"Vasya mixed red with yellow; then he mixed red with blue. As the colors changed, Vasya heard a whisper. HISS! Louder. HISS! Then louder still. HISS!"
Vasya Kandinsky was a boy who loved to paint and would grow up to be one of the first major abstract artists. This book by Barb Rosenstock and Mary Grandpre follows the artist through his childhood and into adulthood where he created some of his most iconic works. Kandinsky possessed synesthesia, the ability to hear color. His paintings were composed almost like a composer creates a symphony. One style the artist was famous for was the concentric circle. If you search "Kandinksy Kids" on Pinterest, you will find so many great craft ideas working with and learning about his circles. We chose to keep it simple and paint some abstract circles of our own.
We started by painting four yellow circles with plenty of space in between followed by painting circles around the center as many times as you want. This is so simple that it almost feels silly to call it an official "craft", but it was really fun to read this great story and experience a little bit of what we read about in an easy way. Everything needed for this activity is probably already in your house, and anyone can do it from toddlers to teenagers! We found the painting to be fun and almost meditative. Have a wonderful day!