Lasting Impressions
By John W. Healy

Impressionism began in France in the second half of the 19th century. Though Impressionism is popular now, that was not always the case. At the time Impressionism was introduced, its "less is more" attitude seemed strange.

The value of an impression is considerable, however. Our long-term memory stores meaningful impressions in a vivid, memorable way. Regardless of how long an experience lasted, the resulting impression may contribute to guiding us through the rest of our lives. When the demands of daily life reach the point of overload, many of us seek relief by thinking of an impression left by a special place. Capturing the fleeting light of an ordinary place made special by an artist is at the heart of Impressionism.

Three-year-old Lauren says of her Summer drawing (left), "I like that green." Her Winter (right) includes a snowman.

Art in the great outdoors
Historically, artists had to go through a great deal of preparation before they had a palette of varied pigments ready to use in their paintings. When small tubes of ready-to-use paint became available, that new technology allowed artists to move to locations outside their studios, enriching their art with a profusion of places and subjects. To paint outdoors, en plein air, is to paint quickly in order to capture the changing light. Direct, well-chosen brush strokes of thick (impasto) paint and spontaneity without overworking exemplified Impressionism.

Different light
As educators, a great deal of our instruction takes place in the classroom. To help students understand how the light changes, it's helpful to provide photographs of the same location at different times of the day and different times of the year.

To prepare the children for an art project involving the seasonal changes in light and color, write on the board the names of the seasons in French and in English, and help the children pronounce the French words:

Autumn – l'automne
Winter – l'hiver
Spring – le printemps
Summer – l'été

Show the class photographs of the different seasons and discuss the changes the students notice in each photo.

Decorate your classroom with posters of Impressionist paintings that represent the four seasons. Just a few choices are Monet's "Poplars," "Water Lilies" or "Grainstacks," (you'll find links to each of these paintings, as well as other Monet masterpieces at http://webpages.marshall.edu/~smith82/monet.html), Renoir's "The Seine at Chatou," "On the Terrace" or "Gabrielle Et Jean" (which can be found, along with other Renoirs appropriate for this lesson, at www.theartgallery.com.au/ArtEducation/greatartists/Renoir/about), Manet's "Bar at the Folies-Bergére," "The House in Rueil" or "The Conservatory" (check the links at www.wetcanvas.com/Museum/Artists/m/Edouard_Manet and www.mystudios.com/manet/manet.html for these and other works by Manet) and Mary Cassatt's "Lydia Seated in the Garden With a Dog on Her Lap," "Young Mother Sewing" or "Margot in Blue" (you'll find links to these and other Cassatt paintings at www.the-athenaeum.org/art/by_artist.php?id=374&msg=new).

Discuss the paintings with the class. Can the students tell what season it is just by looking at the paintings? How did these artists use color and light to evoke the different seasons?

Seasonal scenes
Give your students colored pencils and four pieces of drawing paper, and ask the children to label each paper with the name of a season, both in English and in French. If a child knows another language, he or she should write the names in that language as well.

Students can select colored pencils for the names of each season that would best represent that season. For example, yellows and reds might be worked into the word "autumn," silver and blue could be used to write "winter" and so on. Color is a clear indicator of the changing seasons.

Have the class illustrate the four seasons using art materials that do not achieve fine details, yet give vibrant color, such as Cray-Pas®, crayons or pastels. This will help achieve an effect similar to that of Impressionist works of art. It will take time for the children to develop their original interpretations of each season, so plan on allowing several class periods for this project.

When the students' artwork is completed, exhibit it in your classroom or in the hallway outside your classroom, grouping all four illustrations by each child. These individual interpretations of the seasons will certainly be of interest to your school community. Who knows – perhaps your students' artwork will create a lasting impression on somebody else.

Dr. John W. Healy teaches art at Woodland Middle School, East Meadow, NY.

February, 2004, Vol.34, No.5