4th graders learned how some abstract artists use line, shape and color to express emotion.  We compared Frank Stella’s Hockenheim to Helen Frankenthaler’s Spiritualist.  We talked about how artists make choices to communicate an idea or feeling to their audience.  We also figured out that what the audience sees isn’t always what the artist intended- which is one of the big, interesting things about art!

Students then chose one emotion and did 3 miniature drawings of that emotion.  They could not use any commonly known symbols or recognizable pictures in their work.  Students were limited to using only the elements of art: line, shape colors, textures, space.  Once they were done with 3 very different ideas, they conferenced with me and selected their strongest work to enlarge.  We focused not only on the communication of their emotion, but quality use of materials and enlarging skills.  It is harder than it sounds to take something 1×2 inches and turn it into 8×11.  Of course students made changes and adjustments-  the work turned out beautifully.  We hung them in the hall with “guessing tags” so our audience could see if they could figure out what emotion was trying to be expressed.