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. Any artist … [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, on display now through Christmas at our local art store. These were really pretty easy to do, and super FUN! We're hoping they'll command a high price at … [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...]
Echo Line Flowers
3rd Grade Flower DrawingThis is a great lesson for teaching about warm and cool colors, patterns, and artists who painted flowers, like Georgia O'Keeffe and Vincent Van Gogh.1. Have some visual references on hand that show a variety of flower shapes.2. On 9x12 paper, draw a flower with a stem and some leaves. Don't draw too close to the edge of your paper so you'll have room … [Read more...]
How Van Gogh Made His Mark – Explore and Learn!
The Courtyard of the Hospital in Arles, First Week of May 1889by Vincent Van GoghIf you are a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, you must visit this wonderful, interactive website for kids by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, called "Explore and Learn" . Here kids can learn about the life of post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh, focusing on his drawings and his masterful use of … [Read more...]
The Elements of Art
Olive Trees with Yellow Sky and Sun by Vincent VanGoghWhile exploring one of my favorite Art websites, About.com:Art History, I came across a great explanation of the "Elements of Art". The author uses the analogy of the Elements of Art being like the "building blocks" that artists use to create their artwork. Similar to how different atoms combine to form other things (ex. … [Read more...]