Artist Inspired Ornaments

At school the kids often create projects inspired by famous artists to learn a bit about them, their style and pieces that they are well know for.  They have made Wayne Thiebaud cakes, Andy Warhol pop art, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night in pastels, Kandinsky’s concentric circles, Amedeo Modigliani portraits, Maud Lewis scenes, Kenojuak Ashevak animals and interpretations of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to name a few.  We wanted to transfer this to holiday Christmas ornaments to attach to donation cards for our family members.  Can you guess which artists belong to each ornament?  Which artists would you use as an inspiration for your ornaments?! 

Materials

• Blank wooden ornaments (You can purchase these at craft, dollar or online stores)
• Paint pens (we like the Posca brand)
• Detail Pens (such as Microns)
• Ribbon or cord (some bank ornament sets include this)
• Pencil/eraser

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

1) Chose an artist that inspires you and recreate their style on an ornament.  Here are a few ideas that we tried:

• Georgia O’Keeffe
• Sonia Delaunay
• Henri Matisse
• Vincent Van Gogh
• Piet Mondrian
• Jackson Pollack
• Yayoi Kusuma
• Wassily Kandinsky
• Keith Haring
• Kenojuak Ashevak

2) Sketch your ideas in pencil and then trace them with paint pens and then add details with fine point pens such as Microns.

3) Attach a ribbon or some cord to be able to hang your ornament on your tree.  Inscribe the back of your ornament with your name, the artist’s name and the date and give it to a special friend, teacher or family member!

4) We’d love to see the artists that you chose if you do this project- please tag us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/make_it_your_own_/

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Purpose

• Recognizing the style of various artists.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors with care and direct, adult supervision.
• Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.
• Beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.