Born and raised in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Andrew Wyeth � our November Artist of the Month � was perhaps one of the most well-known American artists of the mid 1900s. While his local connection alone is worth celebrating, his signature style, particularly as a realist painter, also offers a rich educational platform for young children. [caption id="attachment_4112" align="alignright" width="224"]
Christina�s World (1948), one of Andrew Wyeth�s most famous paintings, shows his signature style of realism.[/caption] Just as Wyeth�s work reflects the places and people of his everyday life, we have been using the study of his paintings to encourage our students to interpret and explore their everyday environments � and everyone and everything in them � in new, artistic ways. Our classes have been working on this throughout the month, participating in activities such as:
- Drawing self-portraits and portraits of friends or family members.
- Creating class paintings on canvas with acrylic paint.
- Sitting outside and sketching the landscape around the school.
- Focusing on artistic tone and mood, as they relate to emotions and context for stories or concepts.
- Using colors to represent emotions while drawing.
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Students at The Malvern School of Medford create cityscapes, self-portraits and landscapes in honor of Artist of the Month Andrew Wyeth.[/caption]
Wyeth reminds us that art is all around. Let�s not forget to stop every now and again to appreciate that with our little ones.