Showin' LOVE for Jim Dine Hearts

4th grade Jim Dine "Confetti Hearts"

Jim Dine's "Confetti Heart"



Oil pastel Warm & Cool Hearts

 Just finished our Jim Dine hearts with all my classes. I kind of a got into Jim Dine-mania and ended up showing our homage to the 'king of hearts' himself. Oh Jim, you're so inspiring:) As I previously posted, we did warm and cool color family oil pastel hearts with a watered down tempera background/resist. But then I started to think of other ways to tie in the heart theme!

For 4th grade our take was on the "Confetti" heart (pictured at top). First we used an open (negative) heart template to trace with pencil. Then used different colors of marker to do small 'chunks' or thick scribbles of color until we filled the entire 4x6(?)" sheet of paper. Afer that we replaced our template on top of where the penciled in heart was, and traced around the inside of the stencil again this time with black oil pastel. Holding the stencil in place, use 1 finger to blend around the edge the black oil pastel ( I recomended that the students use the side of the black oil pastel). Then take the stencil away and refer to Jim Dine's shaded black edge around the paper. Also pay attention to the added shading elsewhere with in the heart. I started thinking about 5th grade and how we could tie in texture since we had been studying Grant Wood and his texture landscapes.

5th Grade used texture plates in making their Jim Dine hearts. We took black paper, folded it into fourths. Used a texture plate underneath 1 square and rubbed over the top of the paper with bright construction paper crayons to pick up the texture from the plate underneath the paper. Each square should be a different color with a different texture. Then using a (negative) heart template, the student would find a colored chalk pastel and trace around the template, then while holding the template still, smooth with a paper towel around the edge, leaving the middle of the heart open so you can see the texture. Finally, with a white oil pastel, practice different types of line and pattern.





I thought about how we used line and started thinking about printmaking and using white printing ink/paint on red and pink papers. Again folding the paper into 4ths and printing in each. Then using different types of line (again with white oil pastel) to make boarders around each print giving each it's own personality.

My own version of Jim Dine's 'Circus' that I worked on while the students
worked on their 'Confetti' hearts. They were amazed and I had a great time
'playing with paint!'

Oh Jim Dine, the possibilities:)