(WT) The Story of Ruth and Boaz ~ Art Workshop Lesson

Rotation.org Writing Team

The Story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz

A Paint & Printmaking Art Workshop Lesson

Click the image to enlarge this example.
See more examples of printing and painting possibilities below!

Summary of Activities

Using paints and unique stamping techniques and materials, students will visually express important themes and life applications from the story. Their art will be a reminder of the responsibility we have to act as Guardian-Redeemers to others. The techniques and materials will help them explore their responsibility to protect, cover, and embrace others, just as God does.

About the Art in this Lesson
One of the key printing implements students will use in this lesson to express and remember the biblical concept of "guard, protect, embrace, cover" is a feather. Feathers/pinions/wings are a biblical image used to describe the cover or protection of God (see Psalm 91:4, for example). In Ruth 2:12, Boaz blesses Ruth with God's "winged" protection. In Ruth 3:9, Ruth literally asks Boaz in Hebrew to extend his "wings" over her (to become her Guardian in the Levitical sense).

Students will also use a stalk of wheat or barley in their artwork, which symbolizes many things in the story.

This lesson describes several ways to use these "stamps" with paint for printmaking, and includes three scripture templates students may choose from as their "canvas." Students are provided with the story, implements, and creative direction, and are invited to make their own choices in their artwork as they seek to express their own sense of protection, cover, and embrace.

The stamping and "printing with paint" techniques described below are a nod to how John August Swanson created the serigraph illustrations used in our Ruth Storybook.

Scripture:

The Book of Ruth

Memory Verse:
Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16, NIV)

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at Rotation.org for insights about this story, especially the concepts of "cover" and "Guardian-Redeemer" which come straight from the text. The Background also has this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

Read the Bible Background and scripture
Smocks or long-sleeve painting shirts
Copies of the Ruth Storybook featuring the artwork of John August Swanson - print enough copies for each two to three students to have a copy to share so that they can study the artwork as the book is read
Stalks of wheat or barley (available in craft stores and online)
A variety of colors of washable paints
Small plates for the paint
A collection of feathers, at least one per student, approximately 4" to 6" long (available in craft stores and online in bulk)
A variety of craft paintbrushes and other painting or stamping implements such as pipe cleaners
Scrap paper to practice techniques
"Canvas" option: print the three scripture templates attached to his lesson on cardstock for students to choose from as their canvases
9"x12" white construction paper or posterboard that won't soak through - enough for the final artwork if you are not using the scripture "canvas"
Plastic to paint on and then "print" (press) onto the artwork (you can use storage and sandwich-sized bags, plastic page protectors, or transparencies)
Permanent markers (so students can sign and write on their artwork)
Print the Gleaning Cards
Clean-up supplies including paper towels
We highly recommend doing several test prints with the feathers, barley or wheat stalks and test transferring the paint applied to the plastic to paper to understand how much paint is needed for a clear print. Tip: not much paint is needed.

Lesson Plan

Opening

Welcome your students and explain what they'll be doing today and what you hope they'll learn. Then dive right in.

Click to enlarge. Save and print it if you want to share it.

The Purpose of Feathers and Wings
and Their Meaning in the Bible, Ruth's Story, and Our Art Project

ASK and SAY: What do feathers do? They protect, shield, and help a bird fly. People used to use them to write with, and artists use them to paint with. They're also good for tickling your dad or putting in pillows.

ASK and SAY: Would it surprise you to discover that GOD is sometimes described as a FEATHERED BIRD in the Bible? Sometimes God is described as an EAGLE protecting its young with its wings, or an eagle who makes our spirits SOAR by carrying us on something like an eagle's wings (Isaiah 40:31). Other times God is described as a MOTHER HEN protecting her chicks under her wings during a storm (Psalm 91:4). Jesus said he wanted to gather us like a mother hen gathers her chicks (Matthew 23:37).

DO: Make the shape of wings with your arms and hands. Position them like they are embracing or protecting your children. Now spread them like you are soaring!

Distribute one feather to each student. Let them know they'll be painting with it in a few minutes, so treat it carefully.

Read the Ruth Storybook

You may assign reading parts or pages.

