COMPOSITION.” - MtmHomeSchool4Art.commtmhomeschool4art.com/uploaded_lessons/Track...

MARC CHAGALL– AGES 8 – 9 | ONLINE EDITION

Step 1 - Introducing the Marc Chagall Slideshow Guide BEGIN READING HERE

MOTIVATION Do you dream while you are sleeping? Are your dreams sometimes mixed up and don’t seem to make any sense? Is it sometimes fun to remember these mixed-up dreams and try to figure out what they mean? Let’s pretend you have just awakened, and you know you have been dreaming. You lay there trying to remember bits and pieces of that dream and put it together like a puzzle. The pieces you remember are a cow’s head, a man with a green face, and upside down people and houses. How would they all fit together? It seems all mixed up and crazy! As you let your mind wander further, you remember brilliant, mixed-up colors, too. It seems as though the colors are strange, but fascinating, and a big part of that dream. Why would a man have a green face? As you continue to let your memory and imagination run wild, you put the puzzle together to form your dream. Let’s see if your imaginary dream looks anything like a picture I’m going to show you that was painted by our master artist for today.

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1. I AND THE VILLAGE Was your imaginary dream anything like this painting? (NO) Does it look like a puzzle that doesn’t quite make sense? (YES) I can see that you are good at using your imagination. Then you are like Marc Chagall, the artist who painted this picture. He was always surprising his friends with his ideas. These ideas and what he did with them in art were different from what other artists were doing. Did you picture the colors like this? Which word best describes the colors you see -- quiet or wild? (WILD) Chagall was a master at using color, and these wild, special colors add to his imaginary world. Can you think of a title for this painting? Let your eyes wander around to find all the wonderful things Chagall painted with his wild colors. Then see if you can think of a title that fits what you found. (ANSWERS WILL VARY) Were you close to the real title, I and the Village? Besides painting from his imagination, Chagall painted from memories. He was born and grew up on a farm in a small village in Russia. What do you see in the painting that would

1 MARC CHAGALL – Ages 8 – 9 | MeetTheMasters Online Edition


belong in a small, farming village? (COW, MILKING, FARM TOOL, HOUSES) The garden in front of Marc’s house was full of flowers, vegetables and herbs. In the little farmyards there lived cows, pigs, horses, donkeys and chickens. The artist spent his childhood in a large family amongst all these animals, which are to be found again and again in his pictures. Have you ever thought or dreamed about what you would like to do when you grow up? As a young boy in a small village, Marc dreamed of becoming first a singer, then a dancer, then a poet. Finally he dreamed about becoming an artist. He was always good in drawing class at school. But that was all that interested him. He spent the rest of his time in school staring out of the window, dreaming and seeing things in his own special way. When he was twenty-three years old, he left Russia to live in Paris, France. That is where many artists from all over the world lived together in a section of the city. It was in Paris that he painted this picture. He was lonesome for his home in Russia and of life in the country. Paris was a big city very different from his village. What do you see in I and the Village that is imaginary? (ANSWERS WILL VARY) How does this painting make you feel? Do you think painting this made Chagall happy? (YES) Does the picture make sense? (NO) Chagall didn’t like to explain what his pictures meant. He painted them out of feelings of happiness and not to tell a story. Listen to this explanation in Chagall’s own words: “My pictures are part of me, but I don’t know what they’re about.” People always asked Chagall to tell why he painted the way he did. Look inside the cow’s head. What do you see? (WOMAN MILKING COW) Do you wonder why he painted that? Chagall said “In my painting ‘I and the Village,’ I painted a small cow and a milkmaid in the head of a large cow, because I needed that kind of SHAPE in that place for my COMPOSITION.” Where else do you think he added a shape, because it was needed there? (ANSWERS WILL VARY) Can you tell me the definition of the art word composition? (AN ARRANGEMENT OF ALL PARTS OF A PAINTING) So when Chagall said he put a shape in a particular place for his composition, do you think it was an important part of that painting? (YES) Raise your hand if you see CONTRASTING colors. (YES) What colors contrast? (RED & GREEN, WHITE & RED, BLACK & WHITE, ETC.) Have you ever been so happy that you felt you could float up in the air? I want you to think of a very happy time in your life. Remember the feelings you experienced. Imagine that you are feeling so happy and light that you can feel yourself floating up, up, up in the air like a colorful balloon! Wouldn’t that be wonderful and fun? Can you imagine being that happy? Let’s see if you pictured your happy floating self like this.

