The great northern landscape - Cover Story - art learning activities

Arts & Activities, Sept, 2002 by Simone Bourque

Here in Quebec, as in New England, fall is such a sumptuous time of year. Many villages and towns throughout the province celebrate "Festivals of Colours" at peak foliage. Many of us look forward to Indian summer to stroll in our parks and forests, marveling at such and such a tree, noticing the incredible variety of hues of oranges, reds and browns, picking up fallen leaves to press them.

All this beauty is ideal inspiration for a class on landscape art. The following lesson is quite simple and the outcome has brought pride and satisfaction to my fifth-grade students and positive comments from their parents and teachers.

Because art history is an integral part of the program, I showed the children selected artworks of our Canadian artists who comprise the Group of Seven. My students have some notion of various art movements and are aware of the European stronghold on Western art until this century. So I proceed to tell them that the young men of the Group of Seven wished to bring to painting a North American flavor by choosing to represent the strength and beauty of our northern wilderness.

As I summarize the history of the Group, I make sure to include interesting incidents of the members' lives and try to transmit these artists' enthusiasm for outdoor life and their reverence for the majesty and danger of this savage land.

The personal style of each artist of the Group is pointed out and the children can soon recognize a Harris from a Mac Donald. Close attention is paid to all elements of composition. Some landscapes show no sky! Some skies are streaked with yellows, grays and purples; some of the paintings show a foreground of rocks, while others have a diagonal composition. The children are encouraged to find viewpoints, to guess the time of day, the position of the sun, and so on. We are now ready for the next step of the project.

On my color wheel on the wall, we identify warm and cool colors. Classroom monitors hand out the pastels and manila paper for the warm-up exercises. First we blend, and then we see the effects of juxtaposing colors without too much blending. We use the tip and the side of the chalk. We hatch, crosshatch and discover the many possibilities of this medium. This activity lasts for about 15 minutes.

The time is now ripe for each child to create his or her own landscape. The following instructions are written on the blackboard:

* Use a palette of dominant colors.

* Think to represent foreground, middle ground and background.

* Avoid unnecessary detail.

* Try to work in blotches of colors.

* Imagine interesting skies.

* Consider a diagonal or off-centered composition.

* No man-made construction.

* Let go, enjoy yourself!

On an 18" x 24" light-blue construction paper, we first do a light-handed "ghost' sketch of the landscape with white chalk. This allows for easy corrections of "mistakes" and gives a good idea of the elements of the composition before colors and textures are added.

To avoid the unnecessary frustration of smudging their compositions by inadvertently rubbing the works in progress, I show my students how to lift their wrists when working with dry pastel. To secure their works, a paper towel is used to hold down the construction paper, thus avoiding unsightly fingerprints. This hand towel is gingerly lifted and repositioned as the pastel progresses. These little "tricks" should not be underestimated and can prevent much disappointment with the little ones who have limited experience with this medium.

As their creations are piled up for storage, I make sure an 18" x 24" sheet of newsprint is placed between each work to avoid rubbing or smudging.

When all are finished, we gather round for a 45-minute period to look at each landscape. Of course, only positive comments are welcome, and children are urged to use descriptive "art" vocabulary (texture, contrast, movement) when pointing out what they like about their own, as well as their classmates' finished products.

The landscapes were flamed and hung in the main hallway of our school. Parents, colleagues and students alike have commented on how interesting and colorful they are, much to the pride of the artists.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will ...

* study landscapes (Art History: Group of Seven).

* use a dominant palette of warm colors.

* compose a landscape with complex interesting possibilities: foreground, middle ground, background, diagonals and various viewpoints.

* explore and discover the possibilities of chalk pastel; the blending and juxtaposition of colors.

MATERIALS

* 8" x 11" manila paper

* 18" x 24" light-blue construction paper

* A box of white chalk

* Bones of colored chalk pastel

* Hand towels for each student

REFERENCES

* Hill. Charles C, The Group of Seven: Art for a Nation. McClelland & Stewart, Inc., Toronto, 1995.

* Hunkin, Harry, There is No Finality: A Story of the Group of Seven. Barnes & MacEachern Ltd., Toronto, 1971.

* Murray, Joan, The Best of the Group of Seven. McClelland & Stewart Inc., Toronto, 1993.

* Winstow, David and McKinley Kelly. Meet the Group of Seven. Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto, 1999.