• Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Sarah Lipoff Production
  • Who is Sarah?
Something Silly

. . . and maybe delicious.

  • Sarah Lipoff Production
  • Who is Sarah?
Art Activities for Kids  /  01/29/2011

Fine art for kids: Boxing with Louise Nevelson

by Sarah Lipoff

Sarah Lipoff 2011

I’m not going to lie. Louise Nevelson is one of my favorite artists. I remember when my somewhat crazy-lady high-school art teacher shared pictures of her sculptures and I thought they were so interesting but yet so simple. Then she showed us these amazing pictures of her and I was totally hooked. Nevelson’s sculptures are really compelling and different and I love the compartmentalization of her work. Her artworks are a total package – a box full of fun. She painted these boxes of stuff one color, which causes the viewer to look deeper and notice shapes, textures, lines, and balance. And, Louise Nevelson was a bit crazy-lady herself, which makes her art even more cool.

So, when I came across an empty soap box the other day, Louise Nevelson came to mind. I also KNEW there were lots and lots of random bits hanging around the house that could be re-purposed into a great Nevelson inspired artwork. This is a great art activity for kids of all ages – even the wee tots! All you need are a box, some random stuff, glue, and black or white paint!

Start by sending your child on a scavenger hunt around the house searching for puzzle pieces that don’t have puzzles, buttons, beads, feathers, blocks, small toys, bottle caps – pretty much anything small and interesting that no longer has a home (or you are sick of stepping on because it just never gets put away).

Invite your child to place all the objects she found on your work table and pick the ones that have neat lines, shapes or textures. This is a great opportunity to talk about shapes – if they are organic or geometric – and discuss what texture is and how all her interesting objects feel.

Share some pictures of Louise Nevelson’s artwork with your child so she can see what her motivation is. Take a minute or two to talk about all the things your child sees in Nevelson’s artwork along with asking what she thinks about her creations.

Now offer your child the box and encourage her to place those found objects within the box, creating an exciting composition – just like Louise Nevelson! She can also think about balance (how things look within her composition) and if things are symmetrical or asymmetrical to create harmony, which causes the eye to move comfortably across the artwork.

Give your child a bottle of glue and let her stick her items to the bottom of the box. Encourage her to use a small amount of glue so there aren’t big-ol-globs of glue all over the place. And, if you’ve got an older kid, she can wield the glue-gun and really get those items stuck in place.

If you used glue, let your box dry overnight before painting. But, if you hot-glued, you’re good to go. Get out your black or white tempera paint and cover your work area before painting – and the child! Put some paint in a container, give the kid a brush, and paint that box of fun!

Your child’s finished Louise Nevelson box sculpture can be proudly displayed somewhere for everyone to enjoy!

Tags

  • art activities for kids
  • art development

Post navigation

Fine art for kids: Collaging with Kandinsky
Fine art for kids: Red with Rothko

1 comment

  • Jean Sullivan
    10/21/2013

    I love this assignment! I use lids of shoeboxes for the base. I have been teaching art forever and this project I always include in my lesson plans!

    Reply

Share your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

  • This DIY Herb Garden Is So Pretty
  • The Supreme Banana Bread
  • Tips for talking with your child about art
  • Spring vegetable quinoa pilaf
  • Cooking with kids: Super easy homemade tuna cakes

Recent Comments

  • Sarah Lipoff on Lightened-up summer chicken salad
  • Nicole P. on Lightened-up summer chicken salad
  • Stephanie on Cooking with kids: Super easy homemade tuna cakes
  • Bunny Roberge on Mango lemon marmalade
  • Ryan R. on Chocolate cream cheese cookies

Archives

  • May 2018
  • December 2017
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • July 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010

Categories

  • About Food
  • About Life
  • About Me
  • Art Activities for Kids
  • Cool Stuff
  • Dinner Every Night
  • Life with Child
  • The Bay Area
  • Uncategorized

Search by Tags

  • activities for children
  • Art
  • art activities for kids
  • art and children
  • art development
  • Baby Behavior
  • Baby Development
  • Being a Mom
  • blueberries
  • books about fall for kids
  • Celebrations
  • child behavior
  • child development
  • children
  • color theory
  • cooking
  • cooking with kids
  • Earth Day art activity
  • eating
  • fall art activity
  • fall leaves
  • family
  • fine-motor skills
  • food
  • Fox and Friends
  • Fox News Network
  • health
  • healthy cooking
  • Healthy eating
  • Holidays
  • learning about fall with kids
  • Life with Child
  • muffins
  • Parenting
  • Po Bronson
  • Praise Craze
  • projects
  • quinoa
  • recipes
  • recycled art
  • Red Dress Club
  • Sarah Lipoff
  • spring art activities
  • spring recipes
  • summer art activities

Recent Comments

  • Sarah Lipoff on Lightened-up summer chicken salad
  • Nicole P. on Lightened-up summer chicken salad
  • Stephanie on Cooking with kids: Super easy homemade tuna cakes
  • Bunny Roberge on Mango lemon marmalade
  • Ryan R. on Chocolate cream cheese cookies

Pages

  • Sarah Lipoff Production
  • Who is Sarah?

Categories

  • About Food
  • About Life
  • About Me
  • Art Activities for Kids
  • Cool Stuff
  • Dinner Every Night
  • Life with Child
  • The Bay Area
  • Uncategorized

Recent Posts

  • This DIY Herb Garden Is So Pretty
  • The Supreme Banana Bread
  • Tips for talking with your child about art
  • Spring vegetable quinoa pilaf
  • Cooking with kids: Super easy homemade tuna cakes

Archives

  • May 2018
  • December 2017
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • July 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • Elara by LyraThemes
  • Made by LyraThemes.com