Yipes Stripes!
Bringing Hispanic voices into the art room is a beautiful and important thing to do at all times of the year. Try this Hispanic Heritage Month art project.
However, from September 15 to October 15, it’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which a time to elevate the history, art, and contributions of those Hispanic-Americans who came from Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Spain, or their ancestors did.
Mid-September is the Independence Day of many Spanish-speaking countries, and it’s why this particular time of the year was chosen. First, Hispanic Heritage Month was only a week long, and now it’s a full month.
This doesn’t mean stereotypes such as creating paper plate sombreros. This means intentionally seeking out working Hispanic-American artists and introducing them to your students so that they know more voices out there than just Frida.
As someone who has the opportunity, honor, and privilege of serving thousands of art teachers and homeschoolers around the world, it is one of my favorite things to bring artists who are not the “masters” to the forefront. It’s one of the keystones of everything that I do, and I often go on long quests to find artists that will resonate with kids – and with you.
Turning shapes on their heads
Stanley Bermudez quickly caught my eye with his vibrant colors, lines, and shapes – the perfect complement to our new PEP-Elements & Principles Curriculum.
Working with acrylics, Bermudez finds his inspiration from where he grew up in Venezuela, including the bright, vibrant colors of the culture and its folk art, as well as from the Guajiro Indians. Although he has a series of portraits, he also frequently uses shapes in his art – from simple geometric shapes like circles, to cut outs that almost look like Tetris pieces.
When painting the shapes, however, the lines are painted diagonal or perpendicular to the background, using a similar color scheme.
This gave me an idea for helping kids to explore the use of color, shape, and line, by turning shapes – on their heads.
Kids can glue their shapes down, or, for even more fun, add a brad so they can camouflage and uncamouflage their shapes by just turning them.
Washi Tape Shapes Video
What you'll need:
- 9×12 white sulphite paper
- Washi tape (solids, metallic, glittery, patterns, in an array of bright colors)
- Scissors
- Glue stick or a brad
Washi Tape Shapes Instructions
Lay washi tape stripes across the paper. Make sure to have the paper in landscape position.
The easiest way to lay the washi tape down is to put it down on the left side of the paper and, while holding the tape above and to the right, walk the fingers along the tape. This can help to eliminate the bunching. Then students can snip the tape.
Continue to lay tape to fill the space. If the washi tape is all the same size, some can be half layered on top of others to create narrower stripes.
Fold the paper in half like a card, open it, and cut it in half.
Flip one piece over and draw the shapes. Tracers can be used like lids and the washi tape rolls themselves.
Glue down, or use a brad.
To use a brad, place the brad through the center of each shape. Then place the shape onto the paper with the stripes going in the same direction. Find the place where it looks like it’s camouflaged and then pierce through the back and secure. Repeat with the rest of the shapes. Experiment with turning the shapes so that they are hidden, and then contrasted.
Ready to yell yipes stripes?
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Thank you for sharing this lesson. I’ve never heard of the artist. I love that it introduces Hispanic-American heritage.
It is one of my favorite things in the world to find artists that should be in the limelight more and introduce them to others! So glad you love it!