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The Spirit of the Southwest
in Watercolor and Collage
an internet lesson plan
Lyndsy    Grade 8    Rosedale
by Woody Duncan
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for
Watercolor/Collage Slide Show

 
The major objective of this lesson/problem is to instill in
my students the joy and freedom of painting in watercolor.
We began by doing small drawings from photos of 
adobe churches in and around Taos, New Mexico.
Next, we choose our best drawing to enlarged onto a 
17 X 23 inch piece of heavy paper. 
Then, we tore various types of white paper and glued the torn
pieces to our compositions.  We used "Ross Art Paste" to
create our collages.  All (most) edges were torn to take
advantage of the feathered edges of the torn paper.
Instructions were given to paste the furthest shapes 
down first where forms overlapped.
In general, students were given only limited guidance to
insure that they developed their own ideas.
They were instructed to try and maintain the spirit
of the adobe architecture, made from and growing 
out of the earth itself.

 
torn paper with
feathered edges
adobe church sketch
and acrylic modeling paste
used for added texture
practice painting over
torn paper collage
and texture
Ranchos Church collage
front view
Ranchos Church with texture
rear view
Sierra with her collage
ready to paint

 
 
The examples above are shown to reveal some of the process
we went through to develop our final paintings.
The "PROCESS" is much more important than the final
"PRODUCT" that we will proudly display when we are through.
It is through the process that the learning takes place.
This is where the experimentation takes place.
This is where we discover what is possible with the materials
we are given. This is where we take advantage of those 
"HAPPY ACCIDENTS" that always occur in art,
especially in watercolor.

 

 
As most students were finishing their collage portion of the
problem, we made a large number of test collage pieces.
We applied acrylic modeling paste to these samples
with a palette knife.  Before going forward with our paintings
we experimented on our little abstract masterpieces.
Over the collage and texture we used prange watercolors
and portfolio "water soluble" oil pastels.  We even threw in
a little salt to see what it would do.
Some of our results are on display just above.

 
Water soluble materials
Gilbert adding texture

 
After our little experiments we applied the modeling paste
where we thought it might enhance our painting.
Now we are ready to paint.  The essential question is:
will we have the courage to paint as boldly and freely
on our churches as we did on our experiments.
You can find out by checking out our products and
the more important process of creating on the next page >>>>.
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