LESSON 2 - CAVEMAN PAINTINGS

In this lesson we went back to prehistoric times to learn how cavemen created paintings on cave walls. The children were shown pictures of SantaCruz-cueva Manos, a famous handprint cave painting in Santa Cruz. We also talked about what type of materials were used to make paint and how the cavemen had to forage for raw materials to make paint. sometimes walking as far as 25 miles to gather earth minerals such as red ochre (red pigment), yellow ochre (yellow pigment), limonite, hematite (black pigment), and calcite (white lime). Fruits and berries were also used as well as charcoal and other things found in nature.  To make our paint we pureed blackberries using a pistel and morter, making sure we mashed the berry to a liquid consistency. To this we added glue as a setting agent, then used this mixture to paint on a small plaster paris “canvas” that was set up to simulate a piece of a wall. We also used red dirt from Arizona (a very coppery colored dirt with a fine powdery texture) mixed with glue.

To make our “wall” paintings, we used brown butcher paper on which the children were able to draw figures. Then they used paint to place handprints in between the drawings, making a realistic looking wall petroglyph.  After drying, the butcher paper was “stuffed” in the back with newspaper, so it looked like a roughened cave wall coming out of a mountain.

The children enjoyed themselves, especially when making the hand prints and smashing the fruit to make paint. They enjoyed learning how to create something from the very beginning, even making your own paint. Both large and small muscle groups were used in this activity, as the children were very mobile when making the handprints and smashing the berries and mixing them and the Arizona dirt with glue, then using it to paint on the plaster paris. The main idea the children learned from this lesson was to appreciate the amount of work it takes to create art with very minimal materials, and be proud of their completed work.