Frida Kahlo

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈfɾiða ˈkalo]; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954[1]) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society.[2] Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist.[3] She is known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo

Little People Big Dreams: Frida

Me Frida

Frida and her Animilitos

Frida

Frida Kahlo, Me and My Parrots (1941). ©2019 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F./Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Self-portrait with Small Monkey

Frida Kahlo 1945

Self Portrait with Monkeys

Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot

Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City

Frida Kahlo made 55 self-portraits over her lifetime, most of which feature a ton of flora, fauna, and facial hair. Roots, leaves, and rustic patterns all contribute to her image of native Mexico. Many feature Kahlo’s pets, Fulang-Chang and Bonito. “La Casa Azul”, or the Kahlo-Rivera residence, hosted a bunch of animal friends who make symbolic cameos. Fulang-Chang and Bonito shared a backyard pyramid house with Granizo the fawn and Gertrudis Caca Blanca the eagle, and Bonito could do tricks for peanut butter, so I guess it’s not actually hard to imagine why Kahlo didn’t leave the house much.

https://www.sartle.com/artwork/self-portrait-with-monkey-and-parrot-frida-kahlo

Background

Frida Khalo frequently added native plants to the background of her pictures. She was happy being among the plants and animals of her Mexican home. The plants below show a small selection of trees native to Maryland. These or other plants, can be used in your self portrait background.

Tulip Tree, Blossom, and leaf

Redbud tree, in blossom, and leaf

Magnolia tree, blossoms, and leaf

Assignment:

We will create a self portrait that is inspired by Frida Khalo and her interest in both her native plants and animals, and the traditional clothes of Mexico. Students will create a mixed media portait. We will use tempera paint to

talk about what a self portrait is analyze frida khalo draw outline of the person head neck shoulder

talk about painting techniques for getting an even surface and how to hold a brush paint the background

discuss pattern and paint the shirt one color and create a pattern for the shirt on a seperate sheet of paper and attach to back of picture

Paint pattern on shirt and give kids a face map to practice their face on

paint face except iris and pupil