Beth Cavener Emotion Analysis Lesson Plan

Level: Grades 9-12

Central Focus: Artists often use their artwork to convey meaning and depict significant emotion
through symbolic imagery. After examining the work of Beth Cavener, students will explore the
human condition and expression of emotion through body language depicted in an
unconventional method using animal forms. Students will choose a personal emotion to
explore.

National Core Arts Standards:

VA:Cn10.1.IIIa Synthesize knowledge of social, cultural, historical, and personal life
with art-making approaches to create meaningful works of art or design.
VA:Re7.1.Ia Hypothesize ways in which art influences perception and understanding
of human experiences.
VA:Re8.1.Ia Interpret an artwork or collection of works, supported by relevant and
sufficient evidence found in the work and its various contexts.
VA:Pr4.1.IIa Analyze, select, and critique personal artwork for a collection or portfolio
presentation.

Learning Objectives: Students will

Brainstorm and categorize aspects of the human condition in regard to heartfelt,
personally significant emotions.
Interpret the underlying meaning of artwork by Beth Cavener in relation to the human
condition.
Investigate a significant emotion or emotional experience and create a representation
through painting that includes the use of animal imagery/symbolism.
Interpret and critique peer artwork.

Featured vocabulary: representation, symbolism, gesture, anthropomorphism, impasto, artist

statement, palette knife, examples of emotions- (ex: phlegmatic, choleric, anguish, unrequited
love, vs. happy, sad, mad, etc.)

Materials: 11x17 canvas paper (or larger), pencil, acrylic paint, paintbrushes

Lesson Sequence:
1. Introduction:
a. Fieldtrip to the Chazen to discuss Cavener artwork in person
b. Show Beth Cavener PowerPoint and artist video. Discuss artwork, dissect artist
statement in relation to several pieces.
c. What are some other ways we communicate? (aside from speaking)
d. How do we show, or hide, our emotions?
e. How are we similar to animals? What is our relationship with animals? How do
we treat them? Questions to discuss throughout presentation, incorporate VTS
2. Brainstorm:
a. Worksheet + sketches
b. What are some negative emotions that we experience as humans? What are
some positive ones? Make lists on whiteboard. How can these emotions be
represented?
c. How do we use our bodies to communicate these emotions? How can you tell
what someone may be feeling without asking them directly?
d. Do any animals represent certain emotions or conditions?
e. Show examples lion may represent pride, fox may represent mischievousness,
rabbit may be shy and reserved?
f. Students check in with me before continuing to final piece
3. Prompt:
a. Choose an emotion that represents a part of your life or is significant to you in
some way. (For Beth it was loneliness.) Depict this emotion in animal form. What
animal might you choose and why? Think about how it moves, how it expresses
what it is feeling. How can we embody this emotion?
4. Demonstration:
a. Animal should take up most of the paper trying to work at a larger scale like
Beth Cavener.
b. Think about how the colors you choose can enhance or take away from the
selected emotion.
c. Think about composition; how are you going to place the animal on the paper?
How can this make your emotion evident?
d. Think about the texture Beth Cavener uses in her work and how that can add
detail to your animal to make it feel alive.
e. Demo painting techniques palette knife painting, how to achieve texture and
movement
5. Work Time:
a. What emotion did you choose?
b. How are you translating that into an animal?
c. What characteristics of the animal directly relate to the emotion?
6. Artist Statement:
a. Beth Caveners examples from website
b. How did you depict your specific emotion through your animal? Include context
of emotion.
7. Critique:
a. Hang pieces from a different class to avoid bias/students who may not want to
talk about the emotion they chose.
b. Have students try to guess what emotion is depicted.
c. Does it successfully portray the emotion they chose? How did they represent this
emotion? Discuss ways it could have been done differently or things they did
well.
8. Assessment:
a. Checklist for participation during critique and utilization of in class work time
(formative)
b. Handout completion (summative)
c. Check in with me during brainstorm/sketch phase before continuing on to final
piece (embedded)