Chelsey Boley, 1
Visual Arts Grade 9 Open (AVI10)
Lesson: “Words and Stimulus Pictures” (Lesson from larger unit “Pieces of Me”)
Artwork created during this lesson will be used as a stimulus (or jumping off point for idea
generation) for a larger self-portrait in a similar media (acrylic paint/mixed media collage).
Overall Expectations (Theory Stream)
o Apply an understanding of the elements and principles of design to personal and
contemporary artworks.
Specific Expectations
o Understand and apply the elements and principles of design as expressive
components in their personal and creative works.
Overall Expectations (Creation Stream)
o Use materials and processes to create art objects that express their intent
o Apply the elements and principles of design
Specific Expectations
o Compile a collection of visual resources
o Demonstrate an understanding of materials, basic skills and concepts in painting (eg.
color theory, experimentation with materials and techniques…)
o Demonstrate the ability to create representational, abstract and non-objective artworks that convey ideas or concepts (eg. who am I?)
Prior Knowledge of Students
o Some experience in application of elements and principles of design.
o Some knowledge of color theory and techniques with acrylic paint.
Materials Needed
Trigger words (and a dictionary)
Squares of cardboard or mat board (6X6)
Smaller “squeegees” (cardboard pieces)
Acrylic paint
Mixing trays/cups or bowls
Straws (optional)
Brushes for painting AND gluing
White glue or acrylic medium
Various scraps of decorative paper and
fabric
Found objects (optional)
Magazines (optional)
Teacher Resources
Overhead projector or data projector
Collage/mixed media artists work printed on transparency (posters would work too) (Artists
to include: Robert Rauschenberg “Untitled,” Picasso “Guitar,” Max Ernst “Listonosz Cheval,”
Raoul Hausmann, “ABCD,” Richard Hamilton “Interior II,” Bruce Connor “Bowing to Half
Dome,” Robert Motherwell, “Redness of Red.”
Overhead markers
Hook
Let’s get inside the mind of an artist!
Chelsey Boley, 2
Methodology (two periods of 75 minutes)
1. Introductory Discussion (15 minutes)
o Begin with an inkblot picture on the overhead screen. Ask students how it makes
them feel. This could be done informally with students saying the words as they come
to them or with the “think, pair, share” method. Every single person should be able to
come up with a word. This activity illustrates that through very, very simple means
(just a few elements/principles of design) an emotion can be created.
o Begin to repeat the process above but with various collage and mixed media artists’
works. Stress the “automaticness” of the process. The first feeling or word that comes
to mind is the one that students should share. Progress to why the students think the
work makes them feel this way. Through discussion, they can change their feeling
words if they want.
o Begin a discussion of artist’s intent: “Artists use specific elements and principles
of design in order to make the viewer feel a certain way. We all might feel
differently about a work, but the reasons we feel this way are all there in the
artwork itself.”
o Tell the students that they are going to create a small piece in the opposite way that
we have just discussed: “Your intent (or feeling) will be given to you and it’s
going to be your task to communicate it in an art piece.”
2. Choosing Words (7 minutes)
o Students will each choose 3 or 4 from the words listed below. The words will be
printed on slips of paper and put into a hat or bag. Once they each have 3 randomly
chosen words they will have 5 minutes to find out what the words mean (if they don’t
know) and make only one trade from the hat. They will make one small art piece from
the one word they like the most.
3. Demonstration of Techniques (15 minutes)
o Let students know that you’re going to show them a number of techniques to use, but
these should not prevent them from doing some experimenting. Encourage students
to take note in their sketchbook of techniques they think they would like to use in their
pieces and to always have their words in mind.
o Demo the following techniques in view of all of the students (possibly have them
come to the front).
o Paint Techniques:
o Using the card “squeegees” to scrape paint across a surface
o Dripping the paint onto a surface
o Reminder of color theory
o Collage Techniques:
o Cutting edges vs. tearing edges
o Effects with different types of paper and fabric
o Photo-montage (if magazines included)
4. Generating Ideas (15 minutes)
o Encourage the students to take the full 15 minutes to generate ideas about their
words. See worksheet. Ask students to choose the word that they are going to use
for completing their piece at this stage.
5. Begin Making Piece (20 minutes in first period, 75 minutes in second period)
Chelsey Boley, 3
o Students will begin work on their piece. Students who finish their piece before the
end of the 75 minute period will be encouraged to make an additional piece from one
of their other words chosen.
Evaluation
Sketchbook Assignment
Thinking/Inquiry (4 Marks)
Level 1
Creative
Uses creative
thinking
thinking skills with
skills
limited
Flexibility
effectiveness.
and
divergent
thinking.
Level 2
Uses creative
thinking skills with
moderate
effectiveness.
Creation (4 Marks)
Level 1
Application of
Applies the
the creative
creative process
process
with limited
Striving for
effectiveness.
originality,
exploring
alternative
approaches
and answering
the questions
critically.
Level 3
Uses creative
thinking skills with
considerable
effectiveness.
Level 4
Student uses
creative thinking
skills with a high
degree of
effectiveness.
Level 2
Applies the
creative process
with some
effectiveness.
Level 3
Applies the
creative process
with
considerable
effectiveness.
Level 4
Applies the
creative process
with a high
degree of
effectiveness
and with
confidence.
Level 2
Demonstrates
some
understanding
of elements and
principles of
design.
Level 3
Demonstrates
considerable
understanding
of relationships
between
concepts.
Level 4
Demonstrates
through and
insightful
understanding
of relationships
between
concepts.
Total (8 Marks)
Small Piece
Theory (8 Marks)
Understanding
of elements
and principles
of design.
Level 1
Demonstrates
limited
understanding
elements and
principles of
design.
Chelsey Boley, 4
Communication (8 Marks)
Level 1
Use of artistic
The piece
language and
communicates
symbols. How
the trigger word
effectively
with limited
does the piece accuracy and
communicate
effectiveness
the trigger
word?
Level 2
The piece
communicates
the trigger word
with some
accuracy and
effectiveness.
Level 3
The piece
communicates
the trigger word
with
considerable
accuracy and
effectiveness.
Level 4
The piece
communicates
the trigger word
with a high
degree of
accuracy and
effectiveness.
Level 2
Transfers
knowledge and
skills to new
contexts with
moderate
effectiveness.
Level 3
Transfers
knowledge and
skills to new
contexts with
considerable
effectiveness.
Level 4
Transfers
knowledge and
skills to new
contexts with a
high degree of
effectiveness.
Creation (8 Marks)
Transfer of
knowledge and
skills to new
contexts. Are
the techniques
demonstrated
evident?
Level 1
Transfers
knowledge and
skills to new
contexts with
limited
effectiveness.
Total (24 Marks)
Trigger Words
Anguish, absurd, awake, austere, bedazzled, blah, calm, comfortable, confused,
compassion, creepy, decadent, divided, delicate, dangerous, earthy, eclectic, excited,
electric, elastic, enigmatic, fear, fatigue, fabulous, feminine, flimsy, foolish, foreign, glorious,
graceful, gothic, heartsick, heavy, heroic, impatient, important, insightful, introverted,
jealous, joyful, lion-hearted, love, logical, masculine, magical, manic, neutral, neurotic,
optimistic, outraged, overzealous, panic, pacified, peachy, perfect, playful, poor, punch
drunk, rage, rare, rich, suspicious, seedy, smooth, strong, surreal, truthful, terrible, tragic,
uneasy, unmistakable, vacant, vacuum, vain, valid, welcome, yearning, zen.