July Fine Arts Pathway: Plywood Paintings!

By: Kate Quattlebaum

GettyImages-960909834 copyChildren make connections from artwork to their own lives and begin to form an appreciation for art. Children truly enjoy talking about what they see, figuring out the mysteries of the artwork, and ultimately giving their opinion of the work. Works of art filled with simple shapes, bright colors, and patterns — and art that contains appealing subject matter such as animals, families, other children, and pets — are favorites as well. Art can be posed as a mystery for children to investigate, or posed as a puzzle for them to interpret and explore. Our monthly Fine Arts Pathways provide teachers and children with a developmentally-appropriate way to explore many types of fine arts that may not otherwise be accessible outside of a museum or world-travels.

Screen Shot 2019-07-18 at 5.14.28 PMThis month we are studying the piece, Landscape with Rainbow by Aaron Binbaum. Aaron Birnbaum was born in 1895 in the city of Skole,
in what is now Ukraine. Birnbaum was a New York dress manufacturer who took up painting only after he retired at the age of 70. Birnbaum was known
as one of the last 20th century memory painters, meaning he would paint romanticized scenes from his youth in bright colors that reflected an optimistic spirit. He was able to use painting to record memories in a playful yet abstract way. Most of his work was done in oil or acrylic on paper, wood, glass, or tin. On his 100th birthday, the Museum of American Folk Art
celebrated his art and his age at a party in his honor. He was hailed to be an exceptional folk artist at the age of 100. He lived to be 103.

Aaron Birnbaum was one of the last known memory painters, meaning he painted things he had experienced and remembered. To incorporate the Fine Arts Pathway at home, invite your child to consider and discuss something they are very familiar with. Encourage them to gather materials necessary to recreate their memory into a painting or drawing!