Jasper Johns Art Numbers

May 15 is artist Jasper Johns birthday.

Jasper Johns was born in America, on May 15, 1930 in Augusta, Georgia to be exact. As a boy, he knew he would be an artist one day. So when he grew up, he moved to New York and studied art. Jasper Johns became famous for painting ordinary things that people sometimes take for granted...

Flags, targets, maps and most famously, numbers. In this art project, students can decorate and design their age or any number they choose using Jasper Johns art as inspiration.

I have done this paper and paint or pastels or even just crayons if you are in as a TTOC for a one day class. The example I found online used canvas and painting for amulti-day project. But the idea is still the same. For the art I did with a Grade 4/5 class, we used Charles Demuth's 'The Figure 5 in Gold' as inspiration, but again, the idea of numbers and using white space is the same.

Here are some basic instructions:

1. Each student gets an 11x17 piece of paper or stretched canvas.
2. Show examples of projects (from online) and from the artists of inspiration (Demuth or Johns) or even just different fonts of different numbers (you can type and print off word)
3. Talk about the shapes and curves and lines of each number.
4. Demonstrate ways to design numbers, using as much of the page as possible, paying attention to white space, shape, size and composition.
5. "Make the numerals big so that the negative spaces around the image of your age/number are really interesting to look at."
6. Talk about color, mizing, blending (if using paint or pastels especially) You may use the colour wheel to discuss if you wish.
7. Be sure to lay our news paper or plastic if you are painting!

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