My Art Adventure...

Throughout the year, first grade students venture in the amazing story of Anna and her quest to find the toilet in Anna's Art Adventure.  It's a remarkable story of adventure, mystery and urgency.The story introduces my students to artists and their styles, with quirky references and a red dress.  

A few of weeks ago, I filled a couple of buses with 6th graders and headed to the Art Institute of Chicago for their annual art field trip.  Along with jumping (or trying to jump-the AIC is a big place) from group to group, I snapped photos of some very important art works... at least to my 1st graders...

Such as the hunt to find the toilet, my quest was to find the artworks and artists Anna encounters on her search.

Luckily, my hunt lasted about 20 minutes as apposed to the 9 months my first graders had to endure.

Here is My Art Adventure in the 

Art Institute of Chicago:

  

Ellsworth Kelly 

Rembrandt van Rijn

Edvard Munch

Piet Mondrian

 Vincent van Gogh

Pablo Picasso

 Insert Andy Warhol HERE.  

 Rene Magritte

Marc Chagall

Paul Cezanne

Henri Matisse

Jackson Pollock

Marcel Duchamp

Salvador Dali

Mrs. Angelopoulos

Because when you've gotta go...

Check out the full 1st grade curriculum, with a complete power point presentation.

xoxo, Smock Room.

van Gogh: more than sunflowers...

Rethinking Vincent van Gogh

I was thinking about spring and the amazing flowers that bloom in the warming weather, coloring the landscapes of backyards and parks.  *sigh*

I live in Chicago and the palette, right now, is less than colorful.

So, I decided to do some "Googling" and find some inspiration of paintings of flowers to brighten this dreary afternoon.  

I found lots!  No surprise. 

 The still life, of vases with flowers, has a strong history within the art timeline and provide amazing examples of the lineage of art movements.  

Bowl with Peonies and Roses, 1886

In the scanning and skimming process, many images were of the infamous "Sunflowers" by Vincent van Gogh.  This, also, is quite common with such a search, but I gravitated towards a painting of peonies and roses.  One of my most favorite flowers is the poofy, full, luscious peony.  The small Google image was not very clear, and as I clicked on the image, I saw it....."Vincent".

I thought to myself, "Wow" and "Wait a minute".

and "Why?"

Oleanders and Books, 1888

Why do most, meaning all, books I have about Vincent for my classroom only talk about his "Sunflowers"?  Why do so many other paintings go unnoticed or are not given the attention they deserve.

Vase with Red Poppies, 1886

I, too, am guilty of the "sunflower" painting.  Just recently, I was trying to come up something different for the "van Gogh" unit. 

All signs pointed in one direction, "A Vase with Sunflowers" (of various numbers).  

Vase with Zinnias and Other Flowers, 1886

Now, I have a fresh perspective and appreciation for our dear Vincent.  Perhaps he was also looking for some color on some dreary days.  

And now, I feel compelled to write a children's book about the many beautiful vases of flowers from Vincent van Gogh.

Vase with Asters and Phlox, 1886

Still Life - Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers, 1888

Want to paint a vase of flowers?  Click here:)

xoxo, SMocK you.