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Papel picado (meaning "pierced paper") is a craft and folk art originating in Mexico. It is often used as decoration for celebratory events. Sometimes specific colors of paper are used depending on the celebration. The artisans making authentic papel picado train for many years to excel in their craft. It is truly an art form! The designs are often very intricate and take lots of planning and care to create. Here's a way to make a simplified version: The first few minutes of this video give some good background information about the history and background of papel picado. And this video gives us a look at the large-scale papel picado installations created by Mexican-American artist Karina Puente. Her work is so impressive! Papel picado is featured at the beginning of the movie Coco- the scenes in the artwork help tell the story! Lastly, enjoy this story called Green is a Chile Pepper. It gives us a little glimpse of Mexican culture !
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The image of a dove is often used to represent peace. This symbol has been in use for hundreds of years, in cultures all over the world. Today let's celebrate the International Day of Peace by creating a painting of a dove. You can share your artwork with someone as a reminder of our wish for a peaceful world! For younger artists: For older artists: This powerful story reminds us that "it just takes One" to make a big difference! What's something you can do this week to bring a little more peace to our community? The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds, is a story about learning to have confidence in your work and being willing to try, even when something is hard to do. It's a special book with a lot of good lessons! The Dot even has it's own holiday, when kids all over the world learn from Vashti's story. Now it's time to make an artwork of your own, inspired by Vashti's many different dots. In this video, meet author Peter H. Reynolds and hear his advice for artists of any age! This video takes us "behind the scenes" of The Dot with Peter H. Reynolds- listen to him tell the story about how the book started. Here's a fun song inspired by The Dot! This book is written and illustrated by a different author, but I love the connection to The Dot. Dots and spots are all around us! Making alebrijes is a style of folk art that originated in Mexico almost a hundred years ago. The craft was first created by artist Pedro Linares, and the imaginative and brightly-colored creatures were inspired by a dream. Linares came from a family of piñata-makers, and he began making the colorful animals using the same paper-mache method used for piñatas. Later other artists began carving alebrijes from wood. The sculptures have become an icon in Mexican culture, and alebrijes even have a part in Disney's movie Coco! Let's watch a couple of clips about how Coco's artists and animators got their inspiration while remaining respectful of Mexico's culture and traditions: Here's more about the history of alebrijes and about their creator Pedro Linares: This map of Mexico shows where Pedro Linares lived and where he created his alebrijes- in the state of Oaxaca. This video clip from a news program will show us how the art of alebrijes has been passed down through families . We'll see some traditional artisans at work! This clip takes us inside a studio where artisans are carving alebrijes from wood. One special celebration in Mexico is a parade called La Noche de los Alebrijes (Night of the Alebrijes). Take a look inside this art gallery to see some incredible (and BIG!) alebrijes sculptures! This read-aloud features the story of Miguel, the young boy from the movie Coco, as he learns about his culture's traditional alebrijes. Now that you've learned the history and tradition of alebrijes, here's how we'll make our own versions: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: And here are some photographs to inspire you: Everytime we do this activity, my kids AMAZE me with their creative solutions! This video explains the directions: Now that we're all in the mood for doodling, here's a really silly book to enjoy! What is art? That's a big question, with a lot of different answers... One thing I tell my students is that the good thing about art is that there's not only ONE right answer- we can all come up with different answers and different ideas, and they can ALL be right! This drawing activity is designed to help students gain confidence and a willingness to try a new idea, different from anyone else's ideas. If everyone's artwork looked the same, it would be a boring world! I will give students a series of prompts, and with each one they'll add something to their drawing. The prompts will start out simple- "Draw a line all the way across your paper." Someone will always ask the question- "Does it have to be up-and-down, or side-to-side?" Or, "Does it have to be a straight line?" My answer is always, "You're the artist, you decide!" I encourage students to not copy their neighbors, and be confident in choosing their own answers to each prompt. Another benefit of this activity is that it makes a great review of art vocabulary- we use terms like line, shape, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, primary/secondary colors, contrast, variety, and point-of-view. After finishing several prompts, we'll gather together and look at what each of us has created. I ask the students to notice how each artwork is unique- no one's drawing looks exactly the same, even though every student heard the exact same prompts! We talk about how making art is an opportunity to share your own ideas and express your unique way of looking at our world. Here are some of the drawing prompts I use- though I think of new ones every time I lead this activity! Draw a line that goes all the way across your paper. Draw any shape. Draw a line that looks happy. Draw a shape that seems sad. Use a primary color to draw a zig-zag line. Use a secondary color to fill in a space. Turn your paper sideways. Use a dark marker to write your name in a corner. Draw a star and color it in. Draw your initial. Make it a block letter that is bigger than your hand. Draw something you ate for breakfast. Draw something you could see at the zoo. Draw something that tastes sweet. Draw something that can fall from the sky. Draw something that comes up from the ground. Draw something that’s hot. Draw something cold. Draw something wet. Draw something slimy. Pretend you are riding in a hot air balloon, and you look down at the ground. Draw what you see. Draw something you only see at night. Draw something that starts with the first letter of your name. Close your eyes and listen to what’s around you. Draw something you hear. Draw a circle. Now make it in to something. Draw something underwater. Draw something pink. Draw something spotted. Draw something that you are afraid of. This is a simple book, but I often use it at the beginning of the school year to introduce students to some of the art-making tools we'll be using. |
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