Chandler Unified School District



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Art Masterpiece: Castle Hot Springs, 1950

by Maxfield Parrish

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Keywords: landscape, color, glazing, mood

Grade: 4th Grade

Month: November

Activity: Colorful Landscapes

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Meet The Artist:

• Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) was an American painter and illustrator. Born in Philadelphia, Pa., he started drawing very early in life. By the time he went to college, his art teacher said he had nothing to teach him – that’s how good he was.

• Parrish became popular by illustrating magazine covers and children’s books. He later became even better known for his prints (mass produced reproductions) and calendars. Hundreds of thousands of his prints have been put on candy box lids, mouse pads, fridge magnets, tote bags, computer screen savers.

• He is best known for his use of dazzling colors. “Parrish-Blue” (used in his skies) was coined because of a special technique he used involving several coats of oil and varnish applied to his paintings.

• It is hard to categorize his work – he had a very original style. His paintings were full of magic and romance. He was known as the Master of make-believe.

• Parrish continued to paint until he was 91 years old. He was considered one of America’s favorite artists.

Possible Questions:

o What is this type of painting called? (Landscape – a painting showing a scene from nature that includes sky, mountains, trees, rivers, fields, etc)

o What kind of place is this?

o Where do you think it was painted? (It is Castle Hot Springs, which is northwest of Phoenix, near Lake Pleasant. The canyon is thought to be where the artist stayed during his two visits to Arizona in 1901 and 1903).

o Would you consider this a rural or urban landscape? Why?

o What colors do you see in the painting? Where are the darkest colors? (foreground) Where are the lightest colors? (background). How would you describe the colors? (discuss the technique of glazing – laying on one transparent color on top of one another) The sky is an example of “Parrish-blue”.

o What mood does this painting create? The contrast between the dark and light colors create the mood.

o Does it look real or dreamlike to you?

o Do you like it? Why or why not? Find your favorite place in this landscape – how would you feel standing there?

The original painting is at the Phoenix Art Museum. It was painted in 1950.

Materials: white construction paper, students’ own pencils, oil pastels

Activity:

The students will draw a landscape that tells about the countryside where they live- it can be either rural or urban. Have the students imagine that they will be sending their artwork to someone in another part of the country or world. Have them show something that is typical or special about where they live (cactus, desert, mountains, sunset, etc)

Tell the students to plan the whole drawing so that the whole space is filled.

As the students create, encourage them to mix colors so their artwork has a special look and mood. They might use light and dark colors, or warm and cool colors, or very bright colors with neutral colors. Have them title their pieces and sign them.

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Art Masterpiece - 4th Grade - Maxfield Parrish – “Castle Hot Springs”

Today Art Masterpiece was presented to your child’s classroom. We discussed the artist, Maxfield Parrish, who is known for his use of color and was known as the Master of make-believe. His prints (mass produced reproductions) and calendars have been put on candy boxes, tote bags and computer screen savers. We discussed the terms landscape, color, glazing and mood. Your child used his/her creativity to draw a landscape that tells about where they live. They were encouraged to mix colors so their work has a special look and mood. Please take time to ask your child what he/she learned about Maxfield Parrish and about the artwork they created.

Art Masterpiece - 4th Grade - Maxfield Parrish – “Castle Hot Springs”

Today Art Masterpiece was presented to your child’s classroom. We discussed the artist, Maxfield Parrish, who is known for his use of color and was known as the Master of make-believe. His prints (mass produced reproductions) and calendars have been put on candy boxes, tote bags and computer screen savers. We discussed the terms landscape, color, glazing and mood:>K]_dez¡¢ÖØàñ î

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œöåÔÀ¬ÔåÔž‹ö€övövöbUHöHöHö. Your child used his/her creativity to draw a landscape that tells about where they live. They were encouraged to mix colors so their work has a special look and mood. Please take time to ask your child what he/she learned about Maxfield Parrish and about the artwork they created.

Art Masterpiece - 4th Grade - Maxfield Parrish – “Castle Hot Springs”

Today Art Masterpiece was presented to your child’s classroom. We discussed the artist, Maxfield Parrish, who is known for his use of color and was known as the Master of make-believe. His prints (mass produced reproductions) and calendars have been put on candy boxes, tote bags and computer screen savers. We discussed the terms landscape, color, glazing and mood. Your child used his/her creativity to draw a landscape that tells about where they live. They were encouraged to mix colors so their work has a special look and mood. Please take time to ask your child what he/she learned about Maxfield Parrish and about the artwork they created.

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