This is part of my ColorPlay interaction series with kids ages 5 to 10. This exercise module I designed and facilitated is inspired by one of the Philippines National Artists Hernando Ocampo. As a tribute to him and to introduce Filipino artists especially to foreign kids, I included stories of how artist started and viewed their art.
This particular exercise is great for kids to experiment and play with given colors and create abstract images from cut-out colored art paper. They can create several variations of designs and compositions while appreciating Abstract works. In one hour, they were able to produce 100 works!
Here are some of our interaction works:
Bird in Flight
Finding my way Home
A Day at the Fields
Dreaming of an Escape
Cotton Candy Field
Longing for Home
When the children had the chance to go on tour and saw the works of HR Ocampo at the CCP and PICC they can easily appreciate the masterpiece and relate the story behind such great works.
National Artist Hernando Ocampo
(April 28, 1911-December 27, 1978)
The great HR Ocampo shined shoes and sold newspapers as a young boy growing up in Sta. Cruz, Manila. A self-taught painter, he worked as a clerk for a book and office supplies store. Although he received a number of scholarships, Ocampo declined them for personal reasons. He has to sacrificed the opportunity to travel and accept scholarships abroad when his father became invalid and he became the family's sole supporter and even sent his nephews and nieces to school! While working in the bookstore, he got exposed to modern painting from the magazines being sold there. Unfazed by the debate on modern and traditional works during his time, Ocampo was part of a group called the Neo-Realists which included Vicente Manansala, Romeo Tabuena, Cesar Legaspi, Romeo Tabuena and Ramon Estella. His famous works can be seen at the CCP which was based on a painting called Genesis.
