We do a lot of art as part of our preschool homeschool. My twins have been painting since they were about 10 months old, and creative invitations are a part of our daily life. Art offers children a wonderful way to view the world and express themselves.
More recently we have been looking at specific artists and this was our first official foray into abstract art.
Looking at Abstract Art with Preschoolers
I love looking at abstract art with young children for many reasons:
- Abstract art takes the pressure of the need to make a picture of something. Abstract art is more about the shapes and colors and the feelings it expresses, not about the accurate portrayal of a subject.
- Abstract art also encourages discussion about colors, shapes, and lines which are concepts young children are learning.
- Abstract art is interpreted different by everyone who sees it. The language, conversations, and ideas expressed are rich and interesting.
- Abstract art is something young children can make.
Before we dove into our art activity, we looked at some abstract art. I used my tablet for this so we could all gather around and look. I researched names and works beforehand that I wanted to share with them. We looked at art by Jackson Pollock, Joan Mitchell, Paul Jenkins, and Wassily Kandinsky. We settled on Kandinsky and Geometric Abstraction as our favorite.
Geometric Abstraction is a form of abstract art based on the use of geometric forms.
Abstract Art Activity: Abstract Collaborative Art Invitations
We enjoy the social aspect of big art projects and spent much of January doing various collaborative projects. We did two different invitations to create based on the two pieces of art they chose. The set up and materials however were similar.
Set Up:
Tape a large piece of paper to a surface – table, floor, or wall.
Use a black sharpie to draw shapes and lines. Older children could help with this process using rulers and containers or stencils to trace. I prepared this for my three year olds.
For the invitation based on Composition 8, I drew a variety of shapes and lines on the paper.
For the invitation based on Circles, I drew boxes across the paper and a circle in one square.
I kept the tablet on hand so they could refer back to it if they wanted. You could also print out versions of the paintings you like.
Provide various art materials. We used markers for the first project and oil pastels for the second. Paint or colored pencils would also be fun to try.
