Summary:

Students will learn about Chumash Native American rock art and then they will create their own artwork using similar methods.

Learning Goals / Objectives:

1. Chumash Rock Art was created with 3 colors, 2 of which were made of rocks. A reddish brown color was created from red ochre, and the white color was created from gypsum. The black color was created from charcoal, which is not a rock, but the result of burning wood.
2. One of the most obvious characteristics used to identify rocks is their color. Ancient people noticed these colors, as well, and created paints from the most vibrant colors.

Background

Setup:

gather all the materials needed and setup the classroom appropriately.

Anticipatory Set:

OBSERVE AND DISCUSS MASTER ARTWORKS and EXAMPLES:

Artworks: Painted Cave Rock Art, Chumash Indians, Santa Barbara County, California

Discussion questions:
1. Do you know what we are looking at? (Chumash Rock Art
2. Explain that the rock art was probably created for religious reasons. It is believed that Shamans, or Chumash priests, made these paintings to influence natural occurrences that affected human life (crop yields, hunting, fishing, etc.)
3. Described the colors you see.
4. Where did the Chumash get the paint for these rock images? Explain as necessary. Paint pigments came mostly from minerals. Red was made from an iron oxide called hematite, or red ochre. White came from gypsum or diatomaceous earth. Black was made from charcoal or from manganese oxide. These ground-up pigments were mixed with a binder — water, animal fat, or plant juices — to make them into paint, which was applied to the rock with the fingers or with brushes made from animal tails.

Instructions / Activities:

CREATE THE ARTWORK

Step 1: Design
1. Explain to students that they will be creating their own rock paintings. They can use symbols that are important to them today (peace symbol, infinity symbol, American symbols, school symbols, etc.), or they can use Chumash symbols, although we cannot be sure what the symbols stood for (see attached)
2. Demonstrate, and then have students tear grey or brown construction paper into a rough oval.
3. With red or orange, white and black pencils, have students lightly sketch were the designs are going to be painted.
4. Have them put their names on the back of the paper.

Step 2: Make the Paint and Create the Rock Art

5. Explain that the Chumash used natural minerals found in the rocks where they lived. The color characteristics of these minerals were obvious. A soft rock that was red, could be ground up and made into red paint. Today we know that the soft red rock is an iron oxide called hematite, or red ochre. Actually, the red ocher was probably clay that was colored with hematite, so it was very easy to grind up. Besides the pigment, however, the Chumash needed something to bind it together and to make it stick to the rock. Spit or water was probably used to bind the pigment, and animal fat, blood, or egg yolk was used to make the paint stick to the surface of the rock. Explain that students are going to make pigments into paint, almost the same way the Chumash Shamans did. Note: In the procedure below there are 4 opportunities for mixing, which makes for a conveniently equal workload if students are grouped by 4
6. Note: Creating the egg/vinegar base can be done in several ways:
• Provide small groups of students (4) with a raw egg yolk in a cup. On the table is a large cup of water, a small container of vinegar, a spoon, paintbrushes, rags or paper towels, and the rock art drawing. Direct students to put 2-3 spoonfuls of water into the cup with the egg yolk, add 1 spoonful of vinegar to the cup and mix with the paintbrush. Clean paintbrush in the water and wipe with the rag.
• The teacher can make a batch of the egg/vinegar base using 1 egg yolk for every 4 students, and increasing the ingredients proportionally. Follow the same directions noted above.
7. Making white paint: Explain that students will be creating one color at a time, and then painting that color onto their “rock” art. Provide groups of students with a white chalk stick in a plastic bag and a cup. Tools for crushing the chalk (hammers, mallets, shoes(?)) should be available around the room. Explain that chalk is made from Gypsum, a white sedimentary rock. Direct students through the following procedure:
• Crush the chalk inside the bag carefully, until it is a fine powder.
• Pour the powder into a clean cup.
• Make a pigment paste by putting one spoonful of water into the cup and stirring. The pigment should have the consistency of a thick paste. If more water is needed, add it drop-by-drop.
• Add a spoonful of the egg yolk mixture and stir. Test the color on a small part of your paper. If it paints somewhat smoothly, your paint is ready to go. If not, add more tempera a little at a time.
• All students should now paint the white portions of their drawing. Clean brushes after this step.
8. Make the red paint: Explain that this pigment comes from natural rock, that has been cleaned and crushed by the manufacturer, who did the work that the Chumash Indians would have done by hand. Provide students with a cup containing a spoonful of the mineral pigment. Direct them to:
• Make a thick pigment paste by adding a spoonful of water to the pigment and stirring.
• Add a spoonful of the egg yolk mixture and test.
• When the paint is ready, all students should paint the red portions of their painting. Clean brushes after this step.
9. Make the black paint: Provide students with a cup containing a spoonful of the mineral pigment. Direct them as noted in Step 8.
10. When the paintings are dry, have students crumble the paper into a ball, smooth it out somewhat, and then mount it on black paper, squishing it in a bit on the edges, so some of the crinkled paper sticks up.

Assessment:

Teacher’s discretion

Wrap-up / Closure:

Gather the artwork in a central location.
• What is one characteristic of rock that was important to our artwork?
• How did the Chumash Indians make their paint? What colors did they use.
• Explain the meaning of so me of your symbols.

Attachments: