Howard Finster Units
Howard Finster Unit:
Preacher, Artist - Self Taught
Activity Title: You Can be Heard, a Folk-Art Inspired Self-Portrait
Lesson 1
Contributor: Kimberly Danielson
Approximate Time of Lesson: Mini-lesson 35 minutes
Lesson Focus: The student’s will view a Power Point of Georgia artist Howard Finster. The class will have a mini critique of Howard Finsters Artwork, discussing folk-art, use of symbols and words or text.
Objective: The students will be able to look at Howard Finster’s artwork and describe symbols and use of words or text in his artwork.
Essential Question: How does art help us understand the lives of people of different times, places, and cultures?
Standards:
National Standard: VA: Cn11.1.1a Describe how knowledge of culture, traditions, and history may influence personal responses to art.
State Standard: VAHSDR.CR.1 Visualize and generate ideas for creating works of art. a. Develop work through open-ended inquiry, consideration of multiple options, weighing consequences, and assessing results.
Learning Target:
1. The students will explain the difference between a visionary artist, an outsider artist, and list four characteristics of Folk Art after the PowerPoint presentation of Georgia artist Howard Finster. An Exit ticket will be given towards the end of class.
2. While viewing the artwork the student’s will determine how and why Howard Finster uses writing in his art work and why he creates visionary art using symbols, words and flat color. We will identify, as a class, Elements of Art and Principals of Design in Howard Finsters Art work.
Vocabulary:
Self-taught artist - Art that is self-taught, no formal art school training.
Visionary artist - Art that is inspired by visionary experiences. With Howard Finster, God was telling him to write certain messages and to preach to the people.
Outsider Art - Illustrates extreme mental states and unconventional ideas. Art produced by self- taught artists.
Folk Art - Simplified form, flat bright color (with no shades or tints of color), detailed, use of symbols, words or text.
Materials and Supplies:
Power Point presentation: Who is Howard Finster?
Half sheet copy of the exit ticket.
Motivation: Who is Howard Finster? How will the student develop a focus through personal experience when creating their self-portrait?
Procedures:
Presenting Information: Student’s will view a PowerPoint presentation on Howard Finster.
- Became a Baptist Minister at the age of 16
- He was devoted to his family
- Had a vision from God commanding him to start preaching in paint
- Created more than 45,000 works of art.
- He numbered each painting so he could keep track of the art work he created
- He is a self-taught, visionary artist
- He is considered an outsider artist
- He spoke and preached of his experiences of traveling to other worlds, these experiences were real to him
- Folk artist: colorful, detailed, symbolism, words, simple forms, and flat color
- Overview of what is required in the design in their self-portrait art work
- Critique of 2 pieces of his art work
1. With each slide we will discuss characteristics of his art work. Students will be given a brief history of Howard Finster and how he created his artwork from simple materials. We will emphasize what characteristics of folk art are; colorful, detailed, flat-without perspective, words or text, repetition of symbols.
2. The teacher will briefly describe the project that we will begin next week, a folk art inspired self-portrait. Students will recall how to create a portrait from their previous study of portrait drawing.
3. The final 2 slides of artwork we will have a class interpretation and critique of a Howard Finster’s artwork and explain the use of repetition symbols, words, simplified forms and flat color.
4. Students will be given a Formative Assessment to define what type of artist Howard Finster was and the characteristics of Folk Art.
Assessment: Prepare a ½ page word document.
Students will be given a half sheet of paper, as an Exit Ticket, with 4 questions as preparation for the class project tomorrow.
1. Who is Howard Finster?
2. What is a Visionary Artist?
3. What is an Outsider Artist?
4. Name four characteristics of Folk Art.
Accommodations/Modifications: The teacher will follow up with several students with examples of Howard Finsters art work and review the characteristics of his style of painting, the teacher will review all of the vocabulary words with students to check for understanding.
Resources:
Power Point presentation software.
Photo sources: The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA. and
Google Images for art work examples
Georgia Visual Art Standards and National Visual Art Standards
Activity Title: You Can be Heard, a Folk-Art Inspired Self-Portrait
Lesson 2
Contributor: Kimberly Danielson
Approximate Time of Lesson: 90 minutes
Lesson Focus: The students apply previous knowledge of Howard Finster and compare to three other self-taught, portrait artists. The students will contrast these artist styles to generate 2 self-portrait sketches on their own, a full page rough draft of their final sketch with more detail. These pages are included in their work packet.
