I am pleased to bring back the RISD ARTplay series. These monthly posts from the RISD Museum are designed to engage you and your child with art. Allowing young children to discover and experience the art freely at their level is important to their creative development. ARTplay is not about finished projects. This is a launching pad–creating a space for visual dialog with your child. Talk about the art with your child, ask them questions, introduce the projects, allow them to explore and interpret the suggestions in their own way, or plan visits to see the art in person at the museum. Who knows where it will lead . . .
Rather than painting in his studio and imagining a beautiful sunny day in the country, Claude Monet often took his paint, canvas and easel into the country and painted what he saw. He wanted to catch the particular moment before him, the time of day, light, and color.
Claude Monet, A Walk in the Fields at Argenteuil, 1873. Promised gift,
Courtesy of Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design.
With your child: How would you describe Monet’s walk in the fields of Argenteuil? What time of year is it? What time of day? How would you describe the weather?
Project: Download the postcard template here to create your own landscape. Take paper and color pencils with you outside and use the blank side to record what you see. Try to capture the time of day, weather, and light. Send your landscape to a friend and see if they can guess where and when you were.
ARTplay is a monthly column from the RISD Museum of Art in which various themes and activities introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. To learn more about the collection or see the art in person, visit Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, located at 20 N. Main Street, Providence, RI.
