Painting; Imagination

Introduction  This is really quite a simple exercise to set up. It requires little effort on your part and yet it is of profound importance. Providing opportunities for creative development of the imagination is such a pivotal part of the art curriculum and yet it is very often overlooked or not taught.  By providing a stimulus, such as a piece of text then asking the students to imagine pictures to go with that text you are providing rich opportunities for creative development.  Of course you can change the text and/or link it to other curriculum areas. Spike Milligan’s nonsense poems work very well for this exercise too.

Imagination Painting  The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat, They took some honey, and plenty of money, Wrapped up in a five pound note. The Owl looked up to the stars above, And sang to a small guitar, "O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love, What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are, What a beautiful Pussy you are."  Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl, How charmingly sweet you sing. O let us be married, too long we have tarried; But what shall we do for a ring?" They sailed away, for a year and a day, To the land where the Bong-tree grows, And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose, With a ring at the end of his nose.  "Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?“ Said the Piggy, "I will" So they took it away, and were married next day By the Turkey who lives on the hill. They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon. And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand. They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, Task: Read the poem of the Owl & the Pussycat and use your imagination to illustrate a scene from the poem.

More Imagination based activities……  1. Paint a monster’s lair.  2. Paint an image of Heaven. You are not allowed to draw angels or clouds!  3. Paint an image of Hell but you are not allowed to draw devils or flames!  4. Paint Santa’s toy factory.  5. Paint an alien planet full of alien life.  6. Paint yourself and/or your family and friends in 20 years time.  7. Imagine you have won the lottery. Paint a picture of the things you would buy.