Black History Artist: Lois Mailou Jones

Black history art projects tin teach students about some astonishing African American artists who had to forge their own way in the world. Lois Mailou Jones was one of them.

Lois Mailou Jones (1905 – 1998) had an impressive career, but do you know how she got started? She had been working as a textile designer and ofttimes sold her bold fabric creations to department stores. One day a decorator told her that a colored girl wasn't capable of producing such beautiful designs. This prompted Jones to shift her creative focus to the fine arts and then she could sign her proper noun to her work, and no one could doubt her e'er once more.

This project was inspired by Lois and features a lesson in mask cartoon. It includes one of my favorite ways to "age" any drawing past covering it with black oil pastel then scraping information technology off. It'due south a process also known as sgraffito and tin exist messy, simply the last etched wait is well worth the trouble.

MATERIALS

Lois Mailou Jones PDF tutorial
Bill of fare stock paper, 8.5″ ten 11″, printed with grid from PDF (optional)
Blackness Sharpie markers, chisel tip
Blackness Sharpie markers, fine tip
Oil pastels, I utilize the Portfolio brand
Stick to scrape (dental flosser works fine)

FOLLOW Upward PROJECT

Now it'south easy to make a classroom mural to gloat the creative work of African American artist Lois Mailou Jones.

All you need to exercise is purchase aLois Mailou Jones Mural template from my PDF Shop, have each educatee color a folio, and so record or mucilage it dorsum together according to included directions.

It makes a special piece of work of art for your classroom, and because everyone takes part, a collaborative feel as well.