Independent Art Project: Wassily Kandinsky

As my kids have gotten older, they’ve started to do more work on their own. Sometimes I give them independent projects to encourage this growing self-sufficiency, like this art study on Wassily Kandinsky.

I chose Kandinsky because we have been focused on Russia these past few weeks and he is one of their most famous artists. Also, he is widely regarded as a pioneer of abstract art.

My goal for this project was for my kids to learn about Wassily Kandinsky’s life, see how his paintings evolved throughout the years and discover what influenced his work.

Learning about KandinskyThis post contains affilate links.

I told the girls I wanted them to learn about Kandinsky, so first they went online to do some research. 

Some of the websites they used for their research were:

After they read about his life and work, they used our art authority iPad app to see his art.

Immediately after finishing, my youngest said, “you can really see how his art changed over the years.”

Remember when I said that I wanted my kids to see how his paintings had evolved over the years? Well I never mentioned that to her. She discovered it herself through her own investigation!

They were able to fill out one of our biography report pages with everything they learned about the famous artist.

Now that they they understood a bit more about Kandinsky and had studied his work, it was time to paint. 

Painting Like the Master: Kandinsky

Independent Art Project: Wassily Kandinsky

Each child chose one of their favorite pieces as their inspiration.

My youngest was very drawn to the paintings featuring circles and decided to give that a try. My oldest really enjoys abstract art and was moved by Kandinsky’s use of geometric shapes.

They sat down with their acrylic paints and art paper to get started right away.

Sometimes when we study art, they don’t know what to draw or paint, but this time they were so inspired that they knew right away what they wanted to create.

Independent Art Project: Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky’s Life and Art

After they were done, we sat down so they could share with me what they had learned through this independent art project.

There were certain points that I wanted them to see and understand.

  • The reasons why Claude Monet’s “Haystacks” influenced Kandinsky’s early work
  • What makes “Blue Rider” one of his most famous pieces
  • What inspired one his most famous abstract pieces, “Composition VII”
  • How he used geometric shapes, like in “Yellow-Red-Blue” as he continued exploring abstract art
  • What influenced his later works, such as “Composition X”

Thanks to their research, they knew most of these, and we had fun investigating the rest together!

My kids really enjoyed this independent art project and it tied in perfectly with everything else we’ve been learning about Russia. Now we all know more about its art as well as its history, regional foods, geography, and so much more!

Are you a fan of Wassily Kandinsky? Which of his paintings inspires you?

Megan Zechman

Megan Zechman

I love homeschooling! Learning is a way of life for our family. Most days you will find us exploring our Central Florida community, having fun while learning. I am constantly looking for new and interactive ways to engage my older children.
Megan Zechman

@edupossible

Megan Zechman
Megan Zechman

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3 Comments

  1. Perfect Timing! We are featuring Kandinsky in a couple of weeks. These resources will come in very handy, so thanks for sharing! Your kids’ artwork is amazing.

    Renae

    1. Thank you so much Renae! My kids really love art, so I’m always trying to find ways to make it a part of our schooling. I’m glad you can use some of our ideas. He is such a great artist to study. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

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