Objective: The students will begin to design their artwork by sketching, while documenting their ideas in the Student Work Packet. The students will reflect artistically through personal choice in their artwork.
Essential Question: What conditions, attitudes, and behaviors support creativity and innovative thinking when creating their folk art inspired drawings?
Standards:
National Standard: VA: Cr1.1.8a Document early stages of the creative process visually and/or verbally in traditional or new media.
State Standard: VAHSVAMC.1 Engages in the creative process, imagines new ideas by using mental and visual imagery, conceptualizes these ideas by using artistic language and contextual understandings in assessing learning, and develops a personal artistic voice that gives unique form to these concepts. a. Identifies artistic styles of a range of contemporary and past artists.
Learning Target:
1. The students apply previous knowledge of Howard Finster and compare to three other self-taught, portrait artists to generate new ideas. The students will contrast these artist styles to sketch 2 small self-portraits on their own, in a folk art inspired style, recalling from a previous lesson how facial proportion is established in their artwork.
2. The students will construct meaning as they create their self-portrait sketches. The students will enlarge one of the sketches to a full-page sketch before moving to the final drawing. Students are asked to study the art examples given on their tables to get ideas and focus on their final sketch. Students are also asked to create list of 20 words that may have personal, social, and cultural meaning they will use in their final drawing.
Vocabulary:
Self-taught artist - Art that is self-taught, no formal art school training.
Visionary artist - Art that is inspired by visionary experiences. With Howard Finster, God was telling him to write certain messages and to preach to the people.
Outsider Art- Illustrates extreme mental states and unconventional ideas. Art produced by self- taught artists.
Folk Art – Simplified form, flat bright color (with no shades or tints of color), detailed, use of symbols, words or text.
Power Point Presentation- Folk-Art Inspired Self Portraits
Table Baskets:
Table Baskets:
- 2 pages each, 4 artists, portrait examples, laminate
- Howard Finster
- Molly Crabapple
- Jean-Michel Basquit
- Tony Fitzpatrick
- Small basket of 8 sharpened pencils
- Medium basket of 50 Crayola Colored Pencils A small pencil sharpener
- Construction Paper Crayons, 3 each of 8 color
- Crayola 8 pack of skin tone crayons
- Silver Sharpies
- papers 3x5, for students to practice on to decide the color of their final art work. Colors-Gray, Black, White and Tan.
- Student work packet
- Mirrors so students can see themselves or students may take a selfie with their phones
Student work packet, 3 pages plus cover page
Create a word document with these 3 statements, one on each page:
- Cover page (attached)
- Page 1. Create 2 folk art practice sketched of YOU.
- Page 2. Choose your best sketch and enlarge it to fill an 81/2x11 piece of paper. See your teacher for a final check. Your face should include all facial features.
- Page 3. Generate a list of at least 20 words, phrases, song lyrics, or quotes that tell us about you, describing personal, social, and cultural meaning.
Motivation: How will the student develop a focus through personal experience when creating their self-portrait?
Procedures:
Presenting Information: Student’s will view a PowerPoint presentation: Folk-Art Self-Portrait. Artists: Howard Finster, Molly Crabapple, Jean-Michael Basquiat, and Tony Fitzpatrick.
1. The presentation will be given introducing the students to other culturally diverse artists. We will talk about their styles as self-taught portrait artists to generate new ideas. Students will observe how their styles vary yet include the same elements in their art work. Detail, symbolism, use of words, simple forms, and flat color, all characteristics of folk art.
2. The last slide is a picture of Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden, located just 1 hour and 20 minutes from Marietta.
3. Students will be given a Student Work Packet and table baskets that will contain all of their materials. I will briefly describe the contents of the baskets and the students will begin to plan their ideas and experiment with materials before beginning their final project.
4. Students will spend the rest of the class time developing their own artistic style self-portrait. Their art work must include a self-portrait, 2 sketches, 1 full page enlargement of their best sketch, the sketch should include repetition of symbols, words, and flat color.
Assessment: Student work packet.
Student work packet, 3 pages:
Create a word document with these 3 statements:
1. Create 2 folk art practice sketched of YOU.
2. Choose your best sketch and enlarge it to fill an 81/2x11 piece of paper. See your teacher for a final check. Your face should include all facial features.
