Lessons:
I-7 Clementine Hunter
Untitled (Miss Cammie with Ducks)
Overview
- Discuss Untitled (Miss Cammie and Ducks) by Clementine Hunter.
- Learn about scale and contrast.
- Create animals enjoying music.
Reflection
- Who lives in the house that you created?
- What colors and objects did you add to describe mood of the house?
- What is the title of your artwork?
Untitled (Miss Cammie with Ducks) by Clementine Hunter, ca 1965, oil on plywood, 18 x 24 in. (45.72 x 60.96 cm), Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Collection of Sabra Brown Martin, gift from the collection of Sabra Brown Martin, © Cane River Art Corporation
Discussion Presentation
Discussion Questions
What is Miss Cammie doing?
Likely Miss Cammie is herding ducks somewhere. Plantation life was hard work, that involved tending to both crops and animals. What happens to the scene if the artist had added musical notes?
How many colors do you see?
Five colors are used and yet, it’s a bold painting. Bright or dark colors next to light colors create contrast, a sharp “ implied line” between colors. The tree, skirt, and wings stand out against the light ground and sky.
What did you see first in the painting? Second?
Proportion is the size relationship between objects. Hunter ignored reality, painting Miss Cammie and the ducks based on their importance in the scene, rather than their actual size.
Biography
- Clementine Hunter (KLEH•mehn•teen HUN•ter) was an American artist from Louisiana.
- She painted her memories on found materials, like cardboard, milk jugs, and window.
- A self-taught artist, her paintings show vibrant people, events, and daily life.
Project
Materials
- sketch paper
- 9×12 white paper
- drawing pencil
- oil pastels
- craft pick
- watercolors
- watercolor brush
- water dish
- paper towel
Warm Up & Brainstorm
- 3-minute sketch: practice drawing animals and instruments.
Project Directions
Animal Band
1. Create your band.
Use gray oil pastel on the 9×12 white paper. Don’t use pencil.
2. Explore “magic” white.
Use white oil pastel to keep wanted areas white. Any non-oil pastel areas will be color washed and white oil pastel magically appears.
3. Color and add texture.
Use oil pastel to add bold colors. Use a craft pick to gently etch details and add texture, sgraffito.
4. Add color washes.
Paint the sky and ground. Keep the colors light to contrast the animals.
5. Give artwork a title.
Pre-Lesson Preparation
- No prep required.
Day of Lesson Setup
- Demo etching texture, lay heavy layer of oil pastel and use craft pick to etch texture details, like fur.
- Demo using white oil pastel on white paper, then applying water colors. Paper that is not covered by oil pastel will be painted.