Basquiat Week in the Art Room!

This week, some of our classes finished up our Jean-Michel Basquiat-inspired projects, and we finally got to do the fun part… scratch art!

Students started by drawing either a person or Basquiat’s famous dinosaur. After that, they added lots of symbols, words, and fun details around their drawings—just like Basquiat did in his artwork. Once their designs were complete, they colored everything in using black oil pastels to create a bold, dark layer.

Then came the best part…I gave each student a wooden scratching stick, and they scratched through the black pastel to reveal the “inside” of their drawing—showing bones, muscles, and organs. The results looked like true Basquiat masterpieces! Many students even scratched extra patterns and decorations into the background, making their work even more creative and unique.

As usual, I selected a few student artworks to display on our bulletin board. Students always get so excited the next day to see if their artwork was chosen! I love watching classmates stop and look closely at the pieces, sharing comments and compliments. It’s a great way to celebrate their hard work and creativity.

On Wednesday, my first graders played a super fun art version of Simon Says. They had to follow Simon’s directions by drawing different shapes and objects on their paper. Everyone stayed focused and laughed a lot while creating their drawings. At the end, students colored in their entire composition, turning their “Simon Says” drawings into colorful works of art!

My Thursday students completed the project we started with Ms. Villalba. They already had their black silhouettes painted with black tempera, and this week they added white oil pastels to create bones and organs inside their bodies. The results were amazing! It was such a cool and creative twist on Basquiat’s style, and every student’s work came out different.

Whenever we learn about a new Artist of the Month, students complete an artist reflection. This helps them remember what they learned about the artist, and it also gives them a chance to think about the artwork—whether they liked it or not, and why. It’s always interesting to see their thoughts and opinions!

This project was a wonderful way to begin our celebration of Black History Month, and the perfect opportunity to learn about Jean-Michel Basquiat—an incredible artist who helped open the door for a new generation of young Black artists.

We are so proud of our students’ creativity, effort, and imagination this week. Basquiat would be proud!