Using literature as inspiration for art Ms. Griffus

How do artists use poetry in their artworks?

Kenneth Patchmen Painting Poems have been written about paintings such as the Mona Lisa, American gothic, and the Hokusai wave. Do you get a story from looking at an image? Many artists look to writings and poems for inspiration. Painting

Roxane Tracey Mixed Media Roxane Tracey Some people write auto biographical poetry Mixed Media

Poetry & Graphic Art: The Collaborations of Nick Flynn and Josh Neufeld A black river flows down the center of each page, and on either side the banks are wrapped in snow. My father is ink falling, in tiny blossoms, a bottle wrapped in a paperbag. I want to believe that If I get the story right, we will ride, newly formed, That I will stand over him again as he sleeps outside under the church halogen only this time I will know, what to say. It is night and it’s snowing and starlings fill the trees above us, so many it seems the leaves sing. I can’t see them until they rise together at some hidden signal and hold the shape of the tree for a moment before scattering. I wait for his breath to lift his blanket. Could all comics be considered poetry? Think about how you can combine image and text to illustrate a story. Comics

Erin Leigh Mae Chevrette Collage/Photo/Mixed Media Erin Leigh and mae chevrette. Art inspired by EE cummings poems These are interpretations of a famous artist (EE Cummings) poems. Using mixed media, collage, photo, drawing, and interesting text. Collage/Photo/Mixed Media

Janis Zroback “A child looking at ruins grows younger but cold and wants to wake to a new name I have been younger in October than in all the months of spring” Abstract Art

Louder Than a Bomb Documentary Trailer Poetry Slams Some people use performance with poetry Poetry Slams

Collaborative Poem Interpretation Assignment Day 1 Each table has been given a different selection from the same poem. At your table you will read and then interpret the poem selection given TOGETHER. PLEASE DO NOT tell other tables what your section says. We will see the whole poem at the end of the lesson.

Everyone at the table must contribute and give input/ideas Everyone at the table must contribute and give input/ideas. For example: One person lays out sketch, one person draws words, one person finds/glues images, one person colors in. Include the text from your selection (Creatively!) Don’t leave blank space. Fill up the page. (No more than 15% of the page should be left uncovered).

Last Day: After each piece is completed, we will put the images side by side as a class and reveal the whole poem. To tie up this lesson, each student will fill out an evaluation/their own Interpretation of the poem.

Requirements- Day One: Discuss and interpret the poem selection with your group. Brainstorm ideas through discussion or sketch on the back of your handout. Illustrate the selection. How does it make you feel? What pictures Come to mind? What inspires you about it? Creatively include the text you were given. Layout the image in pencil. (sketch lightly) Everybody contribute. Make it ONE image, (not everyone make a separate image on one sheet.) Collaborate! When ready: finish the image by adding color.

Requirements- Day 2: Finish your piece. Make sure the composition is neat and complete. We will put the images side by side and reveal the whole poem. One person from each group will read their selection from the poem. Fill out your evaluation form

The Foam By Robbie Q. Tefler, Taken from the book “Learn than Burn” Participant in poetry slams. Collaboration of youth and teachers poetry. Side by side a student from each group will read their selection

Tips on how to represent words through art: Underline words of importance, underline words that bring images to mind. Think about what feeling you get when you read this- is it funny? Sad? Ridiculous? Serious? Think about colors that evoke certain feelings: red (violence, love), black (darkness), yellow (happiness), blue (calm) Don’t get carried away with the details or realism- it is a representation and interpretation. Many times artists represent feelings, pictures, and interpret words through abstract art. Try not to be obvious. For example: hearts=love, or a sad face to represent sad emotion.