B. Drama / D. Visual Arts · Drama and Visual Arts

Visual Arts: Making and Talking About Art

D1.1 D1.2 D1.4 D2.1 D2.4 D3.1 D3.2About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can make 2D art (flat, like a drawing) and 3D art (like a sculpture) about my own life.
I can tell a story in a picture and use contrast to make the important part stand out.
I can share my feelings and ideas about art works using "I see, I think, I feel, I wonder."
I can name my strengths and what I want to work on as an artist.
I can find art in my home and community.
I can talk about art from different communities, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists, with respect.

Words to know

artist
A person who makes art.

art work
A piece of art, like a painting, sculpture, print or drawing.

two-dimensional (2D)
Flat, with length and width, like a drawing or painting.

three-dimensional (3D)
Not flat; you can walk around it or hold it, like a sculpture.

sculpture
A 3D art work made by shaping, carving or building with materials like clay, wood or stone.

contrast
Putting very different things side by side, like big and small or light and dark, so something stands out.

mural
A very large painting on a wall, often outside, for the whole community to see.

gallery
A place where art works are shown for people to look at.

You are an artist!

Every time you draw a picture, build with playdough or make a card for someone, you are an artist.

Today you will make art about your own life, learn how to talk about art, and discover art from many people and places.

2D and 3D art

2D (two-dimensional) art is flat: drawings, paintings, prints and collages.
3D (three-dimensional) art is not flat. You can walk around it or hold it: sculptures made of clay, playdough, wood, stone or recycled boxes.

A flat painting of a sun and flowers next to a clay turtle and a robot made from cardboard boxes on a classroom table. — The painting is 2D art: it is flat. The clay turtle and the cardboard robot are 3D art: you could walk around them. AI-generated image

2D (flat)	3D (not flat)
a crayon drawing	a playdough snowman
a painting of your family	a castle made of recycled boxes
a leaf rubbing	a clay pinch pot
a collage	a carved stone sculpture

2D and 3D art works

2D art is flat, like a drawing. 3D art is not flat: you can hold it or walk around it, like a sculpture.

Telling a story in a picture

Artists often make art about their own experiences: a trip to the beach, a snow day, a new baby in the family. A picture that tells a story is called narrative art.

To make the most important part stand out, artists use contrast:

Make it big, and other things small.
Make it bright, and the background dull or dark.
Use thick lines around it.

Worked example

Example: My best snow day

Noah wants to make a picture about building a snow fort with his dad.

Plan: What is the most important part? Noah and his dad building the fort.
Contrast with size: Draw Noah and Dad big in the middle. Draw the house and trees small in the back.
Contrast with colour: Noah's coat is bright red against the white snow, so he stands out.
Details from his life: Dad's striped toque, the shovel, their dog jumping in the snow.
Title: "The Best Snow Fort."

Noah's picture tells a story from his life. He used contrast (big and small, bright red and white) so we see the most important part first.

Contrast makes the most important part stand out. Make it big and use thick lines, and keep other things small.

Talking about art: I see, I think, I feel, I wonder

When you look at an art work, try these four sentence starters:

I see... (what is really there: colours, lines, shapes, people)
I think... (what it might be about)
I feel... (how it makes you feel)
I wonder... (a question you have)

Just for fun

Why did the painting go to jail?

Because it was framed!

Art in our community

Art is all around you: murals on buildings, sculptures in parks, stained glass windows, quilts, pictures in picture books, art in galleries and museums, and the art on your fridge at home!

Art from many communities

Here are a few Canadian artists and art forms:

Artist or art form	Community	What you might notice
Kenojuak Ashevak	Inuk artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut	Famous prints of birds and animals, like The Enchanted Owl, with bold shapes and feathers that spread out like patterns.
Norval Morrisseau	Anishinaabe artist from northwestern Ontario	Bright colours and thick black outlines. He started the Woodland style of art.
Métis floral beadwork	The Métis	Colourful flowers and vines sewn with tiny beads on clothing and bags. The Métis are sometimes called "the Flower Beadwork People."
Maud Lewis	Folk artist from Nova Scotia	Cheerful, bright paintings of animals, flowers and everyday life. She even painted her tiny house!
The Group of Seven	Painters from Ontario and other parts of Canada	Paintings of Canadian lakes, rocks, forests and trees.

