Van Gogh's cat; wanders in to the starry night.

Each year, one project seems to rise to the top of the success scale in the eyes of the students, teachers, and parents. It is easy to recognize these stellar assignments. They are the ones where every student demonstrates the mastery of the learning objectives while producing work worthy of sincere praise, of exhibition in shows, and of permanent display in an important location. A few years ago, it was the second graders' interpretation of flowers after studying the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe. Faith Ringgold's book, Tar Beach, inspired another memorable assignment that featured flat clay figures flying over a cityscape bordered by quilt-like patterns.

Last year, the impetus for the superstar assignment was Vincent van Gogh's painting, The Starry Night. Design to incorporate the colored pencil techniques introduced by visiting artist Carlos Pascual, this project consisted of several elements. It can be modified for students from third to ninth grades.

Background

A tempera painting of a night sky was the foundation for this mixed-media piece. After looking at a large reproduction of The Starry Night, grade students discussed how van Gogh expressed emotion and movement in the night sky (color, line, texture, application of paint). When they completed their own paintings, students further emphasized the movement in the sky by trails of broken pieces of mirrors surrounding or following the stars. Each student chose a city, town, or rural setting relevant to his or her environment to complete the landscape.

Middle Ground

The large cypress tree was the next element to consider. It is helpful to do a study of the structure of trees, and might contribute to students' science curriculum. We looked at trees around our campus setting, but pictures of various kinds of trees work well, too. Students remembered from previous studies that three sizes of line are represented in a tree: the thinnest lines are the branches, then the twigs, and then the trunk. Although the trees were first intended to be silhouettes cut from dark-colored construction paper (they could have leaves or not), students enhanced them by coloring them with oil pastels. Students glued small pieces of foam board to the backs of the trees, and after experimenting with different placement possibilities, glued them to the landscapes.

Foreground 

As if the compositions did not already possess enough personality, we added cats for the icing on the already rich cake! After looking at several representations, students sketched cats in various poses-sleeping, stretching, sitting, and playing.

They chose their favorite cat drawing and recreated it on scraps of mat board. Our visiting artist from Argentina, whose specialty is colored pencil, instructed students in some techniques he uses when he renders animals. Pressing hard into the soft mat board was one of his most valuable tips--"Push, push with patience and passion." A parent volunteer and I carefully cut the cats out with a razor knife and shears for the final step. Two layers of foam pieces glued to the back raised the cat to the foreground of the composition. Again, we tried different positions before a final decision was made.

Variations on the Theme

Utilizing the same artistic reference to van Gogh, the sky is the limit to the many possibilities. Some ideas are van Gogh's cat wanders into ...

* a French cafe

* a city street

* van Gogh's bedroom

* an iris garden

Use the appropriate painting as a visual reference to determine the foreground, middle ground, and background.

Interdisciplinary Connections

There are many options to relate this assignment to the areas of study. These suggestions work equally well for individuals or groups.

* Social Studies--Harriet Tubman follows the stars to freedom.

* Science--Select either Irises or The Starry Night. Conduct a simple botany lesson on the parts of trees or flowers or photosynthesis.

* Astronomy--Identify stars or constellations.

* World Languages--Select one of the many portraits, Bedroom in Arles or Cafe Terrace at Night, and identify as many objects as you can. Label them with stick-on on labels that can be removed and used to challenge or instruct others.

* Language Arts--Write a story, play, journal entry, or poem about the cat in your scene. Write it or tell it to someone else.

* Music--Write lyrics to a song that relates to your artwork. You may use an existing tune or create an original piece. Listen to the song "Starry, Starry Night" by Don MacLean as an example.

Getting Motivated

Have fun with this part since there are plenty of audiovisual aids available that relate to these themes.

* Video--Starry Night, Yellow Hat Productions (rated PG13, use only if students are mature enough for the brief nude figure-drawing class segment).

* Magazines--Scholastic ART issue entitled "Van Gogh Working with Line."

* CD--Van Gogh Face to Face: A Musical Palette, 2000. Produced in cooperation with the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (use as background or paint expressively, using lines, to the music).

* Books--Many to choose from including The Starry Night, by Neil Waldman, Boyds Mill Press.

* Computer--Internet, various CD-ROMs, and software such as Professor Franklin's Instant Photo Effects, which can manipulate any scanned image to resemble the styles of four painters, van Gogh, Seurat, Cezanne, and Monet.

* Other--After making sure there isn't a problem with allergies, consider bringing in a live cat or kitten to observe and sketch!

Rhythm-ongs--a brain-based approach for teaching art developed by Jeanette Wachtman and Deborah D. West, published by RaJean and Company. For example, this clever poem, recited together, is an unusual way to introduce an artist or style to younger students:

   Watch that van Gogh,
   Strollin' down the hill
   Painting things that just
   arent' still
   Movement and texture and
   Lots of color too,
   Then he cut off his ear and
   Cried boo hoo hoo.

* Homework Assignment--Lie on your back outside and gaze up at the sky. Try daytime, evening, and night. Observe what you see and feel and write it down, explain it to someone else, or just savor the experience.

Assessment as Closure

This final activity can be done as a group critique or a self-critique and could be written or oral, in a large or small group.

Questions to consider:

1. Describe the movement in the sky in van Gogh's painting as well as yours or classmate's. Use words and/or follow the direction with your hands and arms. Have you used your observations of van Gogh's technique for printing the sky of The Starry Night in your own painting? Is there movement in your sky? Does the use of mirror pieces enhance the idea of movement? Do the mirror pieces suggest twinkling stars?

2. Which parts are the foreground, middle ground, and background? What objects do you see in each section? Discuss how relative size affects feelings of space. Is perspective used in this painting? How?

3. Talk about texture in van Gogh's paintings. Do you think the actual paintings feel rough or smooth? How do you think the paint was applied? What kind of paint do you think van Gogh used? Have you ever seen one of van Gogh's paintings in person?

4. Did you draw your cat from observation, imagination, or a combination of both? Would you say your piece is based on fantasy or real piece is based on fantasy or reality?

5. This mixed-media piece is a combination of several parts. Do all of the elements work together to form a cohesive whole? Explain why or why not.

6. Compare your artwork with that of your classmates. Is it unique? Explain.

Betty O'Regan is the art department head at Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware. The sixth grade art teachers are Mary Morrison, Mark Rudinoff, Nina Silverman, and Jon Twcersky. [e-mail]