Kevin Red Star


Kevin Red Star is one of my favorite artists to talk about. He visited our school district several years ago and really inspired the kids with his art and life story. He is a Montana artist (another reason I love to share his art). Intensely brilliant colors and an almost mystical use of light bring a special joy to his canvases. He draws from his Crow culture for his subjects-historical and modern. I have done several art lessons on him from portraits to tepees, horses, and shields. I just finished a lesson with my 3rd-6th graders on his shields.

We did these on white poster board, and they used sponges to add texture and color for a realistic look. I had templates for bison and horses and told them that they could used any Native American symbols they wanted, as well as trace their hands, (like he did in one of his paintings). We used acrylic paint and Sharpies to outline and add details. They all did some kind of border to finish them off. We made feathers out of card stock and attached beads with rawhide.

Below are some of his paintings and a few of the shields my students did.


























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