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2. THE BIRTHDAY Does this look anything like what you pictured in your imagination? This is how a young man felt one day when his fiancée brought him flowers for his birthday. He was so very happy that he felt he could float! Can you remember a really great birthday of yours when you were extremely happy? The young man you see floating in this painting was Marc Chagall. When he felt this overpowering happiness, he picked up his paintbrush and made this painting, titled The Birthday. He painted this picture with bright colors on a piece of cardboard. On Chagall’s birthday, Bella, his fiancée, could hardly wait to celebrate it with him. She walked through fields and climbed over fences to pick a whole armful of flowers. At home she donned her most beautiful dress and packed a freshly- baked cake to take with her. Then she ran through the town to his little house by the river. What is the name of this happy floating artist? (MARC CHAGALL) In all of his artwork he takes us to another world, a world of fantasy and imagination. In his world anything is possible, even a man floating up in the air! Looking at this painting, tell me if Chagall was a realistic painter. (NO) Can you point out something that is unrealistic? (ANSWERS WILL VARY) Chagall painted some things that were realistic, but his placement of those things was imaginary. He changed ordinary things when he painted them. Can you find any patterns in this painting? (TABLECLOTHS, COLLAR MATCHES WINDOW SHADE, CAKE, WALL HANGINGS) Would you like to see another memory Chagall painted from his childhood village?


3. THE GREEN VIOLINIST Can you give a title to this painting? The title Chagall gave it was The Green Violinist. Why do you suppose he pictured a green violinist? The answer to that has to do with the customs of Russia. Throughout the year celebrations were held in Marc’s little Russian town -- and there were always fiddlers there to play music. Marc Chagall loved the musicians, the cheerful sounds of their music, and since one of these musicians lived with Chagall’s famil, he was allowed to play the violin from time-to-time when he was a little boy. Is this a painting showing happiness? (YES) Besides the fiddler, do you see anything else showing happiness? (PERSON FLOATING IN AIR) Where is the fiddler standing? (ON THE ROOFS OF HOUSES) Do you think Chagall was using his imagination when he painted the fiddler on the roof? (YES) Actually, that part of the painting is real. There is a famous musical and movie titled “Fiddler on the Roof.” So this was something Chagall painted from his childhood memories of life in Russia.



What is imaginary about the fiddler? (GREEN FACE) When you think of the color green, how does it make you feel? (ANSWERS WILL VARY) Do you think Chagall was feeling some of the same ways when he chose the color green for the fiddler’s face? (YES) What contrasting colors can you find? (PURPLE, GREEN, ORANGE, YELLOW, BLACK, WHITE) Where do you see shapes repeated to make a PATTERN? (IN HIS PURPLE COAT, IN THE CLOUDS, ON HIS PANTS) Those patterns invite our eyes to keep looking at the painting to find more! Let’s see if this next memory is happy or sad.


4. THE FLYING CARRIAGE (or THE FIRE) Do you like these bright, beautiful colors? (YES) Are they mostly WARM or COOL COLORS? (WARM) Chagall’s use of WARM COLORS will give you a clue to what this painting is showing. Look carefully, and see if you can tell me what is happening. (A FIRE; CLUES IF NECESSARY - MAN IS CARRYING A BUCKET OF WATER, WOMAN IS PROTECTING HER FACE, HORSE IS SCARED) This painting came from a real event in Marc’s life. On the day he was born a raging fire burned down his house! What do you like about this painting? Can you find any patterns? (COLORED DASHES ON GROUND) What time of day is it? (NIGHT AND DAY) How does that create contrast? (DARK BLUES CONTRAST WITH WARM COLORS) Is blue a warm or cool color? (COOL) Do you remember where Marc lived after he left Russia? (PARIS) See if you notice anything in this next painting that tells you this was painted in the city of Paris, France.

Click Next To Change Slide 5. PARIS THROUGH A WINDOW What do you see that tells you this is Paris? (EIFFEL TOWER) Through the window of an attic room we see the slanted rooftops and the famous Eiffel Tower. Who do you think the man is? (CHAGALL) Let’s see if you can interpret why he painted himself with two different faces, each facing in separate directions. Remember how he missed his village? That will help you understand. Can you guess why he has two faces looking different ways? (LOVE FOR PARIS, LONGING FOR RUSSIA) What colors did he use to show his contrasting feelings? (BLUE-SADNESS, YELLOW-HOPE, HAPPINESS) Look at the cat on the windowsill. Raise your hand if the cat seems to have a strangely human face. (YES) Chagall was so lonely by himself in the big city of Paris that even his cat seemed human and was his companion. What do you see traced on Chagall’s hand. (HEART) He had left his fiancée, Bella, in Russia. Do you think that heart had anything to do with Bella? (YES)



