Artist Series- Basquiat

So, I have been out of commission for a while.  Between teaching, being sick, working my regular job, and taking care of sick children- life has been hectic... which really is pretty much usual.  Fortunately, the class I teach is almost over- and my life will resume to its slightly less hectic state. 

Although I have not been blogging as of late, I have been making art into the wee hours of the night.

I figured it would be a good time to talk a bit about what I have been doing!

I have been working on my artist monsters!  I have been having so much fun researching artists and their images and incorporating them into my little creatures.  I also have had a great time using the monsters to teach my daughter a little about the artist that each monster is inspired by. She definitely has her favorites, and it has been wonderful to see how our aesthetic is so similar.  I want to find ways in my posts to share a little about the history of the artist and what images inspired my creature.  I also want to share possible ways that we can create fun directives to make the artist come to life for our children. 

I will start by introducing one of my newest little monsters, King Basquiat!

 

This little monster is inspired by  

Jean Michel Basquiat.

 Born on December 22nd, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York.  His father was Haitian and his mother was of Puerto Rican descent.  He was a super bright child, who could read by age four and loved making art. Jean  Michel spoke French, English, and Spanish by the age of 11.  Although he was a gifted youth, he had a difficult childhood.  He was hit by a car when he was seven, his parents became separated, and he ran away from home at age 15.  He always made art, and would sell his art as a means of taking care of himself.  

Jean Michel Basquiat's imagery is child like, bold, and full of emotion.  It often can remind the viewer of his start as a graffiti artist.  Other images look as if they have been drawn on a chalkboard.  His trademark is a golden crown.  His artwork can be found in collections all over the world.  Sadly, his life was always somewhat troubled, and he died at only 27 years old in 1988.  Here are some of my favorite images.

There is a beautiful children's book with a poem by Maya Angelou and illustrated with the artwork of Jean Michel Basquiat called, "Life Doesn't Frighten Me."  Definitely worth checking out!

 

Ideas for next steps

1. One thing that I love as an art therapist, is learning about artists who really used artwork as a means of working through emotions or as a means of support.  Basquiat is one of these artists.  Teaching children about how art can be used as a coping strategy is an excellent way of helping kids deal with their own emotions.
2. Use black construction paper or black canvas and oil pastels to have your child draw their own "Basquiat" inspired imagery. 
3. Basquiat painted lots of postcards that he would send to his friends or sell on the street.  Have your child make a postcard and send it to someone they love.  Help them put the stamp on it and put it in the mail! 

That's it for now!  Promise I will write again soon!

St. Patrick's Day Puppet!!!

One of the things that I have wanted to do with this blog is share some of my art projects. As a mental health therapist and art therapist working with children, I do tons and tons of art. Children generally don't use talk therapy the same way that adults do. I will often use art as a way of communicating. When a child is just sitting in front of me and I ask him questions, more than likely he will not answer me... but if I have him make a Leprechaun puppet and I ask him questions (Or better yet, if ask the Leprechaun) I get a ton of useful information!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would share my Leprechaun Puppet template.

What you need for this project:

• Scissors
• A paper lunch bag
• Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils
• Glue
• The 2 Leprechaun PDF Templates click Head & Body

Okay.. so this puppet is pretty basic.

1. Have your child color the puppet first. I find that when kids color before they cut things out, it is a lot easier for them. They don't have to worry too much about staying in the lines - since it will be cut out anyway.
2. Cut out the puppet. Most of the kids I work with will need help with this step.
   
3. You will be gluing your head and body to your paper lunch bag. If you look at the folded lunch bag, the head will be glued on to the small rectangular section on the top of the bag away from the opening. The body will be glued on the bottom portion of the bag, under the head. Remember, you want your leprechaun to be able to talk- so you will not be gluing it to the flat, unfolded side of the bag. You can take a look at my picture to get a better understanding of what I am talking about (for some reason this step is hard for me to explain!)
4. Ta da! You are now puppet enabled. This is the fun part- I love interviewing puppets. I can get kids to tell me all kinds of things when I pretend that I am a news reporter. Plus it promotes creative improvisation on the part of the child.
   

I hope you have fun making Leprechaun Puppets!
Let me know how it goes!