Britto + Balloons = Bright and Brilliant!

Welcome back to another episode of Sarah’s Amazing Art Students. I have two colorful projects to share today: hot air balloon drawings and paintings, and art inspired by the Brazilian artist Britto.  

  

My students started the school year back in September by making colorful hot air balloons. Every grade did them. The youngest ones used crayon because…well, have you ever painted with twenty-four five-year-olds? It’s messy. We do it occasionally, I pull my hair out, we wait a few months until I forget how messy it is, and then we do it again. The older students used watercolor paint for their balloons, and the effects were beautiful. I love all these balloons for how colorful and individual they are. 

Earlier this spring my younger students started a project inspired by the famous artist Romero Britto. Even if you are not familiar with that name, you probably have seen his work. His paintings and sculpture have been exhibited in more than one hundred countries around the world. Britto’s use of bright color and playful motifs and pattern illustrate what is at the core of his art: a desire to share hope and happiness. My students only had one art class to start this project because we did not know that schools would be shut down just a few days later. Most students did not finish that day, so the pieces I have to share here are not necessarily finished. But a few are, and I wanted to show how delightful these young artists’ creations are. The youngest kids colored in coloring pages but slightly older students drew their own animals or faces (frequent subject matter of Britto’s). This would have been so cool to display at our art show. Still, even seeing them online is fun, and I hope you enjoy their spirited creations. 

Thanks for checking out my latest chapter of Adventures in the Art Room. Stay tuned, because more is on the way…