Mary Cassatt became famous for her paintings of family life. She focused on women and children. What better Mother’s Day gift than a hand-drawn portrait of you and your mom, inspired by Mary Cassatt?
Supplies Needed:
Sheet of white paper (use heavy sketch paper if you use pastels)
Pastels or Crayons
Pencil with eraser
Plastic page protector
Construction paper
Glue stick
Begin by choosing a scene. Do you want to draw your mom playing with you in the park? Helping you with your homework? Maybe you and your mom went apple picking last fall. Or maybe you’ve been helping her tend the garden. If you need help deciding on a subject, have another adult help you choose a photograph to inspire you.
Gather your materials and begin sketching. If you have pastels, use them to color in your picture. Be careful with pastels because they smear. You can use this to your advantage by blending colors with a tissue. However, if your hand wipes across your picture you will have a bit of a mess. If you don’t have pastels or don’t wish to use them, crayons will do just fine. Don’t forget to sign your name!
When your drawing is perfect and colored in, slide it into a plastic page protector.
Now you can cut a paper frame out of construction paper and use a glue stick to attach it to the page protector.
When you give your mom her gift, tell her that you got your inspiration from Mary Cassatt. She will be very impressed!
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Friday, May 9, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Mary Cassatt
In celebration of Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 11), I thought I would tell you about a female American Impressionist who is known for her paintings of family life: Mary Cassatt.
Cassatt was an extraordinary woman. Born in 1844, she painted in a time when there were very few professional women painters. In fact, she worked in a time when women of wealthy families usually did not work. Cassatt wanted to paint. She wanted to be respected and admired for her talent as an artist. And she wanted to be able to live on the money she earned painting. These goals were difficult to achieve.
Mary Cassatt was born in Pennsylvania. She began school when she was six. Her family believed that travel was important for her education and so she lived in Europe for five years when she was a child. She visited many important cities including Paris, France and London, England. Sounds like a nice way to get an education.
Cassatt studied art at the Pennsylvania academy of Fine Arts but she was not taken seriously. There were not many women at the school and those who did study were not treated equally to the men. She left the academy and moved to Paris where she hired a painter to teach her privately.
While in Paris, Cassatt went to the Louvre everyday to copy the works of the masters. You’ll remember the picture I showed you of someone painting at the great museum.
In 1868, Cassatt showed a painting at the Paris Salon. The Paris Salon was a huge exhibition of all the most impressive paintings of the day. The art was chosen by a jury (the way the contestants on American Idol are chosen). During this time, the Impressionists were struggling in Paris. The Salon did not recognize their art and did not allow them to show at the exhibition.
Her painting did not sell at the Paris Salon and Cassatt returned home to Pennsylvania. She was frustrated and worried that she would never earn a living as an artist. But she was bored at home and itched to return to Europe to view the art and to create her own. Cassatt’s big break came when the Archbishop of Pittsburgh asked her to create copies of two paintings in Italy. He paid for her travel and supplies. When the paintings were finished, he purchased those, also.
When she was Italy, she had time to create some original paintings as well. Her painting, Two Women Throwing Flowers During Carnival, was accepted at the 1872 Paris Salon. This painting sold! The money allowed her to travel some more before settling in France.
Cassatt continued to show at the Paris Salon when her work was accepted by the jury. As a woman, though, she was not treated fairly and could not depend on being allowed to show her art. Finally, in 1877, Cassatt joined the Impressionists. She stood out as a fine artist and became well known throughout Paris.
One Impressionist had a huge impact on her. Edgar Degas, whose ballerina sculpture you’ll remember, taught Cassatt to use pastels. She became a master pastel artist.
Cassatt showed her work with the Impressionists for more than ten years. She was part of the first Impressionist show in America. In 1886 her style grew and changed. New styles were taking shape in the art world and Cassatt went in her own direction.
It was after her years as an Impressionist that Cassatt painted the pieces she is most known for today. Her paintings of family life and the private lives of women are realistic but the scenes are tender and loving. See for yourself:
Cassatt was an extraordinary woman. Born in 1844, she painted in a time when there were very few professional women painters. In fact, she worked in a time when women of wealthy families usually did not work. Cassatt wanted to paint. She wanted to be respected and admired for her talent as an artist. And she wanted to be able to live on the money she earned painting. These goals were difficult to achieve.
Mary Cassatt was born in Pennsylvania. She began school when she was six. Her family believed that travel was important for her education and so she lived in Europe for five years when she was a child. She visited many important cities including Paris, France and London, England. Sounds like a nice way to get an education.
Cassatt studied art at the Pennsylvania academy of Fine Arts but she was not taken seriously. There were not many women at the school and those who did study were not treated equally to the men. She left the academy and moved to Paris where she hired a painter to teach her privately.