Page 3. Generate a list of at least 20 words, phrases, song lyrics, or quotes that tell us about you, describing personal, social, and cultural meaning
Accommodations/Modifications: Peer modeling, adjusting instruction, simplifying questions.
Resources:
Power Point presentation software.
Photo sources: The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA.
Google Images.
Georgia State Standards and National Visual Art Standards
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Activity Title: You Can be Heard, a Folk-Art Inspired Self-Portrait
Lesson 3
Contributor: Kimberly Danielson
Approximate Time of Lesson, including work packet: 90 minutes
Lesson Focus: At the beginning of class the students will watch a video called, Roadside
America, Howard Finster. The students will design a self-portrait recalling information from the previous 2 lessons to create a folk art inspired artwork, today is a work day.
America, Howard Finster. The students will design a self-portrait recalling information from the previous 2 lessons to create a folk art inspired artwork, today is a work day.
Objective: Artist and designers develop excellence through practice and constructive critique, reflecting on, revising, and refining work over time.
Essential Question: What role does persistence play in revising, refining, and developing work?
Standards:
National Standard: VA: Cr3.1.1a Apply relevant criteria to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for a work of art or design in progress.
State Standard: VAHSVAMC.2 Finds and solves problems through open-ended inquiry, the consideration of multiple options, weighing consequences, and assessing results. a. Uses sketchbook journal to research and experiment with artistic conventions to communicate ideas. b. Generates more than one solution to a single artistic problem and assesses merits of each.
Learning Target:
1. The students apply knowledge of Howard Finster and compare to three other self-taught, artists. Students will begin to reflect on their choices as they develop their final self-portrait. The students will begin to work on their final product, an 11x14 self-portrait on a piece of black, white, tan, or gray paper.
Materials and Supplies:
Table Baskets:
- Student work packet, 3 pages
- Materials
- Artist examples
- Students final 11x14 artist paper for the final art work
Final paper 11x14. Choice of color: Black, White, Tan, Grey. Students will choose their color.
Procedures:
1. Watch a video: Roadside America, Howard Finster
2. Students will be given table baskets that will contain all of their materials needed for their project today. Students will begin their studio work time. The teacher will review the content requirements for their self-portrait and ask if there are any questions.
3. As students’ progress individually the teacher will will walk around observing for task completion and understanding. The teacher will meet with students as needed.
4. Students will spend the rest of the class time developing their self-portrait. Their art work must include a self-portrait, include repetition of symbols, words, and flat color.
4. Students will spend the rest of the class time developing their self-portrait. Their art work must include a self-portrait, include repetition of symbols, words, and flat color.
5. Clean up and organize table baskets. All materials go in the table basket.
6. (The last 15 minutes of class) Pop up critique. Display a digital image on the white board. Ask 3 questions, all students participate. This activity is modeling an art critique that the students will participate in tomorrow as a whole group.
Questions: TAG Peer Review, each student will be given 1 post-it-note. (there will be 3 different colors, divide them among the students. For example, 10 orange, 10 blue, 10 yellow) Each color of note stands for a question listed below.
1. Tell the artist something you like (orange)
2. Ask the artist a question (blue)
3. Give the artist a suggestion (yellow)
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| George Washington #6903 Image from the High Museum of Art |
Assessment: Student Work Packet, ongoing individual summative assessment.
Formative assessment, Whole class critique of George Washington #6903
Resources:
Student and Teacher Examples
Power Point presentation software.
Photo sources: The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA.
Google Images
Georgia State Standards and National Visual Art Standards
YouTube Video, link attached to copy and paste
Lesson 4
Contributor: Kimberly Danielson
Approximate Time of Lesson: 90 minutes
Activity Description: Whole class critique. How will students perceive and analyze the artistic work of their peers? Students have designed a self-portrait; each student is in different stages of production of their art work. Today we will conduct a whole class peer critique. Students will view the work of their peers, asking 3 questions and given 3 of each color of post-it-note, 9 in all.
Objective: Artist and designers develop excellence through practice and constructive critique, reflecting on, revising, and refining work over time.
Essential Question: What can we learn from our responses to art
Standards:
National Standard: Va: RE.7.2.IIa Evaluate the effectiveness of an image or images to influence ideas, feelings, and behaviors of specific audiences.
