We used basic art supplies: inexpensive watercolor paper, brushes, pieces of sponge, and watercolor paints.
First, I masked off the shape of trees, using clear tape. I applied the tape vertically, to mimic tree trunks, and then applied smaller strips of tape to mimic limbs and branches. The students then painted "leaves", using sponges dipped in red, green and yellow paint. They also painted the bottom of the paper green (for grass), and the top of the paper blue (for the sky). The tape remained on the paper while the paint was applied. Once the paint was dry, I lifted off the tape to reveal stark white shapes of trees, in a beautiful fall landscape. The students then added little details to their paintings, such as falling leaves, bark on the trunks, and birds flying by. Here are a few samples of the students' work:
It's always fascinating to me to see all different interpretations of the same theme!
Our next project was "Pumpkins and Indian Corn", another painting that was perfect for the season. One of my classes used watercolor paints on watercolor paper, and another used water-based oils on canvas board. First, I asked the students to paint two yellow objects shaped like ears of corn. Around these yellow shapes, we added swaths of brown paint to mimic dried corn husks. Then small dots of red, orange and brown were applied to the yellow corn shapes to represent dried kernels of Indian corn. The students then painted a large orange ball for the pumpkin and a smaller green ball for a squat green squash. Darker orange curved stripes were painted onto the larger orange ball to create the pumpkin. Darker green stripes were applied to the smaller green ball to create the squash. Leaves, stems and tendrils were added, and a yellow background completed the paintings. Here are two fine examples from that project:
The project that brought out the most "oohs" and "aahs" from the students was a lovely late-fall, early-winter landscape. When I showed the example to my students, they responded with doubt, as if there was no way they would be able to paint it themselves. But I knew they could. The first thing I had them do was paint a thin blue wavy line across the bottom third of the paper. Then with a wet sponge, they blotted the blue line of paint and smeared little blotches of it across the bottom of the paper. This was the hint of a field of snow. Above this area of white and blue streaks, the students painted a broad swath of purple. Then they applied brown paint over the purple paint. After the brown paint was added, they applied short, vertical lines of black paint, using quick, choppy strokes - to emulate a forest of trees. Above this purple-brown-black forest, they painted peaks of brown or orange, to represent the varied slopes of a mountain range. The sky was painted yellow, with streaks of blue, just as one might see it on a late fall evening. The trees were added by painting a thin black line, beginning from a point in the snow and extending upward into the sky. This immediately added depth to the painting: now the trees were in the foreground and the mountain range appeared to move toward the back of the painting. We then added little sticks and pebbles to the snow, and some birds flying in the sky. Here are some student samples:
One student chose a completely different palette for a soft, dreamy effect. I really like the single, stark tree, which she said she painted to create a mood of solitude.
I really love teaching these classes. And it's humbling to watch people work hard at producing a painting, despite their limitations. I think I'm learning as much from my students as they're learning from me!
