Favorite Places & Spaces
What is your favorite place in the world? Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh painted not one, not two, but three famous versions of his own bedroom!
1. Vincent van Gogh is one of the world’s most recognized painters. His paintings are bright, bold, and use thick brush strokes. Find out why van Gogh painted his blue bedroom in France three times. What interesting differences do you notice in each version? You can paint a picture of your bedroom, or any special place, in the style of van Gogh’s "Bedroom in Arles."
2. Choose a sturdy painting surface such as a recycled foam produce tray, cardboard, or wood. Lightly sketch your special scene or design with a Crayola Colored Pencil. Cover your painting area with newspaper.
3. Fill your painting surface with a thick coat of Crayola Texture It! Tempera Mixing Medium. To paint in van Gogh’s style, make sure you can see the brush strokes. Air-dry the surface over night.
4. Using your choices of Crayola Tempera Paint colors, add hues to your drawing. Make sure you rinse your brush well when you change colors. Change your water often. As you paint on top of the mixing medium, you will notice that your painting has a wonderful raised, textured look. Air-dry your work.
5. Tell your classmates why you chose the place you painted. What is special about it to you? Point out details that are important in your work.
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Crayola Washable Paints—Not for use as body/face paint.
Recycled Foam Produce Trays—Wash in hot, soapy water. No meat or poultry trays should be used.
- Study other types of paintings. Look at Jackson Pollack drip art or Victor Vasarely’s op-art designs.
- Younger children and those with special needs might be most successful painting in Jackson Pollack’s style. Paint or drip huge squiggles of Texture It! on a board or foam tray. Why not create a mural with everyone contributing?
- Brainstorm a list of words that describe each other’s paintings. Use them for a spelling bee or make word jumbles.
- Compare "Bedroom in Arles" to other van Gogh masterpieces such as "The Starry Night." How do they different in mood and style? How are they alike? Why did van Gogh prefer to paint in France? Locate museums that have his works on a map.
- Assessment: Note how detailed children’s descriptions are of their paintings. Are their feelings about the place evident? How does texture add to its uniqueness?
Salty Snow Silhouette
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Neighborly Nations
