This is a simple project, and a great introduction to the concept of positive and negative space for younger kids. Any project using their names is typically a guaranteed hit!!Materials:White paper, any sizePencil and eraserBlack chisel tip markersWater-based markers in a variety of colorsVocabulary:Positive Space - the object or objects you are drawing (in this case, the … [Read more...]
Kaleidoscope Lettering Design
Upper grade "Allison" , colored in warm colors with colored pencilsLower grade "Allison", colored in cool colors with markers (the same lettering, but traced only four times instead of eight!) Combine art and math concepts to create an engaging project with a variety of applications! Kaleidoscope Lettering uses the concepts of bilateral (reflective) symmetry, tessellation, … [Read more...]
Gustav Klimt 3D Trees
Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt, was an important figure in the Art Nouveau movement at the turn of the 20th century. His "Tree of Life" painting inspired this project - a favorite with my 1st graders every spring. After all, when you combine 3D art, gold pipe cleaners and live, growing grass... how can you go wrong??! Materials: Gold pipe cleaners, 6 per student (or use … [Read more...]
“Faux” Mexican Bark “Paintings”
These Mexican Bark "Paintings" by my 5th graders got more "wows" than any other project at our recent school art show. By using markers instead of paint, we saved time in both prep and clean-up, as well as the extra step of touching up with black Sharpie after painting. And the marker on the brown paper produced some beautiful colors! Using markers in place of paint was an … [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...]
Grade 2 Portfolios – “My Many Colored Days”
This project is a great way to use last year's broken crayons! You can even assign students the job of peeling paper off the broken crayons just for this purpose.... some kids LOVE to do this!! "My Many Colored Days", written (but not illustrated) by the beloved Dr. Seuss, is the inspiration for my Grade 2 portfolio lesson. Dr. Seuss wrote this text more than 20 years before … [Read more...]
Animal Sculpture with Air-Dry Clay
Kids LOVE using clay, maybe more than any other art medium, yet most schools and homes do not have a kiln for firing. If this is your situation, don't let this stop you from sharing the experience of working with clay with your students! Crayola Air Dry Clay is a good alternative to the traditional clay that requires kiln firing. We used the art of French sculptor Francois … [Read more...]
How to Make a Collage Butterfly Inspired by Eric Carle
Make your own Eric Carle-inspired butterfly Eric Carle's colorful collages are among the first works of art that many young children are exposed to.... who doesn’t love his charming illustrations?? It's easy to make your own collage butterflies inspired by Eric Carle.... just follow these simple instructions. And be sure to check out some of the beautiful butterflies below, … [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...]
Learn to See Like an Artist with Blind Contour Drawing
"Blind Contour Drawing" of a student in my workshop! I love this quote by Kathryn Temple, author of Art for Kids: Drawing.... "Drawing has more to do with seeing than it does with holding a pencil in your hand." So true!! In my teacher workshop last weekend ("Teaching Drawing to Kids") we focused on how to help kids unleash the power of the right side of the brain to … [Read more...]