Artist Wayne Thiebaud “popped” onto the American art scene in the 1950’s. Having apprenticed at Walt Disney Studios, served as an artist in the U.S. Army, studied art at various schools, and eventually taught art at the University of California, Davis for more than 30 years, Thiebaud is uniquely qualified to have created his own unique style of pop art.
Best-known for his vivid depictions of everyday foods including cakes, pies, and pastries, perhaps a throwback to his youth, days dishing diner food at a café in Long Beach, CA, Thiebaud uses exaggerated colors and heavy paint application to communicate his sumptuous subjects. Over the years, his art has been displayed aside pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and other renowned pop artists.
Your own hungry artists can pay tribute to Thiebaud’s sweet style with our Diner Display Case Paintings lesson plan. Beginning with a template of a plate to ensure consistency of size, each student will sketch, color, and ink a specific tasty treat, preferably using a real-life model (imagine the after-class party).
Student works can then be compiled into a multi-row diner display case, creating a whole-class project.
Click to view this lesson plan, including step-by-step instructions, a complete materials list, and a photo of a finished piece. Then, go get a snack.
