Grades K-4: Fantastical Photos
Lesson One
Artist Spotlight: Cassandra C. Jones
Provide your students with full-page images of the artist’s work.
Click here for printable images.
Begin by asking students the following questions as they look
at Rara Avis by Cassandra C. Jones.
• What do you see?
• How does the work change as you look at it from different angles or distances?
• Why do you think that the artist chose to use flamingos for flower petals? What about the flamingos resembles flowers at first view?
At first glance, works of art by Cassandra C. Jones look like beautiful wallpaper patterns or delicate flowers. Step closer and you will see that the pink petals of these flowers actually are flamingos! It is this mental process–first looking, then understanding, then questioning, then understanding some more–that makes Jones' work such a delight to see, and to see again*. Through a process of layering, overlapping, and developing patterns, she transforms digital photographs into a world of imagination and discovery.
Student Connection: Eye Spy Color
Create your own wall of color and pattern, inspired by the work of Cassandra C. Jones. You may wish to explore color values as shown in the example photographs above or, as a class, you could create a mural of flowers, trees, etc. Begin by cutting images from magazines and organizing them by color. For example, the red pile might include pictures of apples, fire trucks, red shoes, etc. Next, develop patterns, remembering to layer and overlap the images as you attach them to the mural. Encourage students to collect and add found objects (candy wrappers, hair ribbons, recycled envelopes, etc.), following the color scheme that has been chosen.
Student Connection: If...
Imagine if kids had tails and leaves were really fish! Your class will be delighted by Sarah Perry's book, If... This story inspires students to research and learn more about animals who change their appearance in dramatic ways. For example, a chameleon blends in with its surroundings for protection and a caterpillar constructs a cocoon before metamorphosing into a butterfly. Have students research and write a report about the changes that these and other animals undergo, including the purposes behind these changes. Finish by drawing pictures to illustrate what people would look like if we underwent these same changes (e.g. if aunts spun cocoons, if parents shed their skin, if grandpas hibernated all winter, etc.).
*Artist information derived from: VC Reporter
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