Materials
- Swamp Angel, written by Anne Isaacs; illustrated by Paul Zelinsky
- Wood pieces (various shapes and types)
- Ready-made oil paints
- Palettes for mixing oils
- Paint brushes
- Sandpaper
- Rags and turpentine to clean up
Time Required: 60-95 minutes
Set up
- Make available various types and shapes of wood.
- Make sure wood is smooth for painting-either sand it or have teens do this to experience the process.
- Supply various colors of oil paint.
- Cover the work surface with large sheets of newsprint or butcher paper.
Directions
- First, share the book Swamp Angel. Mention that this book won a Caldecott Honor Medal for Illustration.
- Explain the style of painting used as folk art. Discuss how folk art is considered primitive, or unsophisticated, art and expresses traditions passed from generation to generation.
- You may also mention tole painting, tinplate, and other forms of folk art.
- Show teens works by folk painters such as Edward Hicks and Ammi Phillips at the Web sites mentioned below. Zelinksy studied these painters to reproduce American primitive paintings accurately. In his book, Zelinsky used oils on various types of wood veneers (cherry, maple, and birch) to achieve a primitive style.
- Compare the Zelinksy book with Jim Aylesworths The Folks in the Valley: A Pennsylvania Dutch ABC, in which illustrator Stefano Vitale also painted on wood.
- Now have teens choose a piece of wood and use sandpaper to smooth the surface (if not already done).
- Ask teens to create their own folk art, deciding on which types of oil to use, how many layers to add, and what image to paint.
Volunteer Involvement
Volunteers may:
- Gather various types of wood from lumber supply stores or wood shops;
- Cut sandpaper into pieces for the teens to use or sand the wood if time is limited.
- Explain to teens the properties of oil paints, and how you can achieve a transparent effect, or apply in layers for a thicker look and texture.
- Make palettes for mixing oils. To do this, cut gallon milk jugs on a diagonal from the spout down, leaving the handle and a flat surface just beyond it.
- Allow the teens to decide their own shape and size of wood, colors, and images.
Family Involvement:
Families may:
- Help gather wood samples for their teens to reduce expenses;
- Challenge teens to locate other examples of painting on wood;
- Discuss folk art and see if they have any examples in their home;
- Try to remember American tall tales and share them or make up their own tall tales. Swamp Angel is a wonderful example of a tall tale to get the family started.
- Relate memories of a particularly interesting family vacation and see if they can twist the story to make up their own tall tale.
Community Connection
- Have teens explore stores, gift shops, or antique stores looking for examples of folk art. If in a more rural area, can they find any painted barns or other examples of folk art on buildings?
- Contact a local carpenter to talk to the teens about working with wood, and a local house painter to discuss oil paints. Perhaps a senior citizen from a local retirement center can tell tales from his or her earlier experiences.
Adaptations
Read some tall tales (see resources below) and have teens illustrate their own versions of a tall tale in any medium they desire.
Related Resources
Web Sites:
For information on other folk artists that influenced Zelinsky, see:
http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/psearch?Request=A&Person=14800
Edward Hicks
http://www.nga.gov/cgibin/psearch?Request=S&imageset=1&Person=24650
Ammi Phillips
Books
Other examples of picture book folk art:
Aylesworth, Jim. The Folks in the Valley: A Pennsylvania Dutch ABC. HarperCollins, 1992. Stefano Vitale, Illustrator.
Goble, Paul. Buffalo Woman. Simon & Schuster, 1984.
Hall, Donald. The Ox-Cart Man. Viking, 1979. Barbara Cooney, Illustrator.
Examples of Oil Paintings by Paul Zelinsky:
Isaacs, Anne. The Swamp Angel. Dutton, 1994. Paul Zelinsky, Illustrator.
Lesser, Rika, reteller. Hansel and Gretal. Paul Zelinsky, Illustrator.
Zelinsky, Paul, reteller. Rapunzel. Dutton, 1997.
Zelinsky, Paul, reteller. Rumpelstiltskin. Dutton, 1986.
Tall Tales:
Glass, Andrew. Folks Call Me Appleseed John. Doubleday, 1995.
Gleeson, Brian. Pecos Bill. Rabbit Ears, 1988.
Hodges, Margaret. The True Tale of Johnny Appleseed. Holiday, 1997.
Isaacs, Anne. Swamp Angel. Dutton, 1994.
Kellogg, Steven. Johnny Appleseed. Morrow, 1988.
Kellogg, Steven. Mike Fink. Morrow, 1992.
Kellogg, Steven. Pecos Bill. Morrow, 1986.
Kellogg, Steven. Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett. Morrow, 1995.
Lester, Julius. John Henry. Dial, 1994.
Small, Terry. The Legend of Pecos Bill. Bantam, 1992.
Walker, Paul Robert. Big Men, Big Country. Harcourt Brace, 1993.
Wood, Audrey. The Bunyans. Blue Sky, 1996.