While in Paris, Cassatt went to the Louvre everyday to copy the works of the masters. You’ll remember the picture I showed you of someone painting at the great museum.
In 1868, Cassatt showed a painting at the Paris Salon. The Paris Salon was a huge exhibition of all the most impressive paintings of the day. The art was chosen by a jury (the way the contestants on American Idol are chosen). During this time, the Impressionists were struggling in Paris. The Salon did not recognize their art and did not allow them to show at the exhibition.
Her painting did not sell at the Paris Salon and Cassatt returned home to Pennsylvania. She was frustrated and worried that she would never earn a living as an artist. But she was bored at home and itched to return to Europe to view the art and to create her own. Cassatt’s big break came when the Archbishop of Pittsburgh asked her to create copies of two paintings in Italy. He paid for her travel and supplies. When the paintings were finished, he purchased those, also.
When she was Italy, she had time to create some original paintings as well. Her painting, Two Women Throwing Flowers During Carnival, was accepted at the 1872 Paris Salon. This painting sold! The money allowed her to travel some more before settling in France.
Cassatt continued to show at the Paris Salon when her work was accepted by the jury. As a woman, though, she was not treated fairly and could not depend on being allowed to show her art. Finally, in 1877, Cassatt joined the Impressionists. She stood out as a fine artist and became well known throughout Paris.
One Impressionist had a huge impact on her. Edgar Degas, whose ballerina sculpture you’ll remember, taught Cassatt to use pastels. She became a master pastel artist.
Cassatt showed her work with the Impressionists for more than ten years. She was part of the first Impressionist show in America. In 1886 her style grew and changed. New styles were taking shape in the art world and Cassatt went in her own direction.
It was after her years as an Impressionist that Cassatt painted the pieces she is most known for today. Her paintings of family life and the private lives of women are realistic but the scenes are tender and loving. See for yourself:
The Child's Bath
Two Children at the Seashore
Mother Combing Her Child's Hair
Cassatt became sick but didn’t stop painting until she was nearly blind. When she couldn’t paint anymore, she worked for women’s right to vote. She died in 1926.
I'm off to New York City for the weekend to visit some friends. 'Tis the season for travel, it seems (and I love it). But not to worry. Blogger has a great new feature that posts automatically! So you can look forward to a Mother's Day project tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Frida Kahlo
Yesterday I mentioned Diego Rivera’s wife, Frida Kahlo. For a long time she was better known as Rivera’s wife than as an artist in her own right. After her death, though, she became very well known around the world. Several movies have been made about her and many books have been written. Today, you’ll learn about Frida Kahlo, the artist.
Kahlo was born in Mexico in 1907. Her life was a painful one. Even as a child she saw suffering and fighting all around her. Her parents argued a lot and were not happy together. Furthermore, the Mexican Revolution for independence from Spain began in 1910. Fighting continued for 10 years. The revolutionaries (the people fighting for Mexico) sometimes hopped the fence around Kahlo’s house and stayed for a meal and a safe night’s sleep.
It was a painful experience that led Kahlo to paint. She was studying medicine until she was in a terrible bus accident. She broke nearly every bone in her body and had stay in bed for a long time. Kahlo’s mother set up a special easel and Kahlo learned to paint. It was one of the only activities she could do from her bed. During this time she painted a lot of self-portraits. She painted more than 50 self-portraits over the course of her life. Look at this self-portrait from 1930 and this self-portrait from 1937
Kahlo was inspired by Mexican Indians, as Diego Rivera was, and she used bold colors. She painted realistic scenes but she was influenced by surrealism. For an example, look at Four Inhabitants of Mexico. Many of her paintings are quite disturbing. Because her life was painful, pain showed up in her art.
In 1929, as you know, Kahlo married Diego Rivera. Their relationship began as a friendship. Kahlo liked Rivera’s art and asked him to help her with hers. About a year later they were married.
Kahlo continued to paint until she became too sick. She created nearly 150 paintings. Frida Kahlo died in 1954.
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Kahlo was born in Mexico in 1907. Her life was a painful one. Even as a child she saw suffering and fighting all around her. Her parents argued a lot and were not happy together. Furthermore, the Mexican Revolution for independence from Spain began in 1910. Fighting continued for 10 years. The revolutionaries (the people fighting for Mexico) sometimes hopped the fence around Kahlo’s house and stayed for a meal and a safe night’s sleep.
It was a painful experience that led Kahlo to paint. She was studying medicine until she was in a terrible bus accident. She broke nearly every bone in her body and had stay in bed for a long time. Kahlo’s mother set up a special easel and Kahlo learned to paint. It was one of the only activities she could do from her bed. During this time she painted a lot of self-portraits. She painted more than 50 self-portraits over the course of her life. Look at this self-portrait from 1930 and this self-portrait from 1937
Kahlo was inspired by Mexican Indians, as Diego Rivera was, and she used bold colors. She painted realistic scenes but she was influenced by surrealism. For an example, look at Four Inhabitants of Mexico. Many of her paintings are quite disturbing. Because her life was painful, pain showed up in her art.
