Window Scene
Projects & Activities
Harry Fonseca (Maidu/Nisenan, Portuguese, Hawaiian, 1946-2006) was a talented and prolific artist, exploring many different styles and themes within in his work. His piece, Bedroom Window, is the inspiration behind this activity. Fonseca painted the view outside of a bedroom window, using it as a viewfinder or frame for the painting he created. The fruit trees and landscape are not shown in a photo realistic way. Instead, Fonseca used abstraction or exaggerated colors, textures and simplified shapes and forms to create the scene and communicate feeling. Do you see the horizontal white lines running through the painting? He even included the mini blinds!
Materials Needed:
Paper
Crayons, pencils, markers, paint – anything really!
Tape – painter’s or low tack tape works best
Directions:
Step 1:
Find a window and take a few minutes to look at the scene outside. What do you see?
Tip: If you don’t have space to work near the window, snap a quick photo and work from anywhere using the photo for reference.
Step 2:
Tape off any areas you would like to remain white. You can create the window frame, blinds or even curtains using tape.
Step 3:
Draw, paint, and create your vision of the outdoor scene. Don’t get bogged down in the details! Instead, use abstraction to draw attention to the important elements and set the scene for the overall feeling you want to get across. Be sure to fill the entire window!
