Stop and paint the flowers - Brief Article

Arts & Activities, April, 2002 by Shelley Phillips

I was so excited about this lesson, that I wanted to share it with others. Spring seems like the natural time to do this project, with new growth and flowers blossoming outside. With Mother's Day coming in May, a bouquet of flowers is the perfect gift!

Examples of flower bouquets in vases were displayed, including some prints of Vincent van Gogh and Odilon Redon paintings, plus various beautiful calendar prints of watercolors. I pointed out that each flower by itself was not a work of art, but it was the total picture of all the flowers that gave us the feeling and essence of the fresh bouquet. I also put a vase with a bouquet of colorful silk flowers on the table. These were all helpful in our discussion.

We noted that there were many flowers needed to create a rich, full bouquet, with several of the same types of flowers repeated throughout. The flowers were to be the focal point and not the vase. Therefore, the vase would take up less space than the flowers. We could see that flowers or leaves often covered the top edge of the vase. I suggested that the flowers and leaves come near or "bump" the edges and top of the paper.

To begin creating our flower arrangements, we folded a 4" x 6" paper in half. We then drew half a vase on the fold and cut it out, to create a whole vase when opened. (I first demonstrated this and also had four different examples posted that they could use for ideas.) Once cut out and opened, they could turn it both ways and decide which side would be the top.

The base shape was traced on the larger paper, near but not touching the bottom. I then did a quick painting demonstration for each class. The students loved watching this. Even the most active classes were totally engrossed. I painted the flowers first. Each style was repeated at least five more times before I began the next style with another colored flower. I showed them some easy ways of depicting flowers with the watercolor paints and brushes.

Stems, leaves and ferns were painted next. Every flower did not have to have a stem going into the vase. I encouraged the kids to be fairly free with their brushstrokes and not concern themselves with individual flowers or leaves. I continued to remind them that it was the feeling we got from the total picture that was important.

We painted the vases next. In a previous lesson, we had practiced painting from dark to light with watercolors and we used our skills to paint in the base. Beginning on one side of the base, we brushed with full-strength color, following the curve of the vase. When we were about midway, we quickly dipped our brush in water and then brushed over out last brushstroke before it dried. We repeated this again until we reached the other side, thus achieving a three-dimensional look. The table was added last

The children were overjoyed with their paintings and could not believe the results. I started this project in the second grade. I then did it with the fourth- and fifth-graders as well and had the same successful results. They loved their paintings and wanted to continue doing flowers the following weeks. Some students did smaller ones and we mounted them on colored paper for greeting cards.

MATERIALS

* 12" x 18" white construction or watercolor paper

* Pre-cut 4" x 6" paper far vases

* Pencils

* Scissors

* Watercolor brushes

* Watercolors

* Water

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Student will ...

* observe and "study" bouquets of flowers and paintings of flowers.

* learn watercolor techniques (i.e. wet on wet, dark to light) and develop greater control of the paint.

* develop a freer style of painting to create the feeling and essence of the flowers.

Shelley Phillips is the art teacher at the Rabbi Pesach Ramon Yeshiva in Edison, New Jersey.