Hands-On Studio Project: Patterns That Pop

1. Introduce Yayoi Kusama and discuss her use of patterns, motifs, and colors. Use the works featured in this issue of Scholastic Art to facilitate the conversation. Ask: What do you see? (Answers will vary but should touch on the idea that many of Kusama’s works include a central subject and a repeating pattern.)
2. Talk about patterns that are found in nature and and those that are human-made.
3. Remind students that their final works are not meant to be realistic but rather compositions that pop with repeating patterns, color, and even whimsy.

1. Invite students to look for patterns in the world around them. Encourage them to start by looking for human-made motifs indoors, and then have them step outside or look out a window to identify patterns in nature.
2. Suggest some examples, such as groupings of raspberries, the inside of a tomato or artichoke, the bark of a tree or the center of a flower, and patterns in a brick or stone wall, a stone path, or even the tread of a tire.
3. Have them make several sketches or take photos of the patterns they see.
4. Invite students to share and discuss their sketches and photos.

1. Ask students to pick a subject for their artworks. Then have them identify a few patterns they want to explore.

2. Explain that students may work in any medium. Make suggestions, including drawing, painting, collage, digital drawing, or photography. Recommend that they keep their compositions simple, which will help emphasize their patterns.

3. Encourage students to play with how they introduce patterns into their compositions. They might develop a motif that repeats throughout the scene, or they might use pattern to build the shapes of objects within the image.

4. Explain that they might experiment with complementary colors and/or analogous colors.

1. Once students complete their preparatory work, have them make their final compositions.
2. Encourage those who chose to draw, paint, collage, or work digitally to focus on emphasizing their patterns using line and color.
3. Those who are working with photography should use basic photo-editing software to adjust the color and contrast of their work, aiming to emphasize their patterns.
4. Remind students not to be afraid to make bold choices.

1. Did student learn how Kusama works with pattern?
2. Did student experiment with a motif in his or her own work?

— Prepared by:

Nancy D. Hoover

The Girls’ School of Austin

Austin, Texas