Mexican Culture Art Project Ideas
- Mexico's colonial past offers grand, complex issues for the artist to address.Toluca Mexico, Cathedra in Main square -Toluca Mexico image by Marcus from Fotolia.com
Mexican history and culture abounds with inspiration for art. When choosing a subject for your art project, first identify your own interests and passions, such as history, sports or archaeology. Look for a corollary in Mexico and you will find a subject that will inspire you. These ideas will help you see the vast range of project possibilities. - Alternately, make a Mayan style sculpture.chichen itza image by Ploum1 from Fotolia.com
The ancient Maya civilization covered their temples, palaces and public spaces with ornate, distinctive art and writing. Study the history of one of the great Mayan complexes in Mexico, such as Chichen Itza (a World Heritage site), paying careful attention to the style of the artwork. (You could even learn rudimentary Mayan glyphs if you were interested in language.) Get a large canvas or make a "tablet" from clay. Use faux painting techniques to make the surface look like stone. Design and paint your own myth on the tablet in the Mayan style. Alternately, recreate a scene that adorns an existing temple. - Start with a detailed pencil sketch of your face.draw portrait pencils image by PinkShot from Fotolia.com
Famed Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, subject of the movie "Frida," painted strange, haunting self-portraits that now number among her most iconic paintings. Read about her life and look at reproductions of her paintings. Drawing inspiration from her style, paint a self-portrait of yourself layered richly with symbolic meaning. When you turn in or present your art project, include an explanation of how Frida Kahlo's work influenced your art. You may also wish to explain the symbolism and references you chose to use. - Day of the Dead skulls can be happy or serious.Dia De los Muertos image by walter r chinchilla from Fotolia.com
The Mexican celebration Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) honors loved ones and ancestors who have died with picnics, sugar skulls, remembrance altars called ofrendas and colorful, surprisingly exuberent skeleton-themed toys, candy and art. Make your own miniature ofrenda (contained within a cool vintage suitcase, perhaps) or sculpt a papier-mache skeleton. After the papier-mache dries, paint on a suitably jaunty visage.