What else do you see in this painting that tells of Chagall’s feelings? (UPSIDE DOWN TRAIN - TRAVEL PLANS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, MAN & WOMAN BEING DRAWN TOWARDS EACH OTHER IN AIR, MAN UP IN AIR -- UNSETTLED) Do you think Chagall ever returned to the Russia he loved and missed? Finally Marc took the long journey back to his native village. There he married Bella, and they both returned to Paris to continue his life as an artist. A wonderful thing happened while he was in Russia marrying Bella. He had left all of his canvasses with a neighboring artist friend in Paris. While he was gone his paintings were discovered! They were exhibited and they all sold quickly. You can imagine how surprised and pleased he must have been on his return to find himself a popular artist! From that time on he had no money problems and lived well. How do you think Chagall felt about his art? Was it the most important thing in his life to him? I’ll let Chagall answer that in his own words, “It was more necessary for me than food. It seemed to me like a window through which I could have taken flight towards another world.” Now that you’ve traveled inside the imagination and memories of Marc Chagall, let’s see what he really looked like. Do you think he will have a green face?


6. PHOTO OF CHAGALL Let me introduce the master artist Marc Chagall as he says hello to all of you! Doesn’t he look like he enjoyed life? No wonder he painted such cheerful, colorful pictures. A large part of his happiness centered around his love for his wife Bella. They lived happily together for many years, until she died suddenly from an illness. He was so upset that he stopped painting for almost two years. When he started again his colors were not as bright and cheerful. She had been a very important part of his life and his art. He had painted Bella many times, and she had helped him with his art. Many times she was the one who thought of the titles for his paintings. Friends always commented on Chagall’s dazzling smile that was impossible to forget. His eyes would light up with his smile. They said that as he painted his face would be tense and painful when he concentrated very hard. Other times, his face would break into his brilliant, likeable smile. Sometimes he sang while he worked. That was a sure sign that his work was going well. You’ve seen a happy photograph of Chagall. Let’s see if he looks the same in his self-portrait. This time will he have a green face? Let’s find out!




7. SELF-PORTRAIT WITH SEVEN FINGERS All dressed up, with a yellow waistcoat, a spotted shirt, and a necktie, Marc Chagall sits in front of his easel. He has even put a rose in his buttonhole. In his right hand he is holding some paintbrushes and a palette covered with various paints --red, green, yellow, violet. He has big eyes. He would like to look at everything very closely, so that he can paint it. Did you notice anything strange about his hand? Show me with your fingers how many fingers he has on that one hand! (SEVEN) Yes! Do you think he felt that one hand with the normal five fingers wasn’t enough to paint the way he wanted? (YES) Does he have a green face? (YES) Where is he living? (PARIS) Which picture of Chagall do you like best -- his photo or this self-portrait?

CONCLUSION - Remember at the beginning how we pretended to piece together an imaginary dream puzzle? Let’s see if you can answer questions that will solve the puzzle of who Marc Chagall was. I hope you’ve listened well!



QUIZ 1.Where was Chagall born? RUSSIA, Italy, France

2.Besides painting from his imagination, Chagall painted from ___? Photos, MEMORIES, Live Models

3.Who was very important in his life and his art? HIS WIFE, his mother, His dog 4.Was Chagall a realistic painter? NO, yes 5.Where did he live as an adult? New York, PARIS, Rome 6.While he was in Russia how were his paintings discovered? BY A FRIEND, In an Attic, by an art critic

7.What was the title of the painting that showed Chagall The Birthday,The floating in the air? Last Supper

8.Why did he paint himself with two faces in LOVE OF PARIS, Paris Through the Window? LONGING FOR RUSSIA/ Feeling Old, Looking Young/ Being Poor, Getting Rich I think we would make wonderful, happy, floating people in Marc Chagall’s paintings! Would you enjoy that?

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Step 2 - Learning From: Marc Chagall

Patterns

Chagall liked to use patterns in his paintings. Patterns are fun to invent. Patterns are made by repeating simple combinations of lines and shapes.

Curves Straight lines

Angels Shapes

Use your pencil to fill some spaces in the drawing below with a different

Pattern. Leave some spaces blank for balance.



An Enchanted Village

Sketch a village as Chagall Would have in the frame below. Use this drawing for ideas. Use a pencil and sketch lightly.



The last few pages of this section contain the Art Activity for Marc Chagall. This step-by-step outline will be a guide for instructing your child(ren) through the activity. The parent/instructor should review all steps necessary to complete this project before beginning any work. Cut out the Artist Profile Slip below and attach it to the back of the completed art project. Marc Chagall (shah-GAHL) Russian 1887-1985

The colorful, imaginary world of Russian born Marc Chagall was explored through his fascinating paintings. Chagall’s genius was shown in his colors, patterns, shapes, and compositions.

ART ACTIVITY EMPHASIS: Color & Pattern, Creating “Enchanted Villages” MEDIA: Oil Pastel on Colored Paper Marc Chagall (shah-GAHL) Russian 1887-1985

The colorful, imaginary world of Russian born Marc Chagall was explored through his fascinating paintings. Chagall’s genius was shown in his colors, patterns, shapes, and compositions.

