PORTRAITS INSPIRED BY THE BRITISH ARTIST FRANCIS BACON
The macabre yet beautifully painted images of Francis Bacon were studied by the fifth graders. Certain early Bacon portraits with a gentle striped facade over the figure that behaves almost like a sheer curtain were the specific inspiration. The resulting images often achieved Bacon's signature sense of horror and beauty created simultaneously.
JAPANESE INSPIRED GOLD SCREEN GARDEN SCENES
The Japanese/Asian purpose of painting to create and atmosphere of soothing beauty through flat and pleasingly colored imagery was studied before embarking on this project. After painting the "gold" background, the children made masses of flowers in water color and crayon resist with some butterflies and dragonflies too. All the prepared imagery was glued on with close attention paid to balancing form and color. In the end, authentic Japanese words were copied with a sharpie from source materials.