5th

5th Grade Red Grooms Lesson

The selected artwork: Red Grooms Lysiane and Chow Chow

Objective: The students will create a watercolor self portrait with an animal silhouette on top of a repeated pattern in the negative space.

Essential Question: How can my identity be expressed through the images in my artwork.

Vocabulary: elements and principles of art, contour line, positive and negative space, portrait, exaggeration

Previous knowledge: the students will have studied and experimented with the elements and principles of art.

Time Frame: Week 5 or 6

Tennessee Art Standards

GLE

 1.4 Analyze and apply a variety of processes.

CLE

 1.4 Explore and implement various ways of sequentially developing art from a concept to teacher-selected outcomes.

SPI

1.4.2 Organize and execute a variety of teacher-coached processes.

GLE

2.2 Apply the elements of art.

CLE

2.2 Create artwork using the elements of art with specific intent.

SPI

2.2.3 Experiment with chosen elements in one’s own artwork.

GLE

2.4 Apply principles of design.

CLE

2.4 Create artwork using the principles of deign with specific intent.

SPI

2.4.3 Experiment with chosen principles of design in one’s own artwork.

GLE

3.1 Plan, design, and demonstrate subject matter, symbols, and ideas in one’s art.

CLE

3.1 Select and execute combinations of subject matter, symbols, and ideas in one’s art with teacher facilitation.

SPI

3.1.2 Integrate subject matter, symbols, and ideas in one’s own artwork as coached by the teacher.

GLE

5.1 Analyze and justify the characteristics and merits of one’s artwork.

CLE

5.1 Deconstruct the characteristics and merits of one’s own artwork as guided, modeled or coached by the teacher.

SPI

5.1.3 Critique the characteristics and merits of one’s own artwork as facilitated by the teacher.

Materials

12” x 18” white paper

mirrors

pencil

markers

watercolor paint or pencil

rulers

Red Grooms images

Procedure:

Day One:

Bellringer:

The students will create a contour of a vase with a simple pattern in the negative space. The drawing will be done in their sketchbook.

The teacher will discuss the vocabulary words of positive and negative space.

Step one: The students will read about Red Grooms:

About Red Grooms

Red Grooms was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1937. He attended Peabody College in Nashville, the New School for Social Research in New York City, the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and the Hans Hoffmann School. In 1961 he married first wife Mimi Gross, who worked in close collaboration with him. Grooms began exhibiting in 1958 as well as performing public pieces which came to be known as “happenings.” As the creator of one of the first “happenings”, Grooms turned away from Abstract Expressionism formerly in favor and forged the way for the Pop Art movement. Like a number of other artists in the late 1950s, he was drawn to art forms that maximized the experience of three dimensions and was clearly representational in striking contrast to the one and even two-dimensional similarities of most abstract art of the time.

Using sculpture wire, vinyl, elastic, fabric, wood, and any other materials needed, he constructed large-scale environments peopled by various human figures. These “sculpto-picto-ramas” were sometimes based very directly on particular settings, people or events. His work displays a sophisticated knowledge of the history of art and incorporates some stylistic approaches of the abstract expressionists in the shaping and coloring of figures.

Step Two: The students will look at various portraits that Red Grooms has created. The teacher will emphasize the exaggeration of the facial features along with the contour of the face.

Step Three: The students will be given a mirror to do a quick contour self portrait or a contour drawing of the person across from them.

Step Four: The teacher will project Lysiane and Chow Chow on the screen along with the word exaggeration. The students will brainstorm at their tables how the word and the image are connected. The tables will select on person to be the spokesperson to express their thoughts.

Step Five: The students will transfer the self portrait onto the 12” x 18” white paper with pencil. The portriat will be on the right side of the paper.

Day Two

Bell ringer:

The students will explain the vocabulary words contour line and exaggeration in their sketchbooks.

Step One: There will be photocopies of various animals along with adjectives. The students will match the animals with the adjectives in the groups at their tables. There will be a round robin class discussion.

Step Two: The students will write an answer to if I were an animal I would be  (and why) in their sketchbooks.

Step Three: The students will lightly sketch out the animal that they wrote about on the left side of the 12” x 18” paper.

Day Three

Bell ringer:

The students will divide a piece of sketchbook into four sections. Within each section the students will create a different pattern with pencil.

Step One: The students will discuss the use of positive and negative space in the Lysiane and Chow Chow .

Step Two: The students will lightly draw a pattern in the negative space of the 12” x 18” paper.

Step Three: The teacher will demonstrate how to use watercolor paint with washes.

Day Four

Bell ringer:

In their sketchbooks the students will (with one color) create five variations between a wash and opaque.

Step One: The teacher will restate the procedure for using the watercolor materials along with the clean up procedure.

Step Two: The students will paint their self portraits with watercolor paint.

Step Three: The students will clean up their areas.

Assessment: There will be a rubric for this assignment that will be posted throughout the lesson. The teacher will periodically explain to the students (particularly the last day) what their grade will be based on.