Beauford Delaney | STEAM Education | The Arts

Oil and Water – A STEAM Lesson through Painting

MaKennaGreeceOil_detail

Classes Duo Paris / Knoxville participants continue to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) through the work of Beauford Delaney.

Over the past couple of weeks, the students have been learning about the different properties of oil-based and water-based paints.  Inspired by three Beauford Delaney abstracts, they created their own masterpieces using these paints, just as Beauford did.

The Jean Zay students began by using watercolors to recreate Beauford’s Untitled (1961):

Untitled (1961) Mixed media on paper © Estate of Beauford Delaney by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator

Untitled
Beauford Delaney
(1961) Mixed media on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

See their work here: Jean Zay Abstract Watercolors

Nature’s Way students were inspired by Beauford’s Greece (1967) to create paintings in watercolor and oil:

Greece by Beauford Delaney

Greece
Beauford Delaney
(1967) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

See their work here: Nature’s Way Abstract Watercolors and Nature’s Way Abstract Oils

Nature’s Way art teacher, Dawn Kunkel, reported that they typically use water-based paint in their classes, so most of the students were using oils for the first time when they undertook this project.   She observed that the students were most surprised by the smell and texture of the paint. Some enjoyed the rich colors of the oils and some were a little frustrated by the long drying time. She said  comparing the properties of paint was a great learning experience for the students!

 

Most recently, Jean Zay children began their work in oil paints and pastels, inspired by Beauford’s Les Embruns (1963):

Les Embruns Beauford Delaney 1963 Mixed media on paper

Les Embruns
Beauford Delaney
(1963) Mixed media on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator

They created mixed media works, first by using oil pastels and overlaying these images with watercolors and then by mixing watercolors and oil paints to observe the visual effects of this combination.

See their work here: Jean Zay Mixed Media Abstracts

Jean Zay project leader, Juliette Blache, described the session as follows:

Exciting scientific experience for children … They had a lot of fun … And they love to paint abstracts more and more. They are finally daring to express their emotions through their paintbrushes!

An upcoming STEAM lesson will incorporate geometry as the students recreate Beauford’s Untitled (Trees), ca. 1945.

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The featured image at the beginning of this post is a detail of the Greece oil on canvas board painting by MaKenna, a Nature’s Way student.

STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS

The Arts
Literacy
Preclinical Safety Training
STEAM Education
Travel / Study Abroad
Women’s Empowerment

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