GRADE FOCUS CONTENT AREAS CHEMISTRY EGG TEMPERA 9-11 STEAM + CHEMISTRY VISUAL ART STANDARDS ENGAGEMENT HS-PS1-6. VA:Cr1.2.IIa Begin with viewing paintings by modern artist Fred Wessel Choose from a range of Refine the design of a http://www.fredwessel.com/work.html and using the See, chemical system by materials and methods specifying a change in of traditional and Think, Wonder strategy to discuss the paintings. conditions that would contemporary artistic produce increased amounts practices to plan works of products at equilibrium. of art and design. TRANSITION Explore the idea that Wessel’s work is based in using Egg ASSESSMENT Tempera Paint as a medium. This dates back to the Renaissance. Explore the history of egg tempera using this CHECKLIST reference: http://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/egg- Student accurately explains the change of tempera.html conditions that produces higher pigmentation in each tempera variation. Ask students: 1. Why would artists use this method today when we have Student’s artwork highlights the characteristics of the color they created using their chosen “regular” tempera paint available? tempera technique. 2. What happens to the egg tempera over time chemically? 3. What happens to an egg tempera painting over time?

MATERIALS

Internet/Computer/Projector ACTIVITY Eggs, refined and stand linseed oil, 1. Experiment 1: Create different variations of egg paper plates, brushes, pigments, distilled tempera to determine which works best. Use these water, pallets, wooden boards, gesso methods: http://leonardodavinci.stanford.edu/ submissions/foodog82/paint/project.html TEACHER NOTES 2. Experiment 2: Compare each egg tempera variation with modern day tempera paint. Paint a section with each tempera variation (stand linseed oil, refined linseed oil, egg yolk, egg white, linseed oil, modern tempera paint and modern tempera paint mixed with each egg tempera variation and list the observations of each.

3. Project: Create your own custom egg tempera color using your observations and knowledge of tempera based on your experiments. Highlight the chemical properties of the paint you created, as well as why artists would choose to use it in their work. Create an abstract painting that showcases these properties.

INQUIRY FOCUS: How do chemical reactions effect art making?

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