Fourth Grade Rodeo Art - 2002-03

Fourth and Fifth graders learned about the art of Haiti.  We discussed how  there since there were no art schools in Haiti until 50 years ago, the early artists painted in a folk art style.  They did not know about the rules of art, such as how to change an object to show that it is in the distance or how to draw a person in the correct proportions.  Instead, they had to use their eyes and hearts as their guides.  Even now that they have art schools, the folk art style has survived as one of the major styles from the country. 

We also discussed how even though life has been less than ideal for most Haitians since the arrival of Columbus to the island, Haitian art shows the beauty of the island and its people as well as the love that the artists feel for it.  This is portrayed through their use of bright colors and positive subject matter.  Then, we threw the rules out the window and created using our eyes and hearts.  Students created cheerful pictures that were pleasing to their eyes with or without correctly showing depth, drawing people in proportion, or even using realistic colors.  (It's amazing how much students think about the rules when you tell them not to!)  Students chose to either draw a portrait of a cowboy/farmer and the animal they cared for, a picture showing the everyday life of a cowboy/farmer, or what they think a specific animal, farmer, or cowboy might dream about (without the dream clouds).  Only happy, positive pictures were allowed.  To ensure the bright colors, we used a combination of colored pencils and oil pastels.  The students rose to the challenge, creating beautiful Haitian rodeo art.
 

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