A few Canadian artists and art forms

Looking at Indigenous art with respect

Learn the artist's name and their Nation or community, like "Kenojuak Ashevak, an Inuk artist."
Use present tense: First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists are making art today.
Some designs and symbols have special meaning and belong to a family or community. We can learn from them and be inspired, but we don't copy them and call them our own.
Use the "I see, I think, I feel, I wonder" starters to talk about the art.

Worked example

Example: Talking about The Enchanted Owl

With a grown-up, look at a picture of The Enchanted Owl by Kenojuak Ashevak, an Inuk artist. Use the four sentence starters.

I see... "I see an owl. Its feathers spread out big and wide around its body, like a fan or a sun."
I think... "I think the owl is showing off its beautiful feathers."
I feel... "I feel amazed, because the feathers look so big and strong."
I wonder... "I wonder how she made the print. I wonder if she saw owls near her home."

We talked about the art with I see, I think, I feel, I wonder, and we named the artist and her community. (Answers can be different for everyone. In art, there is no single right answer for "I feel.")

Hands-on activity

Make a 3D sculpture and hold a family gallery

You need: playdough, modelling clay or recycled materials (boxes, tubes, bottle caps), tape and glue.

Make a 3D sculpture of something from your life: your pet, your favourite food, your house, a snowman.
Turn it around. Does it look good from all sides? That's what makes 3D art special!
Also make or choose one 2D art work (a drawing or painting).
Set up a family gallery on a table or the fridge. Give each art work a title card.
Family members walk through the gallery and say: "I see... I think... I feel... I wonder..."
Tell your family: "I'm proud of ___. Next time I want to try ___."

Your turn

Is a playdough snowman 2D or 3D?

Is a crayon drawing 2D or 3D?

Name a place in your community where you can see art.

What are the four sentence starters for talking about art?

Draw a picture of something you did last weekend. What is the most important part?

How can you make the most important part of your picture stand out?

Tell one thing you are good at in art and one thing you want to try.

More practice: warm-up

What is a sculpture?

What is a mural?

Who makes art?

Is a painting on paper 2D or 3D?

Where can you see art at home?

More practice: on your own

Look at the cover of a picture book. Say one I see and one I feel sentence.

Who was Kenojuak Ashevak?

What do you notice about Norval Morrisseau's Woodland-style art?

Why should we say the artist's name and community when we talk about Indigenous art?

Make a sculpture of an animal from playdough. Show it from the front and the back. Why is that special?

Challenge

Your friend draws a tiny dog in the corner and a giant tree in the middle. She says the picture is about her dog. What advice could you give her?

Métis artists often bead flower designs. Make your own flower design inspired by beadwork, using dots of colour. Why do we make our own design instead of copying one?

Look at two art works: a bright Maud Lewis painting and a calm Group of Seven lake painting. How are they the same? How are they different?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a 3D art work?

A very large painting on an outside wall is called a ___.

To make the most important part of a picture stand out, an artist can ___.

Kenojuak Ashevak was ___.

Which is the best way to start talking about an art work?

Which is respectful when you learn from Indigenous art?

The Métis are sometimes called ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 1 students make 2D and 3D art inspired by personal experiences, tell stories in pictures using contrast (the Grade 1 principle of design), express feelings about art works, identify strengths and next steps, recognize art in their homes and community, and become aware of art from diverse communities, times and places.

How to help:

Display your child's art and ask them to give it a title.
Visit free community art: murals, public sculptures, library displays. Many Ontario galleries have free or low-cost family days.
With a grown-up, look up images of Kenojuak Ashevak's The Enchanted Owl, Norval Morrisseau's paintings, or Métis beadwork from sources such as galleries, museums and Indigenous organizations.

Teaching respectfully: Name specific artists and Nations, talk about Indigenous art as living and present-day, and encourage inspired by rather than copying. Avoid "Native-style" crafts like paper headdresses or totem poles made as decorations.

Common difficulties:

"I can't draw!" Praise effort and choices, not realism. Ask about their ideas.
Only saying "I like it." Use the four sentence starters and ask "What do you see that makes you say that?"