ART ACTIVITY EMPHASIS: Color & Pattern, Creating “Enchanted Villages” MEDIA: Oil Pastel on Colored Paper




Step 3 - Working With: Art Activity Instructions ARTIST Marc Chagall (shah-GAHL) 1887-1985 Russian ART ELEMENTS Line, color, pattern MEDIA Oil pastel EMPHASIS Color and pattern

LEVEL Intermediate TECHNIQUE Oil pastel patterns VOCABULARY Enchanted, outline, pattern PRINT The Russian Village MUSIC Music from the 1900s

MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENTS One 9” x 9” bright colored construction paper One 12” x 18” sheet of Paper Towel Artist profile slip Boxes of oil pastels Masking tape Pencil and Glue

PREPARATION Construct an example to become familiar with the procedure. Place the Chagall print in front of the room. Tape your demonstration paper to the board and arrange materials nearby.

SET-UP [ 5 minutes ] Distribute the materials: SUPPLIES [1] Oil pastels PAPER [4] Colored paper, newsprint, paper towel, and artist profile slip ORIENTATION [ 5 minutes ] Do you remember what is special about Chagall’s painting? (COLORS, FLOATING THINGS, IMAGINING) Chagall loved to create unusual paintings to stir our imaginations. Today you will create an enchanted village using oil pastels and your imagination. You will use enchanted colors like ________? (BRIGHT PURPLE, GREEN, BLUE, PINK) You will draw enchanted buildings like ________? (STRANGE, COLORFUL, OR FLOATING


BUILDINGS) Then you will fill the village with interesting patterns. Let’s get organized so that we can begin! ORGANIZE YOUR WORK AREA 1.Place your colored paper on top of your newsprint in the center of your desk. 2.Put your oil pastels on a corner of your newsprint. 3.Put glue and artist profile slip at the top of your desk. Demonstration AND ACTIVITY A BACKGROUND FOR THE VILLAGE [ 3 minutes ] 1.Draw some hills for a background. 2.Start at the bottom of the page, and sketch a large hill LIGHTLY with a pencil. 3.Sketch two or three smaller hills behind it. (Have the students follow this step immediately.) THE VILLAGE BUILDINGS [ 5 - 7 minutes ] 1.Look at different rooftops in your Learning Packet for ideas. Draw a large interesting rooftop shape in front of the hills. (Draw right over the hills; don’t worry about erasing pencil lines.) 2.Add other rooftops behind it. Aim for 3 or 4 rooftops total. Try to keep all the rooftops together in a group…touching or overlapping. 3.Then draw the sides of the buildings with vertical (straight up and down) lines. 4.You may turn the paper around, and draw sideways, or upside down buildings, as Chagall would have. 5.Draw just the basic shapes. You’ll add details later. (Have the students follow this step immediately. When most have finished, have the students put down their pencils and watch the rest of the demonstration before they continue.) THE BUILDING PATTERNS Fill building shapes with a different pattern of straight, stiff lines. 1.Choose a color to draw over pencil lines of a rooftop shape. 2.Fill the shape with a pattern using straight lines.



3.Choose related colors, next to each other on the color wheel, to fill in the spaces of the pattern. (i.e. green with blue; orange with red) 4.Go over the outline of the shape once again with the same color or a related color. 5.Do this for each shape in the village. THE BACKGROUND PATTERNS Fill background hill shapes with different patterns of curved lines. 1.Outline a hill shape. 2.Fill it with a pattern 3.Fill in the pattern with a related color 4.Go back over the outline. THE ENCHANTED SKY Choose one color to make a pattern in the sky. Choose a pattern that is different from your houses and hills. Make it simple.

[Give students about 30 minutes to color villages with patterns. Play music while they work.] MOUNTING THE ARTIST PROFILE SLIP [ 2 minutes ] (Profile slips for each artist are provided. They give a brief description of the artist, the technique, and the media used in the art activity. They should be mounted on the back of each art project after it is completed.) 1.Write your name on the front of the artist profile slip. 2.Using glue, mount the profile slip on the back of your artwork. 3.Encourage students to discuss their artwork at home using this artist slip of information.




CONCLUSION Let’s put all our small villages together now to make a fascinating large village! Please hold up your enchanted village next to your neighbors. What wonderful imaginations you have! Would you like to visit this enchanted village? Wouldn’t that be fun! Marc Chagall would be very proud of you! GUIDANCE The sky (or a small hill or house) may be left blank for balance. Encourage students to make each area contrast with the next by using limited (1 or 2 related) colors for each pattern.

THIS CONCLUDES THE MARC CHAGALL UNIT.

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