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Color Forms

Milton Avery was an American artist known for his brilliant use of color. Students will learn about his work and create a painting in Avery's style.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    American painter Milton Avery (1885-1965) was known for focusing on color more so than representation of figures. Have students investigate his life and look at some images of his work. Ask them to discuss why they think his work was considered "too abstract for the academics and too representational for the abstract expressionists."

  • Step 2

    Ask students to choose a scene to depict in the style of Milton Avery. Remind them that they should focus on the use of color over creating true representational images.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to present their works to the class and discuss the role of color in depicting the mood and images in their scene.

Standards

ARTS: Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art.

Adaptations

Another artistic style that focuses on the use of color is hard edge painting. Have students investigate this technique, which uses abrupt color transitions. Ask them to look at some examples of this style by artists such as Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, and Kenneth Noland.

Milton Avery didn't achieve true national exposure until the age of 67. Have students research other people who received widespread recognition later in life such as Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as "Grandma Moses" who didn't start painting until the age of 78 or Laura Ingalls Wilder ("Little House on the Prairie") whose first book was published when she was 65.