Our 1st grade artists explored the colorful and imaginative world of Paul Klee through his famous painting Castle and Sun. Klee loved to use simple shapes, bold lines, and bright colors to create playful cities and dreamlike landscapes—and that’s exactly what our students did!
We began by looking closely at Klee’s artwork and noticing how he used geometric shapes like squares, rectangles, and triangles to build his castle. Students talked about how shapes can come together to create something new, like buildings and towers.
Next, students drew their own castles using a variety of shapes. They traced their lines with bold black oil pastel to help their designs stand out—just like Klee’s strong outlines. Then came the fun part—color! Students used tempera paints to fill in their shapes, experimenting with bright and contrasting colors to bring their castles to life.
To finish their artwork, students painted a sky and added a bold, glowing sun inspired by Klee’s work. Each piece turned into a unique and colorful city full of personality!
