Favorite Places & Spaces

What is your favorite place in the world? Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh painted not one, not two, but three famous versions of his own bedroom!

• 1.

  Vincent van Gogh is one of the world’s most recognized painters. His paintings are bright, bold, and use thick brush strokes. Find out why van Gogh painted his blue bedroom in France three times. What interesting differences do you notice in each version? You can paint a picture of your bedroom, or any special place, in the style of van Gogh’s "Bedroom in Arles."

• 2.

  Choose a sturdy painting surface such as a recycled foam produce tray, cardboard, or wood. Lightly sketch your special scene or design with a Crayola Colored Pencil. Cover your painting area with newspaper.

• 3.

  Fill your painting surface with a thick coat of Crayola Texture It! Tempera Mixing Medium. To paint in van Gogh’s style, make sure you can see the brush strokes. Air-dry the surface over night.

• 4.

  Using your choices of Crayola Tempera Paint colors, add hues to your drawing. Make sure you rinse your brush well when you change colors. Change your water often. As you paint on top of the mixing medium, you will notice that your painting has a wonderful raised, textured look. Air-dry your work.

• 5.

  Tell your classmates why you chose the place you painted. What is special about it to you? Point out details that are important in your work.

Benefits

• Students research and identify differences in details in the three versions of Vincent van Gogh’s "Bedroom at Arles."
• Students identify a place that has meaning to them.
• Students create a textured painting of that place and describe it with their classmates.

Adaptations

• Study other types of paintings. Look at Jackson Pollack drip art or Victor Vasarely’s op-art designs.
• Younger children and those with special needs might be most successful painting in Jackson Pollack’s style. Paint or drip huge squiggles of Texture It! on a board or foam tray. Why not create a mural with everyone contributing?
• Brainstorm a list of words that describe each other’s paintings. Use them for a spelling bee or make word jumbles.
• Compare "Bedroom in Arles" to other van Gogh masterpieces such as "The Starry Night." How do they different in mood and style? How are they alike? Why did van Gogh prefer to paint in France? Locate museums that have his works on a map.
• Assessment: Note how detailed children’s descriptions are of their paintings. Are their feelings about the place evident? How does texture add to its uniqueness?