Morningstar Adventures: Week 6 Accomplishments

Feburary 11th:

We learned how Van Gogh used Japanese packing paper.

This paper was painted with pretty japanese scenes on them. The

paper used for wrapping china for shipping from the far east to

European ports and then discarded. Van Gogh collected over 400

prints and displayed them at an outdoor cafe in Paris. He developed

his own style while copying these prints. He was never able to sell a print.

We copied Van Goghs style for enlarging or copying a picture.

( using a grid) Van Gogh copied a popular Japanese painting by

Keisai Eisen ( Japonaiserie: The courtesan) by using the grid

method and them embellishing the painting in his own style and

using a different border.

Oiran The Courtesan

Left: Eisen's Right: Van Gogh's The Courtesan

The kids are doing Gauguins Chair by Van Gogh. I was out of tracing

paper so I put a grid on wax paper. It works! This project will probably

take a few days. It is harder than it looks! We chose this painting

because it has simple lines and shapes to work with. Below is a

portion of the painting with a grid over it. It is a poor photo because

of the flash back due to the shine on the wax paper however you

can still see the gridlines and get the idea. Stay tuned for the

finished product!

We were introduce to Pere Tanguy. He was a friend of many artist in Paris. He helped Van Gogh and other artist and stored Van Goghs many paintings. Here is a portrait done by Van Gogh of Pere Tanguy surroundedby Van Goghs paintings in his ( Tanguy's) attic. Notice all the Japonaiserie style paintings.

Portrait of Père Tanguy by Vincent Van Gogh

We continued to read Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist.

I can't say it enough....this is a great book. ( Although sad as you can experience his mental illness taking hold. He was never a very happy person. He was also quite misunderstood.)

February 12th

Short day today. Many life interruptions: one being sick kids.

The girls finished their drawings using the grid method.

( these were all done by hand using the grid method, no tracing, no coloring sheet )

The Real Painting by Van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh. Gauguin's Chair with Books and Candle.

We read a little more in Vincent van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist.

February 13th No Class

February 14th Valentines Day!

The girls worked on painting their drawings. ( Gauguins Chair by Van Gogh )
We discussed : Theos Art Gallery ( I got my favorite book again at the library:

Masters of Art Van Gogh. It has such wonderful pictures and text in detail), Paris in 1886 ( more information) and Van Goghs contempories ( different than last list of contempories), The Eiffel Tower and The International Exhibition: The Art Scene at this time. Artist that Van Gogh worked with or copied during this time:Claud Monet, EdgarDegas, Renoir, Seurat, Signac, Rousseau,Boldini, Bernard, Toulouse-Lautrec

Terms of the Period: Impressionist, Divisionist ( pointillism), New or Modern Artist.

We will cover Divisionist tomorrow.

We read more in the book Vincent van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist.

February 15th

We finished up the Paris period.

http://www.vggallery.com/painting/by_period/paris.htm ( though we just skimmedthe surface and could have done more, the girls were ready to move on. They do want to bunny trail and learn more about the Eiffel Tower and fhe InternationalExhibition. We will do this in Science.) We learned about: Asnieres and the day in the life of a painter.

http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?page=2021&collection=621&lang=en

The Divisionist ( Seurat, Signac, Luce,)

http://webexhibits.org/colorart/neo.html

http://blogs.princeton.edu/wri152-3/sdsherma/

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/signac/

http://www.renoirinc.com/biography/artists/signac.htm

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/luce_maximilien.html

http://www.e-fineart.com/biography/luce.html

Van Goghs Pointillism Painting. He only did one in true pointillism.

He prefered bold not so carefully placed strokes.

Life on the Boulevard, ( for more well known and well to do painters)

http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsppage=1813&subpage= 1815&collection=621&lang=en#moretotell

Life on the Petite Boulevard. (for the less popular painters)

http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=g&p=a&a=i&ID=1003

We read more in the book Vincent van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist.
The girls finished their paintings of Van Goghs Gaugins Chair. I will

post photos of their copies later. Remember they learned how to copy a paintingusing the grid method. Many artist used the grid method during this time. Van Gogh often used grids on his canvas so he could be more detailed. This is math, art, and science!

http://www.sibleyfineart.com/index.htm?tutorial--gridding-art.htm

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/grid-drawings.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWJcWMzHbi4