Pop Art!
Pop Art Week!
This week, we are so excited to bring Pop Art into our studio. Each of our table projects are inspired by a different well known pop artist. We've had fun introducing kids to different artists they may have never seen before. Plus, the bright and fun colors are perfect for a dreary January week!
Andy Warhol
This project was inspired by the art of Andy Warhol. We cut square 8" x 8" paper and divided it into 4 quadrants. Andy Warhol is known for taking a simple or ordinary object and recreating them. Have kids draw the same object 4 times. The younger kids can draw simpler objects, like shapes, while older kids can draw something more complex. Next, have the kids outline the pencil lines with a black Sharpie marker. And finally, fill in each quadrant with color. We love Crayola's Washable Neon Paints (we sell these for $7.99). The colors are so bright and fun.
Claes Oldenburg
Many kids are not familiar with sculptor Claes Oldenburg. He is best known for his public art installations typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Pictured below (on the right) is Spoonbridge and Cherry (1985-88), which is located in Minneapolis. We thought it would be fun to have kids recreate the famous sculpture out of materials found in our studio. To begin, kids can take a 4" x 4" square piece of cardboard and draw the landscape on it using Kwik Stix (we sell Kwik Stix for $6 for a 6-pack and $12 for a 12-pack). Next, the kids can form a spoon shape using aluminum foil. Finally, kids can find scraps of paper to make the cherry and secure it all with a little hot glue.
Keith Haring
This week we also highlight Keith Haring, who was an American artist best known for his graffiti-inspired drawings. He used a lot of bold lines, vivid colors and active figures. Next, we are encouraging kids to draw their own figures inspired by the style of Keith Haring. We then have them outline their pencil lines in thick black marker and, finally (and most fun of all) have them fill it in with color. We used bright neon colored markers and colored pencils by Crayola and neon colored Sharpies to complete the piece. Highlighters could also be used.
Roy Lichtenstein
On the right is Roy Lichtenstein's Sunrise from 1965. Lichtenstein is best known for a painting style inspired by advertising and comic books. He developed a technique of using dots to comprise his images - the type of dots you'd find if you were to enlarge and magnify a comic book strip. For our project, kids can first sketch out a landscape using a pencil. Next, have them outline it in Sharpie. Finally, kiddos can fill in the color by dipping a wooden dowel in paint and making dot marks on the paper. Makes for a fun piece!
Pop Art Drawing Station
We set up a table of still life scenes for kids to draw. We set up a tower of Campbell Soup can's, inspired by Andy Warhol and a tray full of balloons for kids to draw with chalk pastels, a la the balloon-like sculptures of artist Jeff Koons. Of course, we had to tape the balloons to the table to keep curious two year olds away from them! We find chalk pastels to be a great medium for drawing the light and colors in the shiny balloons. Just be sure to spray your paper with hairspray or any fixative to keep it from smudging!
