Students enjoy creating these quirky street-scapes inspired by Russian artist, Marc Chagall. There's just something really fun about crooked buildings and random things flying through the air! Materials: 12x18 black construction paper #2 Pencil with pink eraser (the eraser is handy for "sketching" your layout!) Oil Pastels "Wet wipes" for clean up Examples of the … [Read more...]
Oil Pastel Cats Inspired by Laurel Burch
What's not to love about these whimsical, colorful cats inspired by San Francisco artist, Laurel Burch? This fun project can be adapted to almost any age group.... the examples here were done by my 4th graders. My students always enjoy learning about the lives of famous artists, and the story of prolific artist Laurel Burch (1945-2007) really inspired them! Her highly … [Read more...]
Masterpiece Mosaics: a Collaborative Art Project for Grades K – 8
These colorful projects, which I call "Masterpiece Mosaics", were a collaborative effort by my students in grades K through middle school. Each grade level created their own copy of a famous painting - six masterpieces in all. These were really pretty easy to do, and super FUN! We're hoping they'll command a high price at our school auction in the spring! Check out the rest of … [Read more...]
An Abstract “Musical Composition”!
Abstract art is a great way to teach composition and the Elements of Art... without the intimidation that can occur when striving for realism. Take some musical symbols and create a random layout... and have fun with it!! Materials:12x18 black construction paperOil pastels (we used the Pentel 16 color set)Directions:1. Sketch your design using a white oil pastel. Include at … [Read more...]
Oil Pastel Fish – Kindergarten Style!
Oil pastels, with their rich colors and expressive line quality, are one of my favorite mediums to use with kids. And the key to getting the best results with any oil pastel lesson is LAYERING! Materials:12x18 black construction paperOil pastels (We use the Pentel 16 color set.)Directions: 1. Set aside your black oil pastel... you won't use it until the end!2. To begin this … [Read more...]
Van Gogh Auction Project
Even Van Gogh himself would be proud of this copy of his "Café Terrace" painting, created by our 2nd graders to raise money at our annual school auction.Each year, our school holds a fundraiser auction to raise money for special programs. While many valuable items are donated to be auctioned off, the items that create the most excitement are usually our special "class … [Read more...]
Drawing Fish with Lines and Shapes
In Kindergarten this year, we've been focusing on drawing the world around us using lines and shapes. This colorful fish was drawn by Gabe. For this project, we first read a story about different kinds of fish, and talked about the shapes, lines, and patterns we saw in each one.... lots of ovals, triangles, circles and rectangles, and lines of all kinds: straight, zig zag, … [Read more...]
Abstract Scatch Art
This project was inspired by Swiss artist Paul Klee. Paul Klee (1879-1940) was an abstract artist known for his highly individual style, which was influenced by many different art movements, including Expressionism, Cubism and Surrealism. Random colors in the background appear as your design is scratched out, offering a fun surprise whether you create a partial or total … [Read more...]
Self-Portraits Inspired by Paul Klee
Kindergarten self-portrait and "Senecio" by Paul Klee One of our wonderful parent volunteers recently shared a great website with me that she found. If you're looking for new art lessons to try, check out Kathy Barbaro's "Art Projects for Kids". I found a great idea on her website for "painting" with tissue paper, which I tried with one of our Kindergarten … [Read more...]
Tips for Working with Oil Pastels
Oil pastels just might be my favorite Art medium for kids! Both set-up and clean-up are quick and easy, and with a few specific instructions, every student can achieve great (if not totally charming!) results. Here are a few tips to help your students find success with oil pastels. You will probably find yourself repeating these instructions over and over, but eventually it … [Read more...]