Jan. 14th - 18th
      This week we will be studying the following famous artists and their artwork and various styles.  At the same time we will be examining the subject matter covered in each as well as their purpose for being created, the style and the process and media used.  The artists we will look at  include: Monet, Seurat, Van Gogh, Picasso, Cassatt, Degas, O'Keeffe, Dali, Warhol, Da Vinci, Pollock, Adams, Calder and Kandinsky, and Cezanne.
      Each one will be represented by a "smiley face" that will remind them of a major characteristic of that particular artist. For example, Mr. Monet will be drawn as a Frenchman wearing a beret.  They will learn that he was one of the leading Fr. Impressionistic artists.  We will view several of his paintings pointing out the characteristics of the impressionistic style as well as his favorite subject matters.
     Next, Mr. Seurat will be drawn using dots.  "Mr. Seurat painted with dots", I always say!  His style was pointillism.  We will view several pieces of his.  We will especially take a close look at his famous work, "Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jette".
     For Mr. Van Gogh, will will draw his with a sad expression to signify his depressive state.  He will only have one ear, since he cut one of his own ear's off.  His hair will be drawn very wispy to signify the bold brush strokes and swirling patterns of the sky in his famous piece"Starry Night".
      Next, I will feature the famous female artist, Mary Cassatt.  Miss Cassatt wanted to exalt the position of women and children in society so she spent most of her time painting only women and children in poses that you would find them doing in everyday life.  Since she lived with her nieces and nephews those are the majority of her subjects.  Since women were an important subject matter of her's we will depict her smiley face as female.
     Edgar Degas was another famous impressionist that enjoyed painting people and animals in motion or movement.  What better subject than to paint ballerinas.  He also enjoyed painting horses in motion. So, polo was a favorite subject matter as well.  We will make his smiley face into a ballerina.
     Georgia O'Keeffe was a another very famous female artist she enjoyed painting very large close-up paintings of flowers.  To depict her love of florals  we will put a flower in her smiley face hair.
     Mr. Salvador Dali was quite a character and he painted surreal art.  In other words, art that could never happen in real life.  It was quite surreal.  Melting clocks, Elephants on stilts, Windmills with butterfly wings etc.  He sported a wild mustache in real life.  So, to depict his strange style we will put a huge pointy mustache on his smiley face.
     Andy Warhol's smiley face will have several smiley faces with in one.  This is to depict his "Pop Art" style that so many have seen in modern culture.  There is even an icon on I-phone and I pads that allow you to imitate his style.   He enjoyed painting people and things from modern culture like, Marylin Monroe and Elvis to a Campbells Soup can.
     Next, we will look at the famous person and artist, Leonardo da Vinci.  Of course we will discuss his genius in so many areas but most of all we will study the Mona Lisa.  His smiley face will resemble her with her haunting smile.
     Mr. Jackson Pollock liked to paint in an non-objective style by splattering paint onto the canvas to see what kind of "happy accidents" he could create.  His smiley face will be filled with scribbles.
   Ansel Adams was a famous photographer.  He enjoyed the neutral color scheme and the varying values they contain.  His favorite subject matter was landscapes.  His smiley face will contain a camera over one eye.
    Alexander Calder was a famous creator of mobiles.  Mobiles are kinetic sculptures.  They are much like the things we hang over baby beds to amuse newborns.  His hair will resemble a mobile.
    Wassilly Kandinsky painted in a non-objective style.   There are no real objects in most of his paintings they are filled with vague shapes, colors and lines.  They are like looking at the clouds where you think you can see unique images.  His smiley face will be filled with strange and unique shapes and lines.
    Late but not least will we look at the work of Paul Cezanne.  He enjoyed painted still life's.  So his smiley face will be made using a variety of fruits and vegetables.    
     One of the main goals of this lesson will be to review subject matter, purpose, style, process and media.  The other will be to educate our children on the major artists and familiarize them with major works of art.  This is part of having a well rounded arts education.