An Exploration of Space...

This lesson is an introduction to the art element space. Mastering the relationship between positive and negative space is essential to creating dynamic, engaging compositions that attract and hold the viewer's eye.  

Depending upon available time, I provide two different activities to practice working with this element in art: a mirror symmetry collage or an optical art design.  Working with high-contrast colors, students experiment with abstract shapes to create a positive space (the recognizable object in the composition) that has an equal, and visually interesting relationship with its surrounding negative space (the background, or empty area around the object). 

Mirror Symmetry Collage

Student Artwork - Q3 2011

Optical Art Design

Student Artwork - Q2 2014

Picasso-Inspired Cubist Portraits

After an introduction to the life and artwork of 20th century artist Pablo Picasso, students will create a work of art that showcases texture through collage, as well as demonstrates an understanding of the fundamentals of the Cubist aesthetic. 

Pablo Picasso.  "Portrait of Dora Maar", 1937.  Musee Picasso, Paris.

Picasso's original image is reproduced here for educational purposes only.

Using Picasso's artwork as inspiration, this culminating project asks student to integrate the art elements of line, shape, color, texture, and value to create their own Cubist portrait.

Using a photograph for inspiration, students create a portrait that incorporates Cubist attributes. 

Student artworks - Q2 2012