Hands-On Activities

Sketchbook Club: Circus Clown and Elephant

This is a painting of a clown and an elephant. The clown is dressed in a red outfit with large buttons and a polka-dot hat, smiling and waving its arms. Beside the clown stands an elephant wearing a red blanket-like garment. Surrounding the figures are crosshatched patterns in various colors. The artwork is in the style of folk art or naive art, using a limited color palette of red, blue, and yellow, with strong black outlines. The composition is dynamic and has a sense of movement, capturing the joyful essence often associated with circus themes.
American 20th Century, Federal Art Project (Wisconsin), Circus Clown and Elephant, 1937-1938, color woodcut on cotton fabric, Corcoran Collection, 2015.143.1493.8

Virtual

Join us in a guided sketch of the world’s largest land animal, the elephant, inspired by Circus Clown and Elephant.

This is one club where you don’t need a membership to join! National Gallery of Art teaching artists will lead free, 30-minute sketches inspired by works of art from the National Gallery’s collection. Add new drawings to your sketchbook or just doodle along with us as we explore a different prompt each session.

All you need are a pencil and paper. We encourage you to bring colored pencils, crayons, markers, or paints as well, but these are optional. Sketchbook Club is recommended for families with children of all ages.
 

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