Vincent van Gogh had always been one of my favorite artists. Then I read this book, and my appreciation for him grew even greater. I thought I already knew a lot about van Gogh, but "Learning from Henri Nouwen & Vincent van Gogh - A Portrait of the Compassionate Life" by Carol A. Berry taught me much more than I was expecting. Now van Gogh is more than just "one of my … [Read more...]
Make a Sunflower for Ukraine
Make a colorful sunflower for Ukraine to show your support! Kids in grades 2 and up enjoy making these expressive oil pastel sunflowers. You might even want to make one yourself! You can find a free download to guide you in my TPT store. The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, and has been a symbol of peace for many years. The sunflower's bright yellow petals set … [Read more...]
7 Secrets to Success for Using Oil Pastels with Kids
Your K-8 students can create stunning works of art by following these secrets to success for using oil pastels. Kids love the clear, bright colors of oil pastels and their creamy consistency. They can cover a large area quickly, which makes them ideal for the shorter attention spans of early elementary students. Parents and teachers love that oil pastels are … [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...]
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Parents often tell me about the artwork their kids did with me that they have framed and hanging in their home. And this is the project that most often earns a permanent place on the wall! While there's nothing like adding new lessons to keep your curriculum fresh and exciting, we all have projects that we go back to year after year because they are so successful and are so … [Read more...]
New! Artist Birthdays Calendar
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...]
Wishing You a “Perfectionism-Free” New Year
"As a painter I shall never really count, I can feel that absolutely." ~ Vincent Van Gogh, 1889, Arles Vincent Van Gogh never knew what a great artist he was. His paintings sell for millions today, yet in his lifetime, he only ever sold one painting. What fascinates me is that he didn't let this stop him.... he kept painting. Even when he received no outside appreciation for … [Read more...]
Oil Pastel Still Life Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh
Students will be surprised to learn that Van Gogh was not popular as an artist during his own lifetime.... a great example that the opinions of popular culture do not always prevail! This project usually takes 2-3 fifty minute sessions to finish, and the results are frame-worthy! Vocabulary: • Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) - Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh is one of the best … [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...]
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...]
