Open Studio

In this installment of Open Studio, Alanna is inspired by both the bold shapes in Leon Polk Smith’s paintings and Nicole Kelly Westman’s shifting images of light and shadow. Watch the video to see how Alanna creates artwork out of music, using markers and found objects to visually capture the experience of sound.

In the video, Alanna will introduce several examples of graphic scores and share tips for making marks and shapes inspired by or representing the music she hears. She’ll also share some sample graphic scores made by elementary school students to get you started.

Once you’ve watched Alanna’s video, grab your materials and large sheet of paper. Alanna recommends setting up your workspace on the floor to give yourself more space. Play Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev and start creating!

Materials

• long sheet of paper or multiple pieces taped together in a line
• markers, crayons and/or pencil crayons
• various “loose parts” like twine, beads, buttons, yarn, shells, sticks or fabric

This activity is recommended for artists 3 and up. Please ensure adult supervision at all times when working with small, loose materials.