SAY: There are several places in the Story of Ruth (such as Ruth 2:12 and 3:9) where the idea of feathers or wings, or protecting someone, or gathering, embracing, or covering someone are found. When you think you hear one as we read the Ruth Storybook, HOLD UP YOUR FEATHER and I'll ask you to explain why you think that scene has something like wings or protection or gathering in it.

Note to Teacher: Some "feather/protection" references will be obvious, some less so.

Feather Point Bible Study Moments to discuss: instances of someone being protected/embraced/covered or the word wings/cover/protect is used in the Ruth Storybook:

If no one raises a feather for a point, the teacher should raise theirs and ask the students to look/listen again.

Page 2: "but Ruth clung to Naomi" = protected/embraced.

Page 3: "I won’t leave you or turn my back on you" = sounds like a mother hen or protection. In fact, Ruth's entire famous quote is a promise of protection, a faithful embrace.

Page 5: "Needing to find food for both herself and Naomi" = sounds like what a mother hen does.

Page 7: "and keep you safely under his wings" = compare to Psalm 91:4.

Page 8: "he is one of our family’s Guardian-Redeemers" = a Guardian-Redeemer is a person who is responsible for protecting and offering refuge to others.

Page 10: "so that I may be covered by your protection" = Ruth actually grabs Boaz' cover and asked to be covered (protected by marriage). The Hebrew word translated as cover is Kaw-naf which literally means "wing." Ruth is reminding Boaz of the blessing he offered on page 7.

Page 11: "and take care of Naomi" = there's that mother hen or protecting eagle again.

Page 12: "would one day grow up to become the famous King David" = David would become a famous protector and guardian of Israel. And eventually, Jesus, the World's Redeemer, would come from this same family. God sure plans ahead!

Paint and Printing Activity

Below this description are a number of photos that show you some of the techniques described and the results they produce. The best piece of advice we can give you is "Don't use a lot of paint."

Describe the Project to Your Students

In our art project today, you'll be using your feather to create a work of art that expresses the ideas of guarding, protecting, and embracing shown to us by Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, and God throughout this story.

All of the images in our Ruth Storybook were made using a kind of printmaking called "serigraph," sometimes called a silkscreen. John August Swanson, the artist, would put some paint on the screen and then PRESS it onto his paper, one color at a time. He would do this over and over until he got all his colors on the paper. Today, we will be using our feathers to "stamp" color on our paper, to build up a picture. We'll also be painting some colors and designs on these plastic bags and then pressing the bags onto our paper to transfer the paint.

Distribute scrap paper and have the students stamping/drawing/print-pressing as you demonstrate some possible techniques. As you do, suggest ways they might compose their print/painting to remember our lesson about guarding, protecting, embracing, covering, wings, keeping people safe, etc.

Demonstrate using your feather as a stamp. First, press your feather in a smear of paint, then press the feather to your paper to create the impression of a feather on your paper. Don't drag it. Less paint is better! You can also hold an unpainted feather to the paper and lightly paint over it with a paintbrush, then remove the feather to see its outline. Remind students that the arrangement of their stamps and colors is meant to express ideas from the story of Ruth and our feelings about them.
Demonstrate drawing lines and shapes using your feather, drawing with the tip of the feather or some other implement. You could draw yourself and other people at the center of your feather embrace. Encourage them to think about how the shapes can express key thoughts and feelings.
Demonstrate a "press-paint" technique by applying dabs or strokes of paint to plastic, then turning it over and pressing it onto the canvas. You can also paint on paper and press it onto the canvas to create a "screened effect."

Note: The examples seen in this lesson plan are the combination of several techniques. Some parts of the artwork were first painted on plastic and then transferred to the paper by pressing. Other shapes and colors were directly stamped on the paper, the feathers for example.
1. Demonstrate the final step, which is using the wheat or barley stalk to stamp the paper. As you do this, ask/remind students about the significance of the grain Ruth gleaned, and how Boaz gave her extra as a sign of his generosity and protection. Stamping with stalks can use a lot of paint. Slightly roll the stalk into a smear of paint and then use the stalk like a stamp on your canvas.
  
  Tip: Suggest students create a barley stamp for each member of their family and use other colors/shapes to show the idea of how God embraces them.
Show them samples you have created, or show them images from this lesson plan that you have printed.
Show them some of the possible "scripture templates" that they can choose from. These have words from the lesson and the Book of Ruth. They may choose to write or paint their own words if they wish (but this may take more time than you have, so take note).
Distribute new "canvases" and help students get started on their final project.

