March 1, 2024
Resources for Acrylic Paint Pen Pals
NEW: a rotating group of artists and art educators will be bringing you high quality art lessons at Outside the Box Creation! March's project is designed by Amanda Koonlaba: Acrylic Paint Pen Pals!
DOWNLOAD YOUR PROJECT PLANSetting the Stage
Georgia O’Keeffe “Lake George Reflection” 1921-22
Yayoi Kusama "Ready to Blossom in the Morning" 1989
Pen pals are friends who exchange handwritten letters by snail mail, just like how this month's box showed up at your door! This month, we're learning about two of the most influential artists of the 20th Century who also happened to be pen pals: Georgia O'Keeffe and Yayoi Kusama.
Who is Georgia O'Keeffe?
Georgia O'Keeffe was born in Wisconsin in 1887 and attended art school as a young adult. O'Keeffe was obsessed with the outdoors and the beauty of the natural world. She loved to use a viewfinder to zoom way in on a flower or a plant to paint it the way she saw it, using long, smooth brush strokes and vivid colors. The way she painted was new and pushed the boundaries of what was considered fine art.
Who is Yayoi Kusama?
Yayoi Kusama was born in Matsumoto, Japan in 1929. She was always an artist and moved to New York City when she was 27 years old where worked tirelessly toward her dream of creating art full-time. Kusama's abstract style, and heavy use of polka dots, was groundbreaking and earned her the nickname the "Princess of Polka Dots". Her career has had a profound impact on modern art, inspiring many other artists to embrace their signature styles.
How did they know each other?
Kusama wanted to move to New York City, but she was nervous. She wrote a letter to O'Keeffe and to her surprise, Ms. O'Keeffe wrote her back! Georgia encouraged Kusama to pursue her passion in the Big Apple, the center of the art world in the 1950s, so in 1957 that's exactly what she did.
Slowly, these two artists corresponded and took on a mentor/mentee relationship. A mentor is a more experienced person or professional who helps guide a mentee in life or in their field. Most professional artists have a mentor and have mentored other people!
O'Keeffe's mentorship served as a guidepost in Kusama's journey to NYC where she went on to change the art world forever.
Can you see Kusama's polka dots in her works above? What do you observe about them?
What do you like or dislike about Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings? Why?
Both of these artists drew big inspiration from nature for their work. Can you see this influence in their paintings? Are you inspired by the great outdoors?
This month's book is Already a Butterfly: A Meditation Story by Julia Alvarez, illustrated by Raul Colon. We chose this story because of the beautifully drawn, close-up illustrations of flowers and plants. We also selected this story because of the mentor/mentee relationship between Mari Posa and her new friend, Bud.
Download this month's project plan to get started. Happy creating!
Resources for Further Learning:
Yayoi Kusama for Kids! | Art History for Kids by Comic Kids Org - YouTube
Georgia O'Keeffe for Kids! | Art History for Kids by Comic Kids Org - YouTube
Supplies Needed for Insider's Club Members (or if you're a box subscriber & want to purchase additional supplies)
Strongly recommended: Already a Butterfly: A Meditation Story by Julia Alvarez. You can purchase it or find it at your local library, or watch our Artist in Residence's read aloud below!
Acrylic Paints like these
Acrylic paint paper like these
Set of paintbrushes like these
A professional viewfinder like this, or a DIY viewfinder following this template
A full-page image of flowers to use with your viewfinder like this print out
A blank postcard like so
Paper towels or an old rag for cleaning your paintbrush
A cup, old yogurt container, jar, or glass for water
Something to cover your work surface such as an old shower curtain liner, cardboard, or even old rags and paper towels.
*The above Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of them we may earn a very small commission but it does not increase your price at all, so we hope you will!
Main Project Tutorial
Taking It Further
Read Together
About the Artist
Amanda Koonlaba
In addition to her impressive accomplishments as a mixed media artist, Amanda Koonlaba (koo-la-ba) is also a highly decorated educator who has won numerous awards for her exceptional work in the field. She was named the Mississippi Elementary Art Teacher of the Year in 2016, and in 2019, she was recognized as the Top 40 Under 40 Person of the Year by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
Koonlaba's extensive experience as an educator has been instrumental in shaping her artistic practice. She has a particular talent for working with children, helping them to unlock their creativity and develop their artistic skills. Her passion for education and her expertise in the arts make her a dynamic and engaging teacher who is deeply committed to helping others discover the joys and benefits of artistic expression.
Whether she is creating mixed media pieces for exhibitions or working with children on creative projects, Koonlaba brings a unique perspective and an unwavering dedication to her craft. Her ability to connect with others and to inspire them to explore their own creativity is a testament to her exceptional talent as both an artist and an educator.
You can find Amanda online at www.partyintheartroom.com
Printable Crossword & Answer Key
Our newly designed project instructions feature an activity just for fun!
The March game is a crossword puzzle.
Below is a printable version of the game for sharing and the answer key.
About the Insider’s Club
The Outside the Box Insider’s Club is a monthly digital membership that includes videos, downloadable curriculum/project plans, and tips to make it easy for parents to do art regularly with their kids! If you know someone who would enjoy this, please share the Outside the Box Insider's Club. If you have been a box subscriber for a year or more and have accumulated a large stash of art supplies, you may want to switch to the Insider's Club digital membership.
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