dinsdag 15 september 2009

Delfts blue plates

You need:
  1. white paper plates without plastic coating
  2. feltpens, fineliners of markers in different colours blue
  3. examples from Delfts blue decoration

Delftware, or Delft pottery, denotes blue and white pottery made in and around the city of Delft (Netherlands) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Delftware became popular and was widely exported in Europe and even reached China and Japan. Chinese and Japanese potters made porcelain versions of Delftware for export to Europe. Delftware ranged from simple household items - with little or no decoration - to fancy artwork. Most of the Delft factories made sets of jars, the kast-stel set. Pictorial plates were made in abundance, illustrated with religious motifs, native Dutch scenes with windmilles and fishing boats, hunting scenes, landscapes and seascapes.

Nowadays there is still one factory in Delft that produces real Delftware: De Porceleyne Fles. All plates, vases, bowls, teacups, tiles etc. are painted by hand here. You'll find a lot of photograps on the website of Porceleyne Fles (online shop). See some of these photographs with the students and discuss what decorations they see. Discuss the different colours of blue and look how you can make a good illustration by just using blue. Show the students some plates with different edges and make them tell about the recurring motifs

What to do? Students will design their own Delfts blue plate with a regular pattern around the plate and a free drawing in the middle. They have to use markers, feltpens and fineliners in different shades of blue. First practice a bit on the back side of the plate to see how the ink will flow. The edge of the plate has notches. Count them to know how many notches your pattern must have.

4 opmerkingen:

  1. This is ABSOLUTELY the BEST website for kids art ever!!!! It is clear, easy to follow, and has the best art projects around! I am a HUGE fan! This is my first year teaching art and I love it, but your site makes my mind jump to other ideas and causes my imagination to soar! Thank you very much!

    ~Pam [USA}

    BeantwoordenVerwijderen
  2. I love the idea of using paper plates. I am enjoying all your "typical Dutch" lessons. I might have to teach a whole unit, not just one lesson :)

    BeantwoordenVerwijderen
  3. This is a great idea! I've just done this with my third graders this week and posted it on my blog today. I have linked to your page. :-) Thanks for sharing.

    Lisbeth (Denmark)
    http://bidtafbilledkunst.blogspot.dk/

    BeantwoordenVerwijderen