Art Camp Project : Blue Horse by Franz Marc
If you plan on hosting an art camp, keep reading to discover how to host one using the Blue Horse by Franz Marc as inspiration. All you need are a few supplies and a reliable team of people to make it possible.
How to Set Up an Art Camp
For starters, you’ll need to set up the logistics, such as the day the camp will be held, the location the camp will take place, and the time it will happen. Once you have those details, recruit a few other teachers and/or parents that will be available to help out before and during camp day.
You’ll also want to draft up what to tell parents who will be signing their children up. Be sure to note as much detail as possible. Let parents know how their children will need to be dressed, what they need to bring (if anything), and anything else pertinent to your specific camp.
Before camp day, meet with your team of people who will be helping make camp day possible. Delegate specific tasks for everyone to do to ensure the day runs as smooth as possible. To help with communication, provide your team with a detailed schedule with their specific tasks highlighted.
Pre-purchase any and all supplies needed for the art project you are planning to do. In the case of this project idea, Blue Horse by Franz Marc, you’ll need:
Images of horses hanging on wall (including Franz Marc’s works)
Horse templates
Long construction paper in a variety of colors (no white, black or red)
Black sharpies
Black and white oil pastels
Scissors
Pencils
Poster-sized paper taped to wall
Book: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
On camp day, have everything in order, laid out, and ready to execute. Most importantly, prepare to have fun!
Art Camp Project Idea: Blue Horse by Franz Marc
To easily incorporate this project idea in your next art camp, follow these simple instructions:
Read The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse by Eric Carle. After you read the book, do a quick overview of what the technique abstract means (doesn’t depict reality). Play a thumbs up/thumbs down game using the question, “Is it abstract?” along with about 10 different pictures that depict abstract, and some that don’t.
Explain the project. Point out the horses you have taped on the wall. Explain what the templates are, and model how to use them. Students will use one of each horse template. They can turn it whichever way they want. Model this on a sheet of paper taped to the white board.
Have children begin creating their horses. Have students select the color of construction paper they want for their horses (cannot select red). Trace horses, cut out, add lines (like the ones drawn on the templates) with a black Sharpie. Make everyone stop what they are doing to add the other oil pastels to the horse (black and white). Cut out the horses (This has to be the last step or else they will tear their horses while adding the oil pastels).
Assemble the background for their horse project. Model every step on a poster-sized piece of paper taped to the wall. Add sky lines and plant shapes to the background using a variety of colors. Assemble horses to background and glue.
Ideas for Making Your Blue Horse Art Project a Success
As with any camp-related activity, the idea is to have fun. The more fun children have, the less they’ll realize that they are learning. Depending on the location you’ll be hosting your camp, include different places and environments. For example, use the hallway area to read the story and do a lesson overview. Decorate it with an area rug, pillows, and string lights.
For the next part of the project, move the students inside of a classroom. Decorate the walls with different types of horse pictures and use big tables with chairs for them to have plenty of working space. Create a special area for them to hang their work for showing.
Use the suggestions in this post to create a memorable art camp using the project idea Blue Horse by Franz Marc.
