March with Jean Michel Basquiat

March came and went so quickly! Aside from working on the auction artwork, (sneak peeks of the art will be coming soon!) we learned all about the work of Jean Michel Basquiat. Jean is most famous for his use of symbols and bold colors. Jean himself said “I want to make paintings that look as if they were made by a child.” The kindergarteners made their own version of Pez Dispenser, and the lower elementary class made their own portraits in his style. 

The kindergarteners started off by collaging together a background for their dinosaurs. They used magazine clippings, oil pastels, and watercolor paint, all in the same colors Basquiat used in his work. Next, they traced the shape of a dinosaur and a crown and cut it out. They used oil pastels and tempera paint to decorate both pieces. Once everything was dry, it was all glued together to complete their own version of Basquiat’s famous painting, Pez Dispenser. 

The lower elementary class had a great time making their own Basquiat-inspired portraits. They also collaged together a background using the same materials and colors as the kindergarteners. Each student chose to either make a self portrait, or to create their own character. They used a reference sheet with many different examples of how Basquiat drew heads, eyes, noses, etc. to help them design their portraits. Once their portraits were complete, they cut them out and glued them to their backgrounds to finish off their projects.