I posted this lesson awhile back as "Name Aliens", but I've since figured out a better way to teach this, so I improved the directions. As soon as kids can write their names in cursive, they're ready to create these whimsical creatures! To make "bugs", just add six legs instead of two! (Adapted from the book, "Paper Designs" by Jerome C. Brown)Can you guess what name this … [Read more...]
Tangle Drawings
Tangle drawing by Krista, grade 4Tangle drawings are like sophisticated “doodles”, with an endless variety of possibilities! Visit Zentangle.com (and its companion Flickr site) to be inspired and see how one couple has turned these simple, yet sophisticated drawings into a world-wide craze! Vocabulary: Tangle - a confused mass of something that is twisted … [Read more...]
Calder-Inspired “Stabile” Sculptures
Alexander Calder, American sculptor and inventor of the mobile, also invented the "stabile", a freestanding sculpture with similar qualities to the mobile. Since his stabile sculptures are quite large, many are installed outdoors.... so we "planted" our stabiles in florist foam complete with growing grass to get the full effect!Materials:4 Pipe cleaners in assorted colors4 … [Read more...]
Easy Mondrian
Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), was one of the most important artists of the 20th century. His abstract designs had a huge influence on the graphic design, architecture, and interior design of his day. He was best known for his stylized, geometric designs of black and white grids filled with bright, primary colors. Students are fascinated to see his work still … [Read more...]
Kandinsky for Kinders
I love this color mixing lesson inspired by Russian artist, Wassily Kandinsky! Kandinsky was an accomplished musician as well as an artist, so it's fun to play music while the students are working. You can do variations of this lesson for just about any grade level. Here is what I do for Kindergarten and 1st grade.... perfect for allowing students to experiment and just have … [Read more...]
Paper Sculpture Inspired by Alexander Calder
This wonderful sculpture was created at my last Teacher Workshop.... I don't know who to give credit to, so if this is yours, please let me know!Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was an American artist who was born into a family of artists and sculptors and became one of the 20th century’s most influential modern artists. He is also known for inventing the mobile and the "stabile", … [Read more...]
Matisse-Inspired Collage
When Matisse was elderly and too weak to stand at his easel, he began making collages with cut paper, which he called “drawing with scissors”.Henri Matisse, a French artist (1869-1953) known for his originality and strong use of color, was one of the most important artists of the 20th century and a leader in the modern art movement. An art critic once labeled Matisse and his … [Read more...]
Positive/Negative Space Collage #2
This project is similar to the last one I posted, but this one has a mirror image that works vertically as well as horizontally. It's really not that much more difficult, especially if you've already done the first one, but it's definitely impressive! (Both are adapted from the book Wild & Wonderful Art Lessons by Gene Baer, a great resource which unfortunately is long out … [Read more...]
Positive/Negative Space Collage #1
Cut paper collage is a great way to teach the concepts of positive/negative space and symmetry. This lesson is inspired by the art of Japanese 'Notan', which emphasizes the contrast between light and dark. Each student's project will look unique, everyone will feel successful, and it's not even messy! You can't beat that combination! 1. Each student will need two pieces … [Read more...]
Grade 3 Portfolios – The Shapes and Colors of Joy
"Matthew's Dream", by Leo Lionni, is my inspiration for our third grade portfolio project. In this charming fable, a boy named Matthew visits the museum with his classmates and is entranced by the paintings he sees there. That night Matthew has a magical dream which helps him to see the world around him in a whole new way. He becomes a painter and creates beautiful abstract … [Read more...]