Porcelain rooster with colorful details on wings.

Art Activity Video: Mark Rothko

Make a piece of art just like the artist, Mark Rothko!
Activity best for children age 4 and up

Mark Rothko was born in Latvia, but spent much of his life in America. Mark Rothko is known for his very large canvases. Some take up an entire wall! Mark Rothko believed that by painting such large paintings you could feel like you were in it. Mark Rothko’s paintings were also unique because they were not paintings of scenes, but rather of colors. He would often choose two or three contrasting colors and paint large rectangles and squares. He believed these caused the person viewing his large paintings to have big emotions. This style of painting is known as abstract expressionism.

MATERIALS

  • Cardboard (cereal boxes, delivery boxes, etc.)

  • Glue or tape

  • Scissors

  • Paint or markers

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Think about a strong feeling you might have (happy, angry, sad). What colors do you think of when you are feeling this way? Pick out 3-4 colors of paint or markers and set them aside.

STEP 2

Choose one large piece of rectangular cardboard to be your base. Have a grown up help you cut 1-2 other strips of cardboard.

STEP 3

Paint or color each piece of cardboard a different color.

STEP 4

Build and layer your cardboard strips onto your base. When you like how they look, glue them onto your base!