State Standard:
VAHSDR.RE.2 Critique personal works of art and the artwork of others, individually and collaboratively, using a variety of approaches. a. Reflect on the artistic process of works of art through a variety of approaches (e.g. portfolio review, formal and informal in-progress critique, art criticism). b. Consider peer feedback on in-progress work to inform decision making, analyze specific strengths and weaknesses, and analyze technique and methods in support of artistic intention.
Learning Target:
1. The students will participate in a student/peer critique. The students will apply knowledge of previous lessons when responding to the critique questions about peer art work.
2. What is the value of engaging in the process of art criticism? Students will reflect on this question at the end of the critique.
Materials and Supplies:
Table Baskets: Student art work, student work packet, artist examples and all table supplies.
Clip boards with TAG Critique document and 3 colors of post it notes, three of each color.
Motivation: Students will participate in a peer critique. Students will present their art work on their table free from clutter and distractions. The teacher will discuss the rules of the critique, read the questions. Ask if there are any questions. Students will gather a clip board and pencil to begin the critique process, walking around the room.
Procedures:
Presenting information: an art critique
1. A brief explanation of how we will conduct this art critique. Recalling from the end of class critique yesterday, 3 questions and appropriate responses to their peer’s artwork.
2. Students will gather their art work and place it at the table where they sit.
3. Students will stand and begin the critique process.
4. When the critique is over, approximately 20 minutes, students will return to their seat to read their comments.
5. Teacher will ask for volunteers to show their art work and read the comments that were placed around their art work.
6. The remaining class time will be spent reflecting on the comments from their peers and making additional changes to their individual art work developing awareness to their own personal experience and perceptions.
Assessment: Formative Assessment – Peer critique
TAG Peer Review
Accommodations/Modifications: I walked around during the critique checking for understanding in the written comments.
Resources:
The Art of Education: TAG Peer Review, critique sheet
Activity Title: You Can be Heard, A Folk-Art Inspired Self-Portrait
Lesson 5
Contributor: Kimberly Danielson
Approximate Time of Lesson: 90 minutes
Activity Description: The students will continue to develop the final phase of their self-portraits, reading over the rubric and making any needed adjustments.
Objective: Artist and designers develop excellence through practice and constructive critique, reflecting on, revising, and refining work over time.
Essential Question: What role does persistence play in revising, refining, and developing work?
Standards:
National Standard: VA: Cr3.1.1a Apply relevant criteria to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for a work of art or design in progress.
State Standard: VAHSVAMC.2 Finds and solves problems through open-ended inquiry, the consideration of multiple options, weighing consequences, and assessing results. a. Uses sketchbook journal to research and experiment with artistic conventions to communicate ideas. b. Generates more than one solution to a single artistic problem and assesses merits of each.
Materials and Supplies: Table Baskets, Rubric
Procedures:
1. Rubric will be passed to every student.
2. Students self-evaluate their art work, reading over the Rubric, making changes, adjustments and comments. Students will be graded on creating, responding, presenting and the craft of their art work.
3. Students will continue to evaluate their art and continue to make improvements. Some students have taken a picture of their art work with their phone to look at it differently on the screen.
4. The teacher will walk around and support the students as they have questions. I will paraphrase directions individually and check for understanding for those students with IEP’s and ESL’s.
5. Students will clean up and organize their table materials 10 minutes prior to the end of class. These table baskets hold all of their materials and final art work.
6. Turn in self-portrait, student work packet completed, and Rubric, self-reflection
Accommodations/Modifications: The teacher will walk around during the critique checking for understanding in the written comments.
Student Examples of Howard Finster Inspired Self Portrait
Paradisegardenfoundation.org/education/plans
- This program is supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts.
Suggested Reading:
Howard Finster: The Early Years: A Private Portrait of America's Premier Folk Artist
By Thelma Finster Bradshaw
Howard Finster, Stranger from Another World: Man of Visions Now on This Earth
By Howard Finster, Roger Manley (Photographer), Victor Faccinto (Photographer), Tom Patterson
Envisioning Howard Finster: The Religion and Art of A Stranger From Another World
By Norman J. Girardot
Howard Finster: Man of Visions: The Life and Work of a Self-Taught Artist
By J.F. Turner (Out of Print)
Paradise Garden
By Robert Peacock
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