Art School: Painting
Jan 18, 2011
Whitney kids use viewfinders to explore Edward Hopper’s painting, Early Sunday Morning, (1930), November 2010. Photograph by Alix Finkelstein
Art School is a Whitney family program just for artists aged 8–12. In this multi-session studio course, young artists develop their own artistic practice, learn about the newest trends in contemporary art, and expand their ideas about what art can be. In fall 2010, Art School explored the painting process—from preparatory sketching in ink and pencil to painting in watercolor and acrylic. On November 13, before picking up their brushes, the kids took a close look at Edward Hopper’s painting, Early Sunday Morning to learn how the artist’s manipulation of light, shadow, color, and form transforms an ordinary urban scene into compelling subject matter for painting.
Kids paint their own canvases, November 2010. Photograph by Alix Finkelstein
Inspired by the works on view in the exhibition, Modern Life: Edward Hopper and His Time, kids used acrylic paints on canvas to create paintings based on their observations of the buildings and street from the Whitney’s windows. Kids also learned the technique of working “fat over lean;” first applying light washes of color, then gradually increasing the color intensity and thickness of paint. The kids’ paintings ranged from detailed descriptions of building facades to abstract interpretations of iron window grills. While some children worked with palettes that closely approximated the brick and masonry of the local architecture, others invented their own color scheme, using vibrant hues that reflected the upbeat mood in the class.
By Alix Finkelstein, Education intern