Pet Care, Origami, and Abstract Art

Students draw pictures of cats on chairs with abstract paintings in the background.

OBJECTIVES

1. Planning consecutive art classes using subject matter of pets from our first project, looking at photographs, and making realistic drawings.2. Learning to fold paper origami pets to see how placement of triangles can differentiate a cat from a dog.3. Painting origami to give it details that relate back to realism.4. Providing art history and artist context as well as an opportunity for self expression, all of which helped make abstract painting a meaningful learning experience. By creating drawings as well as origami versions of cats, youth also see how origami can be an abstract version of reality.

*For National Women’s Month, students analyzed Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting “Red and Orange Streak” from a poster of the painting donated by Philadelphia Museum of Art. Students made abstract paintings from memory based on O’Keeffe’s process. Clothesline classroom art shows celebrate student learning and creativity.