Mexico
Visit Mexico and explore the art of cultural events such as the Day of the Dead. Draw a portrait of famous Mexican artist Frida Khalo and tool a metal heart. Learn about Tonala clay owls and design an Aztec patterned cactus bowl.
In the K – 2 category, students can use oil pastels to draw a Mexican Folk Heart. They will use oil pastels and edicol dye to create this colourful artwork while looking at pattern and textures. We’ve used primary colours to create this artwork and added a turquoise background with dye.
Tonalá pottery is created in the Valley of Tonalá and has been created since before hispanic times in Mexico. It is recognisable for its decorative details. The clay figurines are traditionally glazed in natural tones but we have painted ours in bright colours, a fun approach for children. Students will create this clay sculpture using moulding and joining techniques as well as looking at symmetrical designs.
In the year 3 and 4 category, students will look at artworks that traditionally celebrate the Day of the Dead, a truly Mexican way to celebrate the ancestors. Students will use brightly coloured oil pastels to create a sugar skull drawing. The drawing will be covered over with black paint and then scratched back into to create patterns and reveal the colour underneath. We will look at the concepts of symmetry, contrast and blending while creating this work.
Thick foil sheets will be used to create the Mexican Folk Art objects. Students can choose from an array of provided reference images and select their individual project to create. We will use wooden skewers to tool details and shapes into the foil. We’ll have fun adding colour with permanent markers to make a stunning art object. This unit will focus on colour, symmetry and decorative details.
In the year 5 and 6 category, students will look at Aztec patterns and create a stunning cactus bowl complete with a variety of decorative and flowering cacti. Students will learn about colour mixing while making a range of greens and patterns will be used to decorate each individual cactus.
Frida Kahlo is one of Mexico’s most famous artists. We’ll use oil pastels to create a portrait like many of the self-portraits she created while convalescing in bed. Find out more about this fascinating artist from the included Artist information sheet. Use the proportions of the face to get the features correctly positioned and learn about adding highlights and shadows to give the face a three dimensional look.
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