso Met Mootisse! I started off this lesson with a read aloud from YouTube by Eric Close, linked HERE because he sounds more energetic reading than I would even with 4 cups of coffee. I then demonstrated the process for each project. For the first project, we created unique Pigasso’s using my Draw-A-Pigasso Board, linked HERE.
For my older students, I use dice and allow them to roll to create their unique cubist Pigasso’s, but for younger students, I have included some number cards that they can just draw a number from the stack to determine what they have to draw. When I tell you that every kid LOVED this project, I am not kidding, they ALL, K-5th, L-O-V-E-D this project. They laughed and enjoyed the variety in their artworks, and each made theirs unique as they colored and added details. It was a hit! Week two, we created a cut-paper Mootisse. I pre-cut the head shapes out for students, but you can get the templates HERE.
At home these could be colored on, or used to trace onto colored paper for cutting out, depending on your child’s age. I had already taught about geometric and organic shapes earlier this school year, but it was a great opportunity to refresh those art concepts and vocabulary to add details around the cow's head in true Matisse style. And as was the week before, not one student fussed at creating this project.