The Maori culture of New Zealand creates beautiful pieces of artwork featuring Koru designs. Master this motif in a colorful painting.
1.
A Koru is a curved shape representing a baby fern frond. The Maori culture of New Zealand uses this motif in their artwork.
2.
The Koru symbolizes new birth and growth. Look at pictures of fern plants ready to unfurl. What shape do the plants make? Compare the ferns to samples of Maori art. Use a colored pencil to practice making Koru on a piece of construction paper.
3.
To design a Koru painting, use a colored pencil to sketch one large Koru on a piece of construction paper. Draw two smaller Koru on either side of the larger one.
4.
Using a paintbrush, paint each Koru a different color. Use another color to fill in the background. Try a hard-edge style of painting by using a flat watercolor brush loaded with paint to create even strokes and to build up an even bead (thick edge) around the color. To keep colors from blending, allow an area to dry before applying wet paint to adjacent areas.
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