In 1929, as you know, Kahlo married Diego Rivera. Their relationship began as a friendship. Kahlo liked Rivera’s art and asked him to help her with hers. About a year later they were married.
Kahlo continued to paint until she became too sick. She created nearly 150 paintings. Frida Kahlo died in 1954.
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera and his twin brother, Carlos, were born in 1886 in the mountains of Mexico. Rivera’s parents helped poor people live better lives. This helped shaped the way Rivera painted.
Rivera began to draw when he was only three years old. He drew on everything: floors, furniture, walls, and paper. He loved to draw huge pictures on walls (murals) so his parents covered his bedroom walls with paper.
When he was 10, Rivera began to use paints. He took art classes after school. It wasn’t long before he decided to become a painter.
Rivera studied art at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts where he learned about the art of the Mexican Indians. He loved their paintings of people at work and Rivera began painting similar subjects. Rivera also learned from a teacher who enjoyed painting the differences between rich people and poor people.
He then went to study in Europe, first in Spain, then Paris. He made friends with many important artists. At this time, cubism was a growing style. Rivera painted some cubist paintings (such as Portrait of Martin Luis Guzman, shown below) before moving toward a post-impressionistic style. He began to paint large, simple shapes and used bold colors. He developed his own style while he was in Paris and his paintings started to attract attention. Rivera’s paintings were very popular and sold well. Check out Flower Festival for an example. Notice the difference between that painting and the one shown below.
Rivera began to draw when he was only three years old. He drew on everything: floors, furniture, walls, and paper. He loved to draw huge pictures on walls (murals) so his parents covered his bedroom walls with paper.
When he was 10, Rivera began to use paints. He took art classes after school. It wasn’t long before he decided to become a painter.
Rivera studied art at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts where he learned about the art of the Mexican Indians. He loved their paintings of people at work and Rivera began painting similar subjects. Rivera also learned from a teacher who enjoyed painting the differences between rich people and poor people.
He then went to study in Europe, first in Spain, then Paris. He made friends with many important artists. At this time, cubism was a growing style. Rivera painted some cubist paintings (such as Portrait of Martin Luis Guzman, shown below) before moving toward a post-impressionistic style. He began to paint large, simple shapes and used bold colors. He developed his own style while he was in Paris and his paintings started to attract attention. Rivera’s paintings were very popular and sold well. Check out Flower Festival for an example. Notice the difference between that painting and the one shown below.
In 1922, Rivera married his first wife, Guadalupe Marin. She was a model and a novelist. The marriage didn’t last and in 1929 Rivera married Frida Kahlo. She was also an artist. I’ll post about her tomorrow. When Kahlo died, Rivera married a third time. His final wife was Emma Hurtado, his agent (the person who sold his paintings).Rivera became famous for his large frescoes. He liked creating art that would be seen by many people; murals were the perfect form. He painted 27 murals for the Detroit Institute of Arts. He also painted murals in New York City, San Francisco, and Mexico.
In 1955 Rivera fell ill. He died in 1956.
Go to Olga's Gallery to view more of Rivera's paintings.
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Monday, May 5, 2008
Bamiyan Cave Oil Paintings
I have already written about oil paints. You know that artists used to have to grind minerals into powder and then mix the powder with oil to make their paint. It was long believed by art historians and scholars that oil paints were not used until the 1600s. They also believed that oil paints were invented in Europe. Recently an act of terrorism allowed us to find new information about the history of oil paint.
In 2001 members of the Taliban blew up two, huge sculptures of Buddha. Behind the sculptures were paintings from the 5th to 9th centuries. The paintings had always been protected from the sun and the environment by the Buddha scultures but the attack put the paintings at risk. While trying to protect the paintings, scientists were able to study them.
Using a special type of light, scientists studied each layer of the paintings. They discovered that oil was used in paintings from the 7th century. Oil painting began in the Middle East 800 years earlier than art historians had thought!
From destruction came new knowledge. Sometimes there is a thin silver-lining.
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In 2001 members of the Taliban blew up two, huge sculptures of Buddha. Behind the sculptures were paintings from the 5th to 9th centuries. The paintings had always been protected from the sun and the environment by the Buddha scultures but the attack put the paintings at risk. While trying to protect the paintings, scientists were able to study them.
Using a special type of light, scientists studied each layer of the paintings. They discovered that oil was used in paintings from the 7th century. Oil painting began in the Middle East 800 years earlier than art historians had thought!
From destruction came new knowledge. Sometimes there is a thin silver-lining.
Return to main page.
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