We began our lesson by looking at examples of Monet's paintings in an old Monet art calendar. I chose his painting of Antibes for us to "copy" and hung it up where everyone could see it. Then I explained to my 1st graders that art students sometimes copy a famous painting in order to learn from it, and that it's okay to do that as long as you give the original artist proper … [Read more...]
Search Results for: monet
Monet’s Ice Cream Sundae Party
1st Grade Ice Cream Sundae...don't you just love kids' art??!This is a FUN lesson in color mixing and mixing tints (a tint is any color plus white). I got this out of an old School Arts Magazine years ago and just simplified it a little. It's a great opportunity to talk to kids about Impressionist painter, Claude Monet, and the scrumptious colors he used! I usually do this … [Read more...]
TIP #34: 4 Activities to Help Kids “See Like an Artist”
Learning to “see like an artist” is all about training your brain to respond ”mindfully" to what you see. It's about looking carefully and noticing lines, shapes, colors and values as you look at things. When students learn to “see like an artist” it enables them to better translate what they see onto their paper or canvas. This is also a valuable life skill for … [Read more...]
Musee d’Orsay vs. the Louvre
My visit to the Musee d'Orsay was a completely different experience from my time at the Louvre. At the d'Orsay, I saw lots more quiet contemplation of the art (Renoir, Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh and more).... and far fewer selfies! I was filled with awe as I explored the Van Gogh room, and completely taken aback when I came to the painting of Van Gogh's bedroom.... … [Read more...]
Artist Birthdays
JANUARY 12 - John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) 19 - Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) Lessons inspired by Paul Cezanne on Teach Kids Art 23 - Edouard Manet (1832-1883) 28 - Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) Lessons inspired by Jackson Pollock on Teach Kids Art FEBRUARY 2 - Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) Lessons inspired by Jose Guadalupe Posada on Teach Kids Art 3 - Norman Rockwell … [Read more...]
10 Mistakes Every Art Teacher Can Avoid
Over the years, I've made more than my share of mistakes.... and many of them more than once! We all make mistakes, but we can learn from each other and at least avoid some of the common ones. Here are some lessons I've learned the hard way! 1. Doing for your students what they can (and should!) do for themselves. From passing out supplies to washing brushes at the end of … [Read more...]
366 Hearts
If you're looking for ideas for Valentine's Day, this story may give you the inspiration you're looking for! When I first discovered the 366 Hearts project, I stayed up half the night with inspiration for all the new ideas I wanted to try. Talented U.K. artist, Hazel McNab, challenged herself to create a new heart every day from Valentine's Day 2012 until Valentine's Day … [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...]
How to Mix More Interesting Greens
Green is a color that students often take for granted. When painting greens, many kids will default to just using the green in their paint set. This results in paintings that lack depth and interest. With some basic color mixing instruction, kids can paint a variety of greens and greatly improve their paintings at the same time! Follow these steps to mix more interesting … [Read more...]
Artists in 60 Seconds
Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926). Shadows on the Sea, the Cliffs at Pourville, 1882.No, this isn’t about how to turn your students into artists in just one minute, but rather how to get one minute’s worth of information about an already well-known artist! Sometimes all you need is a quick summary of an artist’s life and work, yet when you search the internet you can easily end … [Read more...]