As they paint...

Walk around and help them think about how they can convey what's on their mind about the story on the canvas. Suggest that they apply the big shapes and colors first and add detail last. Encourage students to leave space, and not to paint over the scripture template text if they are using a one. Point out a student's interesting idea or technique to other students. Allow for their own creativity and encourage individuality as they visualize the ideas of the story. Remind them to share the materials because Guardians share, too!

A Few Talking Points as Students Create

What color choices and shapes feel like a warm embrace?
Think about where the barley can go in your artwork to help tell a story. The story took place in the "House of Bread" (Bethlehem's meaning). Bread is a staple and a gift. Scripture is often described as bread. Having food "protects" us from starvation and is a sign of blessing.
Think about how the "grains of barley" can represent their loved ones that God embraces.
Ruth and Naomi were able to have food to eat because Boaz wasn't greedy. He followed God's Law to leave something behind for those in need. Don't be greedy with your art materials. Be generous. Always be willing to share.
Boaz was not only Naomi and Ruth's Guardian-Redeemer, but also everyone else's in his tribe. Who is the Guardian-Redeemer of YOUR tribe? Are you a Guardian to others, too? Who? How can you put them and yourself into your work of art?
God doesn't speak in the Book of Ruth, but God's love is surely shown. How can you show God in your work of art?
Who makes you feel the most protected? How do you "protect" other people's possessions? How do you protect or guard other people's feelings?
Boaz and Ruth both provided for Naomi through their labor. Who provides for you?

Tip: Be sure to finish with time left for Show 'n Tell. Place the paintings under a fan to dry them more quickly. (Drying time is another reason not to soak your canvas with paint, but rather, use small amounts of paint in the stamping and transfer processes.)

Here's a collection of images showing various techniques. Let your students experiment!

Examples of some finished results. Click to enlarge.

Reflection Show 'n Tell

Let's take a moment to walk around the table to "GLEAN" what each of our artists and their artworks have to say to us about today's lesson.

Note to the teacher: This is a good opportunity to "embrace" each student with approval and reinforce key parts and meanings in the Story of Ruth. Remind everyone that it's not what's painted on paper that matters to God, but what's painted on our hearts and shown by how we treat others.

Gleaning Card Discussion (optional)

Spread the gleaning cards on the floor or table. Invite a student to glean a card and read the question. Discuss as a group and then invite someone else to glean another card. Continue until all the questions have been discussed.

Close with a prayer thanking God for our creative spirit. Pray that all will feel surrounded by God's protecting Holy Spirit and that each of us would look for ways to be a Guardian-Redeemer to others, especially those in need.

Adaptations

For younger students:

Use the scripture template as your canvas.
Spread the paint on paper plates for them so they aren't tempted to use too much.
Suggest they divide their canvas into three areas:
1. A center area for details, perhaps an outline of themselves, their friends, and those in need.
2. The area surrounding the center for their "embracing" stamps, colors, and shapes.
3. Outer edges for framing with barley stalk stamps.

For older students and those with more time:

Encourage students to write "Guardian-Redeemer" in Hebrew, which is the word Gaw-al'.
Allow more time for experimenting with feather stamping and drawing on scrap paper and pressing with painted plastic.
Use the Gleaning Cards reflection/discussion. Consider making additional Gleaning Cards for more discussion.

For a Shorter/Simpler lesson plan:

Skip pages 4 and 11 in the Ruth Storybook.
Use the Scripture templates as your canvas.
Focus more on stamping with the feather than press-transferring from plastic.
Make sure all the supplies and tables are set before starting.

Sources

John August Swanson, whose Ruth serigraph illustrates our Storybook, wrote in part, "The Book of Ruth is a beautiful and ancient narrative (that is also) contemporary in its content. It teaches us about compassion, tolerance, commitment, generosity, the feminine, respect, and love. I hope that my retelling of this biblical tale of loss, famine, migration, work, and abundance can show us how we can play our part in the larger picture of God's plan." Our thanks to his studio for granting us permission to use his Ruth serigraph for this lesson.

Written by Dena Kitchens and the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright Rotation.org Inc.