TIME REQUIRED: Two @ 45-minute sessions

Miro paper composition

PAPER COLLAGE
 MIRÓ PAPER COMPOSITION
Joan Miró was a Spanish painter, sculptor and print-
maker. His first paintings were inspired by Cubism
and his later works were more magical and child-like.
The painting that inspired this art project is made up
of colorful shapes and lines. Miró often used a white
or light blue background in his art. You can choose
to have either colors as a backdrop. The examples in
this lesson plan are white. Use the Shape Guide to
help 3rd graders identify the shapes that Miró used.
Also refer to the Coloring Pages inside the Artist
Resource for additional inspiration.
Video that represents Miró’s energy: https://
[Link]/pU3pMuMq1bw

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 12” x 9” white or light blue sulphite

paper
• Thick black marker
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue stick or white glue
• Colored sulphite paper (black,
yellow, blue, red, green, purple and
orange)
• Optional: Chalk pastel
• Miró-Inspired Shapes Guide
Portrait IV, 1938

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 ABOUT the artist
ABOUT
JOAN
MIRÓ

Joan Miró was a Spanish painter and sculptor who was born in 1893 in Barcelona. When he
was eight years old, he started taking drawing classes. He continued to pursue art as well as
business as he got older. He ended up leaving business behind to fully devote himself to
creating art. His early works were greatly influenced by Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cézanne.
He moved to Paris and contributed to a very important movement in art history known as
Surrealism. Surrealism artworks showed exploration of the imagination and dream-like images.
His whimsical abstract paintings combine line, shape and color in very interesting ways. Many
of these paintings use shapes and pictures as symbols that tell stories.

In 1931, an art gallery opened in New York

City that showed important works in the
Modern art movement. This gallery was
called The Pierre Matisse Gallery (ran by
artist Henri Matisse’s son) and introduced
Miró’s art to the United States.

The World Trade Center Tapestry (pictured above) created by Joan Miró and Josep Royo was
destroyed in the September 11th attacks in 2001.

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 TRACING THE SHAPES
Observe the lines and shapes Miró used in his
paintings by studying a collection of Miró paintings.
You can find a selection of his art at [Link]

Photocopy Miró-Inspired Shape template and offer to

students. You can also photocopy a few pages from
the coloring sheets to use as inspiration. Give each
table group a good selection of colored and painted
paper, scissors, glue and pencils.

Use a pencil to draw shapes onto the colored paper.

Encourage third graders to consider the size of the
shapes. Using a smaller 12” x 9” background paper
encourages smaller shapes and more details.

Once children have a body, legs,

head and perhaps arms (none are
necessary!), arrange onto the
background paper. Once satisfied,
glue body pieces down. If children
wish to add a second figure,
consider making the figure upside-
down, just like Miró!

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 ADDING DETAILS
Miró used overlapping and intersecting
lines in his art. After children glue down
the main body, take a look at the art
and decide where overlapping shapes
can be added. Place and glue paper
shapes.

Use a thick black marker to add the

lines in the artwork. Miró used lots of
wavy, angled, and star-like lines in his
art. Often, the lines criss-crossed each
other and had an end point like a dot or square. Look at a few Miró pieces of art to see how Miró
spaced his lines around the main composition to create balance and scale.

For a final- but optional- touch, use colored pastel to add color to white ares of the art work.

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 Miró SHAPE GUIDE
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NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS - third grade

CREATING
X Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work — elaborate on imaginative ideas—
apply knowledge to develop personal ideas in artwork
X Organize and develop artistic ideas and work — create personal artwork—demonstrate
understanding proficient use of materials—construct everyday life representations
X Refine and complete artistic work—elaborate visually by adding detail during art-making
that enhances meaning

Presenting/producing
Analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation— Investigate and discuss
possibilities and limitations of spaces for exhibiting artwork
X Develop and refine artistic work for presentation — Identify exhibit space and prepare
works of art including artists’ statement for presentation
X Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work — identify and explain how and
where different cultures record and illustrate stories and history of life through art

Responding
X Perceive and analyze artistic work- Speculate about processes and artist uses to create—
determine messages communicated by images
X Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work — interpret art by analyzing use of media to
create subject matter, characteristics of form and mood
X Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work— evaluate an artwork based on a given criteria

Connecting
Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art- develop a work
of art based on observations of surroundings
Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen
understanding —develop a work of art based on observations of surroundings

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 I CAN STATEMENTS FOR miro paper composition
• Today I will learn about artist JOAN MIRÓ, so that I CAN identify his works and DESCRIBE his
style.

• Today I will learn about SPACE and SHAPE, so that I CAN DRAW, CUT, ARRANGE and GLUE my
ORGANIC shapes into an ABSTRACT composition. I’ll know I have it when some of my shapes
OVERLAP and they fill most of the space of the paper.

• Today I will learn about LINE and CONTRAST, so that I CAN use a black marker to add a variety
of lines inspired by Miró to my collage.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS FOR miro paper composition

[Link]-Literacy.W.3.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
After students finish their art, you can have them fill out the artist statement worksheet (located in
Resources). This information leads them to reflect on the process of art making while forming an
opinion about their own work based on the processes used, materials used, inspirations, etc.

[Link].3.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in
diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
After introducing the students to the artwork of Miró via posters, PowerPoint, etc., students can be
asked to answer questions orally to summarize what they have learned about his style, use of the
elements of art, and principles of design in the form of a discussion.

[Link].3.3
Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and
detail.
Encourage students to ask questions about Miró in the form of a discussion. Model for them how to
elaborate on answers about artwork by pointing out what elements or principles they see and how
the artist used them to create an intended meaning for the works.

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 ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

Main Ideas from:

MIRÓ PAPER COMPOSITION

Student Name:

Can the student accurately describe Miró’s

style?

Did the student create an ABSTRACT figure

inspired by Miró by drawing, cutting and
arranging?

Did the student overlap shapes?

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