Artwork: Finding Meaning

First and Second Grade students recently completed tempera painting bouquets. To introduce the lesson, we first studied Pablo Picasso's painting titled, "Mains aux Fleurs", a beautiful and simple painting. In Mains aux Fleurs, or Hands with Flowers, Picasso shows a hand giving flowers to another hand. The mystery is the reason for the gift as well as the identity of the giver and receiver of the bouquet. Many artists paint still life flowers, but Picasso added a hidden thought: What is the message? Students carefully observed and described the lines, shapes, and colors in the painting giving names to objects.  Then students attempted to find or attach meaning in the painting by interpreting actions taking place in the image. This lesson was also a great opportunity to test their paint color mixing skills.  Students created the entire painting using only red, blue and yellow paint.

Kenisha

Connor

Lizbeth

Danna