Did you know Woody Guthrie was a visual artist? Watercolors embellish his journals and lovely black line drawings reflect his way of seeing the world. Use Woody's artwork to teach the elements of line, shape, color and perspective and enrich the studio work of your students.

Songwriter Woody Guthrie left us with a trunkload of visual art using medium such as watercolors, ink, pencil drawings, crayon , pastels. The same irony and social commentary in his songs is present in his art. By examining Woody's artwork students can study the art elements and step into their own studio experience. Using artwork from the archives facilitates drawing connections between the curriculum. For example, Woody's ink drawing "Amarillo in a Cloud of Dust" ties in well while studying the weather and affect of the dust bowl. Reading Ann Turner's Dust for Dinner would continue that thematic connection. (See Literature Circles) For language arts students could create a journal and write as if they were in Amarillo during the dust storm. (See Writers Workshop) How would you feel if you were in Woody's painting? What would be happening to you? What would it sound like? And of course, the class should listen to Woody's "The Great Dust Storm."

• Line
  
• Shape
  
• Color
  
• Perspective