4th Grade: Oaxacan Wood Animals

For this unit students learned about the rich Oaxacan Folk art of Oaxaca Mexico. Manuel Jimenez in the 1940s-60s was the father of the wood carving tradition that grew into a massive movement when influential tourists such as the Rockafellers purchased his work and brought them into the States. Known for their exaggerated features and bold colors students created their own small scale sculptural Oaxacan animal that had to stand on its own. Painting a base coat helped make their neon patterns pop while they used a very small paintbrush to achieve the traditional look. 
Vocabulary Learned: Oaxacan animal, small scale sculpture, free standing work, Folk art, elements, patterns, focus work, base coat, exaggerated features. 
Materials Used: Wood pieces, hot glue, acrylic/tempera paint, small paintbrushes, neon paint.