Lesson Plan Submitted by Val Warwick,
Primary art teacher in Tasmania, Australia

As an introduction to a study on Van Gogh I have photocopied his Cypresses painting (in black and white only) and given a copy each to the children. However, one group was allowed to use coloured pencils, one group used crayons, another pastels, and another Texta colours (Textas are markers). After the children have coloured them as they imagine they should look, they share their reasons for their use of colour, texture, etc. Only then do they see the painting as Van Gogh did it. This excites the children to find out more.

Click on the images for the larger size Road with Cypress and Star, (1890); Oil on canvas, Rijksmuseum Kroller-Muller, Otterlo	Cypresses, (1889); Oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York