Setting the table.

On the artroom table, I had I set up a still life of a ketchup jar, mustard bottle, sugar container, salt and pepper shakers, and a napkin holder, all of which I had borrowed from a local restaurant. I put the objects in the exact same positions as Ralph Goings painting, Still Life with Red Mat.

Before students entered, I hid the Goings painting. After I captured their attention, which food always does, I asked, "Where do we typically see these items and why would an artist want to draw them?" I unveiled the Goings painting to see how their expressions changed. We compared and contrasted the real objects and the painting of the objects, and talked about Photo-Realism. Students observed how artists like Goings and Warhol use photographs to create art, but in different ways. I then proposed that students create their own condiment still life on a place mat.

Sizing up Shapes

I began by showing students how to sketch the condiment containers by first recognizing general shapes, (a ketchup bottle can be viewed as a rectangle with a flat-topped triangle on top). I demonstrated how to make small guidelines on the paper to show proportions of the object by making small lines to record the width, length, and where the shapes change. Students used their eyes to judge distances, and by asking themselves questions to gauge sizes such as: Where does the ketchup bottle's narrow neck begin? If you cut the neck off and put it next to the body, would they be equal, or is one longer than the other? How can you show your answers in your art?

Drawing from Objects

An object was placed at each table and students sketched each container in pencil on a large sheet of paper. I reminded them to draw things as large as they were in real life, or larger. Menus were also drawn with the name of their favorite restaurant on it. The placement of each object on the paper was not important since we were going to cut it out later. Students used permanent black markers to trace over the pencil lines, and then painted in all their objects with watercolors. Once dry, the objects were cut out of the large paper and glued onto a place mat color of their choice. The food was first glued onto a paper plate and then to the place mat, which could also be decorated. I was genuinely impressed by the young students ability to draw from objects.

Rediscovering Objects

While students painted, we talked about how Goings shows that everyday, household items can be visually appealing. We named other things in our house that might make an interesting still life. Could garbage be interesting to look at? How about pots and pans? This brainstorm created a wealth of ideas to use for future lessons. To give everyday objects a new, unintended purpose is a powerful way to rediscover the world. In younger students, this discovery process is innate.

WEB LINK

www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/ goings_ralph.html

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students explore and understand prospective content for works of art.

Miranda Nelken is an art teacher at Thatcher Brook Primary School in Waterbury, Vermont.