Kids love to celebrate birthdays, so what better time to introduce a new artist than on that artist's birthday? I've created a new page on my site to help you plan your artist birthday celebrations! Just click on the "Artist Birthdays" link on my menu bar for a list of birthdays by month, complete with links to lesson plans and wikipedia pages for more helpful info. (Artists … [Read more...]
Computer Art ala Picasso!
There are so many ways to be creative with a computer! Here's a site where you can click and drag to create your very own Picasso-like portrait. This would be a fun activity for students after learning about the real Picasso! Be sure to check out this site's "gallery" to see the fun others have had at PicassoHead.com!1. Go to http://www.picassohead.com/create.html 2. … [Read more...]
Picasso Portraits – Kindergarten Style!
Picasso gives us many great opportunities to teach about abstract art! I like to do this lesson with my Kinders after I teach them the more "traditional" methods of drawing portraits. They really enjoy this chance to "get a little crazy" with their art! (Warning: Get ready to hear some of the FUNNIEST comments from 5 and 6 year olds while doing this project.... My favorite … [Read more...]
More about Picasso….
Self-Portrait 1907 by Pablo Picasso Yesterday's post, "Wild 'n Crazy Picasso Portraits", left me inspired to write a little bit more about this amazing artist... Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), is often under-appreciated by people who don't know much about him.... I usually have to remind students of "Rule #1" when teaching a class about Picasso for the first … [Read more...]
And He Thought the World Didn’t Make Sense Then!
"Sylvette" by Pablo Picasso"The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?" ~Pablo PicassoBy the way, this painting sold a few months ago in Sydney, Australia for 6.9 million.... Maybe when it comes to art, making sense is not the point???! … [Read more...]
What Is Art??
So what is Art, anyway?? Not to get all philosophical or anything, but you have to admit that's a good question! If you ask 100 people, you're likely to get 100 different answers. I recently attended an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum titled, "What is Art?". This question was posed to exhibit viewers who responded on sticky notes that covered an entire wall. Reading … [Read more...]
Every Child is an Artist
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." ~ Pablo Picasso Art Phobia....many adults have it, but it doesn't seem to be something we're born with. Have you ever seen a three year old intimidated by a big piece of white paper and a huge brush loaded with gloppy paint??? Art Phobia appears to be an acquired deficiency, … [Read more...]