Every year the heart theme comes to play in the art room. Often I wonder will boys have an issue using the heart theme? Yet many famous male artists use the heart symbol. So I keep instructing heart themed lessons. Here are many male artists, who use the hearts in art & art lessons. Since these are male artists, boys may buy in with the use of the heart in their art.
Male Artists Who use Hearts in Art & Art Lessons
Jim Dine
For many years, I focused on Jim Dine, one of the male artists who use hearts in art & here is an art lesson I do with with grade 2. I never gave it a thought that the heart will be an issue for the boys at that grade level. It has not been. Since Jim Dine has many hearts that are very emotional in a variety of ways. His heart paintings and sculptures capture the audience well. We can all relate to a dark and scratched looking heart. Or a heart that is bright red with splatters of other bright colors. So will boys have issues using the heart theme when focusing on how Jim Dine uses the heart to espresso many different feelings.
Color for Male Artists use Hearts
Long ago I would have students make several smaller hearts. Then they would stitch them together into a paper quilt. It was an intensive project. We used mixed media and collage and I would have teach each technique separate for each heart. They looked great in the end. Because we were using so many different media and tearing hearts and scratching hearts, boys did not seem to have an issue with the symbol of the heart at this age. Also color had such an impact on how the feelings were projected.
Burton Morris: Another male artist that uses a heart in his art
Currently, I saw a newer artist that uses the heart. Burton Morris exhibits the pop art style in his artwork. Therefore, last year I thought lets try a different artist to center the art making process. Last year was partly virtual as well, so I could not do the mixed media Jim Dine project anyhow. With Burton Morris, I thought boys will not have an issue with the heart. Because he does this cool thing with making his art look like comic book pages. Also. Morris use comic book characters in his art.
Nope, I was wrong. After introducing the lesson and demonstrating what to do, I got the question from more then one boy, do we have to use a heart? Originally, I did not think that boys have issues using the heart theme. However, as I reflect on it, I can see how 4th graders may not be as receptive to the heart. It does seem like the as the younger grades do not acknowledge the heart as a girl thing. Yet, they completed the assignment and so much better then the girls.
Keith Haring
Several years ago I was introduced to Keith Haring’s artwork. So I did not give up with male artists who use hearts in art & art lessons. I remember when I saw Keith Haring kind of images in the original Music T.V. and a Christmas music cassette from the 80’s. Let’s see if the boys will buy in.
Now I used his art to inspire many different kinds of art lessons, but not totally focused on the heart. I had 5th graders work on drawing people in proportion and then changing them into strange halt animal people. This is all before current day dress. Now I have children coming to school with hats that have unicorn ears and horns or cat ear headbands. During the holiday season many kids had big elf ears and reindeer antlers on the heads. I am waiting for children to come to school with belts that have attached animal tails.
Color for Male Artists use Hearts
Anyway, with the lesson, students put in various symbols, so hearts were displayed. Boys had not issue with the use of the heart. They did this with out my guidance. In addition, Haring’s color is very bright and not really mixed. Thus far three male artists using the heart and I never though to emphasis that they were male.
Peter Max
Now this year has come and I am thinking back to last year with the question, do I have to use the heart? Will boys have an Issue using the heart this year? In order to keep that question from coming up, I purposely choose Peter Max for this years heart artwork. I learned about Peter Max through one of those art education magazines. I used the assignment with grade 4 to tie in male artists who use hearts in art & an art lesson.
When introducing the lesson, I showed a few of Peter Max’s paintings that were not hearts first. I explained that he wants to provoke in a person feelings of goodness. The paintings of the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of hope and desire for a better life. His use of bright colors evokes these feelings. We looked at an angel painting. Resulting in focus on the shapes looking like doughnuts, which I spun around to say don’t we all feel good when we taste the doughy sugary doughnuts. Peter Max has many paintings that are patriotic as well and we discussed how the flag presents feelings of safety and sacrifice for a better future.
Focused on Peter Max being male and he used the heart…
Then we got into how as a man, Peter Max is using these symbols to bring joy and happiness. Therefore, we used the basic heart shape to bring joy and happiness too. The goal was to get all the students to make a connection to how the symbol of the heart is used for more then love. All the male artists have shown that. Will the boys have an issue with the heart if it is sold as a symbol beyond the lovey dove acknowledgement? Out of about 80 students, four 4th grade classes, only one boy asked do we have to use the heart. Knowing this student, it does not surprise me. Therefore, I think the lesson was a win.
What was the lesson that answered the question: Will boys have an issue using the heart?
After sharing some videos on YouTube that showed Peter Max being interviewed and his artwork, we got into the lesson. If you want to see the videos here are the links:
Artist Peter Max’s colorful creations span 50 years
Supplies & Tracers
First, I prepared tracers, pencils, erasers, and a square sheet of paper for the students. Then I gave them a choice with how to draw the heart. Either they trace the tracer, put the tracer on the center of the paper and draw around it to make their heart, or they draw a heart on their own that is in the middle and bigger then their hand.
Do it Together for Success
Next, I point to the chart of lines that is hung in the art room for reference. Every art room should have a line chart. I ask students to help me draw my picture. Someone tells me which line to use. I then ask another student where I should put the line. Should I put it all around the heart? Or just on two of the sides? Student make personal choices and draw then own lines. Then I ask students if I should draw another line around the heart or around the edge of the paper. I ask what kind of line I should draw. Students make choices for their drawing.
Pulling out the Shapes
Then we go back Peter Max heart images and pull out some shapes. These include “X’s”, circles, dash lines, ray lines, curved lines, loopy loops, flower shapes, and rain drop shapes. I ask student which ones I should add and I draw them on my artwork. Students follow up with making their personal choices.
Color for Male Artists use Hearts
Since Peter Max is known for his color, there is an emphasis on what color we use. The warm colors were used inside the heart with some blending. Then directly on the outside of the heart, we used the cool colors. Then they were directed to use warm colors on the border decoration and cool colors per personal decisions.
Media Challenge
Now here was the challenge I set for myself. I used oil pastels with the first class. It resulted in just extra mess but beautiful, colorful, and bright hearts.
The next class, I had them use watercolor crayons, which I thought could be fun and lead to a blended bright painting. However, they turned out dull and students got their hands and fingers a mess, because they were holding their art down as they were working.
The third 4th grade, I purposely had them use crayon, because of their misbehavior. These are looking much brighter and have less mess.
The last class was getting behind in our schedule, so I gave them smaller squares and used marker. The markers were new, so the color is clean and bright, but the paper curled and students still got their fingers a mess. Therefore, if you desire to give this lesson a try, you have read the different takes on the media used. I think the oil pastel and marker are the winners for the color.
Will Boys have an Issue Using the Heart?
No I do not think most boys in the elementary level will have an issue using the heart in their artwork. Especially, when it is pointed out how many male artists use hearts and how they use the heart? The heart is so symbolic that students and adult alike will find it recognizable for their own experiences in life. Just as the students will find a bond with the use of the heart in their art.
Check out these other heart themed blog posts: