Minds On
Let’s get started!
Notice and wonder
Explore the following painting.
- What is happening?
- What is the artist trying to tell us?
Record your ideas as pictures or words. Share your ideas with a partner, if possible.
Click the image to enlarge in a new window.
Ices 1 by Jacob Lawrence, 1960
This image is a painting by the artist Jacob Lawrence. Lawrence is an African-American artist who painted images of his neighbourhood of Harlem, New York. The art is of a group of children getting ices at an ice cream cart. The artist uses blocky shapes, patterns, and bright colours.
Action
Get ready, get set…
Who is Jacob Lawrence?
Artists can use paintings to tell a story. Some artists paint about their everyday life.
Jacob Lawrence was an artist, a teacher and a storyteller.
Let’s explore his artwork.
Click the image to enlarge in a new window.
Ices 1 by Jacob Lawrence, 1960
This is a painting by the artist Jacob Lawrence. Lawrence is an African-American artist who painted images of his neighbourhood of Harlem, New York. The art is of a group of children getting ices at an ices cart. The children are wearing short-sleeve shirts. The children and the ices cart are on a road in front of tall buildings. The artist uses blocky shapes, patterns and bright colours.
What is the story?
What are the people doing in the painting?
Press ‘Answer’ to learn more about the painting.
This painting is of children gathering around an ices stand.
They are running toward the stand, and one child has a hand raised.
They might be excited to get ices. Ices are a kind of frozen popsicle.
What season do you think it is? Is it fall, winter, spring, or summer? What are the clues?
Press ‘Clue’ to learn more about the season.
The people in the painting are wearing short sleeves, so it might be warm. It might be summer.
Where might this be? Is it a city or the country? How can you tell?
Press ‘Hint’ to access an idea about where this painting is located.
There are buildings in the background behind the ices stand. This tells us that it might be in the city.
Go!
Let’s explore another painting by Jacob Lawrence.
Click the image to enlarge in a new window.
The Music Lesson by Jacob Lawrence, 1943
A music teacher and a learner sit at a piano. They are inside a room. There are music sheets on the piano. The people are made up of rectangle shapes. The piano is a bright colour.
What is the story?
Where might this be? How can you tell?
What are the people doing in this painting?
How does this painting make you feel?
If possible, share with a partner, or record your thoughts using pictures, words and/or an audio clip.
Consolidation
Putting it all together
What’s your story?
Now it’s your turn to be a storytelling artist.
Will it be from your imagination or something that you explore every day?
What will the weather be?
Will you add people and/or animals?
Materials Needed
Materials needed
To help share your storytelling art, you may need:
- a blank sheet of paper or an art journal
- drawing materials such as pencils or crayons
- an electronic tablet for drawing
- any other art materials you like to use
Decide what story you will share in your storytelling art.
Step 1: Create a background.
Step 2: Add people doing actions or objects.
Step 3: Add more details or colour to your design.
Using the following Storytelling Art template, on a blank sheet of paper, or using a method of your choice, create an image to share what art is to you. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Storytelling Art.
Portfolio
Review your learning
Use your art journal, or another method of your choice to answer the following questions:
What did you learn about the art of Jacob Lawrence?
How did you decide what to include in your story art?
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.