Abstract Watercolor Emotions

 

Watercolor Techniques

In this class, we have half of the boys' basketball team and also the baseball team! With 40ish rowdy students, I must say that I'm quite impressed with their ability to work. They are learning how to use the watercolors, not as we've always done, but in a very technical way. I'm hoping to ease the fear of watercolor. I frequently hear, "I don't want to paint this. I'll mess it up!"

Abstract with Thibadeau

Miss Thibadeau, the wonderful student teacher from UGA, is finishing up her unit with the 8th graders. She has truly taught them to appreciate abstract art. They had a day of discussion and observation, a day of learning specific watercolor techniques (see the posting a few back), days of making small abstract pieces, and then they broke into the final piece. She had them think of a memory, and then she gave them a handout that listed three colors (emotions), three textures (surroundings/setting), and three lines (sounds).  Below are some of the final pieces (parts and whole):

The students really had to stretch their brain muscles to figure this out. There was a lot of art therapy going on in the classroom. The students then made separate pieces depicting color, line, and texture. They used the techniques that she had taught them. Their final piece was a combination of everything. The students then had to present these in small groups.

Musical Watercolors

Ms. Thibadeau, the wonderful student teacher, is having the students to really work on their watercolor skills. They have been studying abstract art, seeing how it relates to music, looking at the elements of abstract art, and really trying to break free from their static, left brained thinking. Below are the warm up exercises that they have been working on: