SchoolArts - May/June 2009

Abstract Expressionism

and

Mark

Rothko

Objectives

Students will:

• discuss abstract expression-sim and nonobjective art.

• discuss color in relation to emotion.

• create an original, personal, Rothko-like artwork with water-soluble oil pastels.

Materials

• scratch paper and pencils

• water-soluble oil pastels

• 11 x 14" ( 27. 5 x 35 cm) watercolor paper

• water

• brushes

• paper towels or tissues

• adhesive sawtooth hangers

Macy, age seven.

Barb Reser

Iwas introduced to water-soluble oil pastels by a colleague at the Kansas Art Education Association fall conference a few years ago. I was skeptical at first because “water-soluble oil” seemed to be an oxymoron. When I heard that drawing with these was like drawing with lipstick, I was intrigued.

Water-soluble oil pastels seemed to be fun to play with, as I love to experiment with “new-to-me” media. Mark Rothko immediately came to mind, and a project idea was born. The first classes to try the project were three groups of home-school students I teach, ages seven through fourteen. I posted the color wheel and resource material pertinent to Mark Rothko—

his color field paintings and abstract expressionism.

The project began with students making sketches of ideas and drawing symmetrical, horizontal rectangles on scratch paper.

human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on.”

Next, students looked at the color wheel as I read aloud from a color symbolism chart, to give them ideas for expressing emotion in their art.

Abstract Expressionism

The second discussion was about abstract expressionism. We started with the question “What is the difference between nonobjective art

and abstract art?”

When I heard that drawing

We talked about “expressionism”

with these little gems was

and how our emo-

like drawing with lipstick,

tions are expressed

I was intrigued.

in our own art.

Students were
directed to the posted Mark Rothko
quote: “I’m not an abstractionist. I’m
not interested in the relationship of
color or form or anything else. I’m
interested only in expressing basic

Art-Making

After my usual “a good artwork considers the whole page” reminder, production began. The process involved the following steps:

1. With one water-soluble oil pastel, draw a border around the outside edges of an 11 x 14" sheet of watercolor paper to create a “frame.” The fact that Mark Rothko didn’t put his paintings in actual frames was noted.