Mini Art Lesson   Tuesday, April 28, 2020For this week’s Mini Art Lesson, we’re looking

Mini Art Lesson   Tuesday, April 28, 2020For this week’s Mini Art Lesson, we’re looking at one of the oldest works in the our collection: this Female Figure, made about 5,500 years ago in ancient Egypt. Children ages 2-6, get ready to strike a pose and learn about how Female Figure, also called Bird Lady, combines human and animal features! For children 7 and up, we’ll make our own clay and figure out how to capture movement through sculpture. Follow along below for step-by-step instructions.FOR AGES 2–6:   LET’S PLAYStrike A Pose: Try to mirror the distinct pose of Bird Lady!Get Ready: Grab a writing utensil (like crayon, pencil, marker, or pen) and a piece of paper. Now, choose one person to be the sculptor and another person to be sculpture.Sculpt Away: Have the sculptor “sculpt” their subject by moving their limbs and other body parts in a comfortable pose.Draw Away: The sculptor will then do a quick sketch of their sculpture. You can set a timer for 30-60 seconds! Animal Brainstorm: We don’t know much about Bird Lady, but we do know that she has traits of both a bird and a human. For example, the sculpture’s beak is a bird trait, while the hair and legs are human traits. The arms combine both bird and human traits since they resemble wings! Talk with your child and ask, what kind of animal would you want to combine with a human? Our friends Susannah and Ruthie chose an elephant! Switch Roles: Sculptor and sculpture switch roles! Now, the new sculptor can mold the sculpture into a pose inspired by their animal-human hybrid! Now it’s the new sculptor’s turn to draw their creation!Thanks for taking the time to learn about Bird Lady! And, a big thank you to Ruthie and Susannah and family for the help on this project!FOR AGES 7+:  LET’S CREATEBird Lady has captivated humans for thousands of years because of how she’s able to capture motion in her pose. Using homemade clay, let’s build some sculptures that consider how solid objects can imply movement.Gather your materials: 1 cup of salt½ cup of cornstarch¾ cup of waterfood dye or paint (optional)Mix the materials in a pot. With the help of an adult, heat the mixture and keep mixing it until it solidifies. If you have, add food dye or paint. Knead the clay until the color and texture are nice and even. Make as many colors as you think of!Think about these questions: What movement do you think Bird Lady is doing? Can your sculpture create visual rhythm? How will your sculpture guide the eye of the viewer? Now, shape your clay into a figure that captures a movement. Maybe running or doing martial arts! You can add details with other pieces of clay as well!Bonus: Can you make an abstract sculpture that implies movement?Movement is one of the main principles of art. It’s as timelessness can be see in figurines like Bird Lady. How will your sculpture be remembered in 5,000 years?FOR TEACHERS, CAREGIVERS, AND PARENTS  Access a free teaching guide packed with questions for viewing and great activities and resources for six ancient figurines featured in our 2008 exhibition The Fertile Goddess.We’ll be back next Tuesday with another Mini Art Lesson! In the meantime, let us know what your like to see or learn!Posted by Tamar MacKay and Noé GaytánFemale Figure, ca. 3500-3400 B.C.E. Clay, pigment. Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 07.447.505. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum) -- source link

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