Painting up perfect squares (Piet Mondrian style)

How books can inspire artist studies in your classroom

In my previous post, I shared with you the book, “Perfect Square” by Michael Hall which we read aloud in our circletime. As another followup to our book, we explored the painting process by painting squares in the style (or influence) of Piet Mondrian…

The children were invited to explore the painting process by painting inside the squares with any color of paint they liked…

The Process

For today, we added the tape to the squares of cardboard for the kids so they could just focus on the painting process. When we explore this process later in the school year, we will invite the children to create their own taped lines and not worry so much whether they make squares or not.  Even we had a hard time making perfect squares but the children didn’t seem to mind…

Painting with Colors of Choice

Each child chose the color or colors they wanted to use in their squares. Some children chose to paint every square the same color…

Other children chose to paint every square a different color…

Other children were very systematic in how they chose to paint in their squares while others just painted the squares without a plan in mind…

Reflections on the Experience

Mrs. Courtney and I planned to remove the tape from the squares after they paintings dried but they were so lovely with the tape left on that we decided perhaps to leave the tape on.  This is why we chose to use cardboard, thinking the tape would remove more easily without tearing the paper. But  we are still undecided and the paintings are still sitting in our drying rack waiting to go home…

Available on Amazon

Links to Grow On

Inspired by Mondrian: Art for Kids from The Imagination Tree

Painting with Scissors Like Henri Matisse from Little Running Teacher