Kandinsky & Color: Painting Emotions
Wassily Kandinsky, a pioneer of abstract art, believed that colors and shapes could express feelings just as music does. He associated specific colors with particular emotions and used abstract forms to capture the inner experience of being human.
In this activity, you’ll create an abstract painting inspired by Kandinsky’s style, using color to explore and express your emotions during the process.
Materials:
Watercolor, acrylic, or tempera paints
Brushes and/or sponges
Canvas, watercolor paper, or heavy drawing paper
Palette for mixing colors
Optional: oil pastels or markers for detailing
Instructions:
Choose Your Color-Emotion Connections – Consider Kandinsky’s associations or make your own:
Yellow: warmth, energy, joy
Blue: calm, sadness, serenity
Red: strength, vitality, passion
Green: peace, balance, stability
Black: depth, mystery, grief
White: openness, possibility, lightness
Begin Abstractly – Instead of painting objects, focus on shapes, lines, and color combinations that represent your current feelings.
Paint Mindfully – As you work, notice how each color makes you feel. Let your emotions guide the shapes and movement in your painting.
Layer and Experiment – Kandinsky often layered colors and overlapped shapes. Try adding depth by building layers or letting colors blend naturally.
Reflect – When you finish, take a moment to observe your work. Which emotions are most visible to you? Which ones are hidden in the layers?
Reflection Prompt:
How did the choice of colors influence the way you felt while painting? Did the act of creating help shift or clarify your emotions?
How did the choice of colors influence the way you felt while painting? Did the act of creating help shift or clarify your emotions?
