When People Are Stuck At Home, Artist Edition 1: Collage

Hello to all my creative artists, 

   

This is a letter to you, my students, who I am missing tremendously. I hope that my blog can send you little virtual bits of encouragement when things are strange and confusing in our world. When times are hard, humans have turned to art again and again in our culture. We write songs, poems, and books about our feelings and experiences. We draw pictures, take photos, and paint to show our feelings. This is a very healthy thing to do, and this is a very good time to do that.

I wanted to share some things with you, and to begin with, I thought that we should all look at an artwork that we have all seen together:

The Sorrows of the King, 1952

Do you recognize this artwork? Of course you do! We have a gigantic poster of it in the art room, right above the sketchbook shelves. You might remember that it was made by the artist Henri Matisse. Some of the classes have asked about it recently, which is perfect timing. 

   

Henri Matisse was a painter. He made paintings like this one below and was very famous, even during his lifetime. 

The Goldfish, 1911

Unfortunately, Matisse became very sick later in his life, when he was 72 years old. After he got really sick, he was mostly in bed or a wheelchair for the rest of his life, so he couldn't stand up to paint like he used to. 

    

Maybe you are bored right now at home. Matisse got really bored, because being sick or stuck indoors is no fun no matter what your age is. So, look at the next photo and see what he did! He got long sticks of charcoal, and lay in bed doodling on his walls.  

    

Boredom can improve your creativity; it caused Matisse to develop a whole new way to make art! He asked his assistants to paint huge pieces of paper for him, which he could cut up while he was in bed.

His assistants glued them to single big sheet, and that, my sweet friends, was how collage was born as its own art medium. And that big print that we have in the EES art room is one of those, a print of a Matisse collage.

Here is another he made:

The Sheaf, 1953

Maybe this week you can start a collage.

Here is what you would need: 

1. Paper (any kind is great! Magazines, newspapers, bits of junk mail, and gift wrap all count.)

2. Scissors and/or just your fingers (collages can be cut up or have torn edges, both are great!)

3. Glue (any kind is good, liquid or glue sticks.)

The basics:

Tear or cut pieces of paper, and glue them onto a larger background piece. 

More ideas to try: 

If you have magazines, try to make the pictures line up in ways that are funny, or combine unexpected things, like animals and people, or plants where we might expect to see feathers or hair. If you have newspapers, pick out words that are interesting and grab your attention, or words that make you feel a certain way, like happy or sad. Try crumpling the paper then smoothing it again before you glue it. 

Collages can be made by anyone, all over the world. Lots of contemporary, living artists make collages now. Here is one by the artist named Wangechi Mutu.

Wangechi Mutu, 'The Rare Horn-Hair Thought', 2004.

Here is some information about her life. Wangechi Mutu is a Kenyan-American artist who lives in New York. She was born in Kenya. She is 47 years old. Her collages are shown all over the world, and she has won lots of prizes. Some of her artworks have sold for more than $350,000. After she moved from Kenya, she went to school in New York and Connecticut. Some people say that her work looks futuristic. 

That seems good, because I am focusing on the future, when I will see you again. Until we get to hang out in person, we can share our art. If you ask, your grown up can email me things you have recently drawn, made, written, painted, knitted, baked, embroidered, sewed, grown, or sculpted, I will share them here on the art room blog. 

Love, 

Mrs. Elliott