Inspiration<strong>Beatriz</strong> <strong>Milhazes</strong> is influenced by the colours and shapes from the tropical rainforest landscapearound her in Rio, but also by music (especially ‘Bossa nova’!) and carnivals. What’s your favourite typeof music? If you were to describe your favourite song using colour and shape, what would it look like?<strong>Activity</strong>: What’s your Bossa nova?• Sing your favourite song or type of music (to yourself or out loud!).• In your notebook, draw what you think its rhythm and overall sound looks like, using the colours andshapes you’ve been putting in your notebook already.• If you have time, write the words of the song on the opposite page.<strong>Beatriz</strong> <strong>Milhazes</strong>, O pato (The Duck), 1996-98
The Big <strong>Activity</strong>:Useful materials:A3 paper, coloured pencils/ crayons/ oil pastels/ sharpies, small A5 sheets of colourful tracing paperand hard card, scissors, pieces of sponge or foam, glue, paint, (wall)paper with different patterns,doilies, pieces of lace and/ or floral fabrics, glitter, found natural materials from outdoors (flowers,leaves, shells, feathers, stones).Bring together all of the things you found out about <strong>Beatriz</strong> <strong>Milhazes</strong>’ artwork to make a big work ofyour own full of your favourite colours, shapes and inspired by the natural world around you, or by themanmade fabric and paper that have been provided.• Think about where you live and what you like or don’t like about it, and let this lead your collage.• Start from the centre of the page and work out from it in different directions.• Try repeating shapes to make patterns, and don’t worry about putting things on top of each other!• Remember to use all the space on the page too, just like <strong>Beatriz</strong> <strong>Milhazes</strong>...Now you have your own Artist’s Book. Write a description of your collage in your book!GlossaryArabesque: a type of decoration influenced by natural forms like plantsCanvas: fabric painting surface stretched across a wooden framePrint: one copy of many copies of an artwork made by placing ink on paper in different waysPalette: a range of colours that you can dip intoInspiration: where ideas come fromSignature: what makes something the only one of its kindBossa nova: a style of Brazilian music from the 1960sCollage: an artwork using lots if different kinds of materials togetherWritten by the Whitechapel Gallery’s Education Department.To find out more about the Whitechapel Gallery’s, please seewhitechapelgallery.org