INSPIRED BY BERTRAM BROOKER – Canadian Artist, Abstract Art

Students will be able to:

• use watercolour techniques to create an abstract design that includes their name;
• use placement of objects to create areas of emphasis;
• use contrast to create the illusion of depth;
• demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity;
• support their ideas with evidence found in the works.

Have students:

• interview their parents about their choice of names;
• create a picture book of their naming story using the name design as a cover;
• work in small teams to create displays of groups of books as if they are being sold in a bookstore;
• organize an author reading event to share their books with others.

1. Prepare a short story about your own name to use as an example. 
2. Gather and make available some books about names, for example, The Name Jar, by Yangsook Choi; Naming Ceremonies, by Mandy Ross; My Name Is Yoon, by Helen Recorvits; and 100,000+ Baby Names: The Most Complete, and Fascinating, and Helpful Name Book You Can Find, by Bruce Lansky.
3. Download and display the Contrast and Emphasis posters available on this website.
   Posters
4. Download the images of Bertram Brooker's painting, Sounds Assembling, 1928, and Wassily Kandinsky's, Yellow, Red, Blue, (1925) from the Internet.
   Bertram Brooker
   Wassily Kandinsky
5. You may want to make a painting sample that is partially complete. 

1. Ask students to work in small groups. Invite them to take turns telling a story about their name.
2. Prompt their thinking by posing some questions. For example, 
   - How did you get your name?
   - Do you like your name? What would you have called yourself if not the name you were given?
   - Are you named after anyone?
   - What does your name mean?
3. Provide a short example by telling about your own name.
4. Once students have shared their stories in small groups, ask for a few volunteers to share their story with the whole class. 
5. View and discuss the paintings, Sounds Assembling, and Yellow, Red, Blue without sharing the titles.
6. Introduce the artist Bertram Brooker, and share a few points about him:
   - born in England in 1888, came to Canada in 1905
   - the first Canadian artist to exhibit abstract paintings (1927)
   - Brooker added perspective to his abstract compositions
   - he was also a writer, his first novel won the Governor General’s Medal for the best Canadian novel of the year in 1936
   - he was influenced by Wassily Kandinsky
7. Introduce the artist Wassily Kandinsky, and share a few points about him:
   - born in 1866
   - Russian artist
   - had a special gift called synaesthesia cognate - a condition that meant when he heard a sound he also saw a particular colour
   - he used colours and shapes in his abstract paintings to express feelings and music
   - he painted the first non objective painting called the First Abstract Watercolour, 1910
   - he thought each shape created specific feelings – square caused calm feelings; triangle caused aggressive feelings; circle caused heavenly feelings
8. Ask students to think about how they could use the abstract style to express feelings about themselves.
9. Introduce the challenge.

1. When all the paintings are complete ask students to take turns sharing their work in small groups. Have students first tell what they think the painting design is communicating about the artist. Remind them to support their ideas with evidence found in the work. Ask them, "What do you see that makes you say that?" 
2. Once students have said what they think, have the artist say what he/she intended. 
3. During the discussion include references to:
   ​- placement – How has the placement of different shapes and symbols been used to create areas of emphasis? What message does this communicate?
   - space – How has the use of watercolour pencil added to the sense of space?
   - creativity – How does the design reflect the uniqueness of the artist?
4. When all the groups have finished sharing, have students do a walk about to view all the paintings in the class. 
5. Ask a few volunteers to share what they learned.
6. Display the paintings in the classroom for several weeks.

1. Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
2. Observe students as they discuss their paintings – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
3. Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads – AmazingNames_tracking.pdf)
4. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads – AmazingNames_self-assessment.pdf)