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| Color Block Collage Inspired by Hans Hofmann |
 catie writes, "This project looks to the paintings of Hans Hofmann for inspiration to create a unique color collage."
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Materials:
cereal box
colored tissue paper
glue stick
a handful of paint chips from your local hardware store's paint department
scissors
white glue
large construction paper
Directions:
1) Look and Learn
Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) was a German-born artist best known for his abstract paintings of vivid blocks of color. Many of Hans Hofmann's paintings are his interpretations of nature and natural landscapes.
You can view the six Hans Hofmann paintings I selected on my blog:
http://five-ten-fifteen.blogspot.com/2011/10/art-paper-scissors-color-block-collage.html. {You can also do a Google Image search for Hans Hofmann's paintings.}
Talk about these paintings with your child. What do these paintings look like? Which one is their favorite? Hans Hofmann said, "Colors just fit together as pieces in a puzzle or cogs in a wheel." Ask your child if they think these blocks of color look like a puzzle.
Hans Hofmann said, "In nature, light creates the color. In the picture, color creates the light." Can they see the light Hofmann talked about? Ask them to find the brightest light and the darkest shadow in the paintings. Which colors do they like best? Can they see how the colors appear to change depending on the other colors they touch? Which colors seem to be at the back of the painting and which ones seem to come forward?
Hans Hofmann said, "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." What things did he eliminate from his paintings? What things did he think were necessary?
2) Create the Canvas
Carefully cut the front or back from a large box of cereal so you have a rectangle that is roughly 7" x 10." Have your child choose a color of tissue paper for the background. They can glue the tissue paper to the cardboard using a glue stick. The tissue can be wrapped over the edges of the cardboard and glued to the back side.
3) Choose the Colors
Head to the paint department with your child to choose several paint chips in the colors they like best. {Note: We used the 3" x 5" Glidden paint chips from the Home Depot. This large size works best.}
4) Cut the Color Blocks
Using scissors, your child can cut the paint chips into different sized rectangle color blocks. The rectangles can be long and skinny or more like squares. Take another look at Hofmann's paintings again to get some ideas.
5) Arrange and Glue
Have your child experiment with arranging their blocks of color. Maybe they will want to imagine a landscape, such as a river or mountains. What colors look best together? Encourage them to try different combinations until they like the result. Have them use white glue to attach a few rectangles directly to their tissue-covered canvas. It may be helpful to take a break and look again at Hofmann's paintings for inspiration. Remind your child that some colors can overlap, others can be side-by-side. Have them add more color blocks until they have filled their canvas.
6) Dry Flat
The color blocks will want to curl when glued. To keep yours flat, put a piece of wax paper on top of your artwork and cover with a big, heavy book. You might need to wipe away any excess glue that squeezes out before drying.
7) Finish and Frame
Once your child's artwork has dried, you can glue it onto a larger piece of construction paper to give it a gallery look.
Catie Eyer
Artist, mom, and blogger at http://five-ten-fifteen.blogspot.com/
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Posted on Oct 15, 2011 08:28am.
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