Bancroft Elementary School
Art Appreciation Program
Presents
“Blue Poles”
by
Pollock
1912-1956
Lesson Summary:
 This lesson discusses the American artist, Jackson Pollock, one of
the greatest artists of the 20th century.
 Jackson is best known for the huge paintings that he made by
splattering, throwing and dripping paint onto his canvases.
 His style of art is often called Abstract Expressionism.
© 2009 Bancroft Art Appreciation Committee
VOLUNTEER CHECKLIST
Lesson Information
Artist:
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956)
Art Title:
“Blue Poles”
Period or Style:
Abstract Expressionism
Art Element:
Texture
Project/Medium:
Splatter paintings with tempera
Prep-work Required
Discussion:
Familiarize yourself with current lesson details
Art Activity:
Remind students to use in smock/t-shirt - prepare for
mess! Prepare diluted paint. This a great project to do
outside. You can have them come out in groups of 6-8
and they can splatter their work on the grass. You can
roll the drying rack outside and collect them there.
Presentation Materials
Electronic Images:
“Blue Poles”; “Autumn Rhythm”;
“Convergence”; “Number 8”;
action painting
On “thumb” drive in
art cabinet
Lesson Plan:
Pollock
In folder
Background Info:
Action Jackson-Children’s Book
In folder
Activity Materials
Watercolor paper
1 sheet per student
3-6 colors (Black, red, blue, white, yellow and pink) of
tempera paints in cups on a tray, set up three trays outside
on the grass ––(half paint, half water)
Small amount for
each table
Long Handled brushes to splatter with, one brush per color
Variety on tables
Newspapers to keep surfaces clean, if inside
Plenty per student
© 2009 Bancroft Art Appreciation Committee
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POLLOCK LESSON PLAN
Lesson Objectives
 To introduce students to the life and art of American artist, Jackson Pollock,
 To learn about Abstract Expressionism.
Presentation Timing
With Kindergarten students, it is important that you KEEP THE ARTIST
DISCUSSION SIMPLE. Remember; spend 20% on the discussion portion and 80%
on the art activity.
Share with students 3-5 important facts from the lesson plan or read the book in
the folder.
Abstract Expressionism
 Abstract Expressionist artists produced large-scale, dramatic paintings. There
were two main types: “Action Painting”, and the quieter “Color field Painting”,
which used broad expanses of color. This movement was largely responsible for
New York displacing Paris as the center of the art world after the Second
World War.
 In Abstract Expressionism, the artist tries to express his emotions in his art.
He does this by creating forms rather by painting the things we see around us
everyday. So, you won’t be able to recognize any objects in the paintings, but
you’ll be able to see energy and movement.
Jackson Pollock
 Jackson Pollock was born in Wyoming in 1912. (Show map)
 While Jackson was growing up, his family moved all over the western states,
usually from one ranch or farm to another. No matter how much work needed
to be done, Mrs. Pollock always preferred to see her sons working on anything
having to do with art. It was probably because of her encouragement that
three of Jackson’s older brothers also became artists.
 When he was eight years old, his family moved to Janesville, California. Many
American Indians lived in the area. Sometimes Jackson and his brothers would
sneak up into the mountains to the Indian burial grounds and watch their
ceremonial dances.
© 2009 Bancroft Art Appreciation Committee
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 An Indian woman who helped take care of Jackson and his brothers often told
them Indian legends and stories. Years later, Jackson put mythological Indian
creatures and symbols into some of his paintings.
 When Jackson started high school, his oldest brother went to New York to
study art. When Jackson was 18, he went to New York to study art, too.
 Jackson learned how large murals were made, but didn’t think his own paintings
had a finished look. No matter how hard he tried, his drawings never looked the
way he wanted them to. That made him angry and upset.
 One day, Jackson took a workshop where he could experiment with new types of
paint and different ways of painting. They mixed oil colors with paint used for
cars and tried spray-painting surfaces to see what would happen. They also
would throw balls full of paint on the canvas!
 He noticed that interesting shapes were being created without him having to
draw perfectly.
 Jackson combined what he learned from different modern artists and
developed a style all his own. His works became larger and he started to drip
and splatter paint all over his canvas as a way to show his feelings.
 He kept using his imagination to create paintings that were really different, and
people began to notice his brightly colored work.
 In 1945, Jackson bought a farmhouse and married his girlfriend, who was also
an artist. He used the barn for his studio, usually tacking his canvas to the
floor. He liked to walk all around and be in his painting while he worked.
 Jackson used old, hardened brushes, sticks and anything else he could find that
would splatter on the paint the way he liked.
 Because he moved around a lot and used so much energy while he painted, he
preferred to call his style “Action Painting”.
 Jackson Pollock died in a car accident in 1956 when he was only 44 years old.
People liked to write and argue about his exciting new paintings while he was
alive, but hardly anyone bought his work until years later.
 Sometimes people have trouble understanding Jackson Pollock’s paintings. But
he knew exactly what he was doing. If you see one of his paintings in person,
you get a special feeling of being in an explosion of color and energy that is very
exciting!
© 2009 Bancroft Art Appreciation Committee
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Art Activity
 This project is fun, but can get messy…use smocks/t-shirts found in the art
room.
 If the weather is nice consider having them paint outside on the grass. This
way they can paint standing up in true ‘Action Jackson’ form! If some bugs and
grass get on the paintings it only add to the value ;)
 Show the sample to students for inspiration. Students will create their own
splatter painting.
 Hand out a piece of watercolor paper and make sure the students put name and
teacher/classroom on the back.
 Give table groups a small amount of watered down tempera paint (5 colors) in
cups on a tray
 Have one brush per paint cup, use the long handled brushes.
 Try to discourage them from touching the paper with their tool or blending.
Allow the drips to fall and have gravity create a unique design.
 Encourage them to stand while creating their drip paintings. Pollock never sat,
it was always an energy filled activity.
 Instruct students to each work with 1 color at a time. Have them start with
black to lay in their ‘anchor’ design as Pollock did. Then one by one have them
add different colors as they wish.
 Let artwork dry thoroughly!
 Encourage students talk a bit about the nice compositions that they have
created.
 IMPORTANT: Pick up dried art pieces and keep safe until it is time to gather
their art from the year together for an art portfolio in May.
© 2009 Bancroft Art Appreciation Committee
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