Kids of all ages enjoy art history when you teach it through projects inspired by the work of famous artists. Abstract art is especially fun for kids because it removes the pressure that can come with trying to achieve "realism". This project is inspired by the Surrealist movement and the work of Spanish artist Joan Miró. Joan (pronounced "Djo-ahn") Miró was a painter, … [Read more...]
Surrealistic Collage Inspired by Rene Magritte
Maybe you've seen the famous painting of a man dressed in a suit and bowler hat, with a green apple in front of his face. Or the painting of an apple with the French words, "Ceci n'est pas une pomme" written in calligraphy above it ("This is not an apple".... meaning it's not a real apple, but a painting of an apple!) Or the painting where it appears to be … [Read more...]
Illustrations with Surrealism
What better way to celebrate April Fool’s Day than with an image of Salvadore Dali caught in the act of pulling a prank??! Surrealism is a cultural, artistic, and literary movement which began in the early 1920’s. Founded by French writer and poet Andre Breton as a ‘revolutionary movement’, Surrealism is probably best known as a style of art featuring photorealistic images of … [Read more...]
Oil Pastel Houses Inspired by Marc Chagall
Students enjoy creating these quirky street-scapes inspired by Russian artist, Marc Chagall. There's just something really fun about crooked buildings and random things flying through the air! Materials: 12x18 black construction paper #2 Pencil with pink eraser (the eraser is handy for "sketching" your layout!) Oil Pastels "Wet wipes" for clean up Examples of the … [Read more...]
Underwater Fantasy inspired by Paul Klee
Swiss painter and graphic artist, Paul Klee, is known for his child-like use of line and color.... maybe that's why kids relate so well to his work! The influence of Surrealism, Expressionism, and Cubism is easily seen in his art, yet he really had a style all his own. This project is inspired by his painting, "Fish Magic", where he combines traditional underwater imagery … [Read more...]
Self-Portrait Workshop – Paul Klee
Here is a sampling of self-portraits inspired by artist Paul Klee (including one in progress) from my last teacher workshop. Paul Klee (1879-1940) was a Swiss artist known for his highly individual, abstract style. His work was influenced by many different art movements, including Expressionism, Cubism and Surrealism. This project uses squares of "bleeding tissue" for it's … [Read more...]
Abstract Scatch Art
This project was inspired by Swiss artist Paul Klee. Paul Klee (1879-1940) was an abstract artist known for his highly individual style, which was influenced by many different art movements, including Expressionism, Cubism and Surrealism. Random colors in the background appear as your design is scratched out, offering a fun surprise whether you create a partial or total … [Read more...]
Self-Portraits Inspired by Paul Klee
Kindergarten self-portrait and "Senecio" by Paul Klee One of our wonderful parent volunteers recently shared a great website with me that she found. If you're looking for new art lessons to try, check out Kathy Barbaro's "Art Projects for Kids". I found a great idea on her website for "painting" with tissue paper, which I tried with one of our Kindergarten … [Read more...]
Fighting Perfectionism? Picture This…
"The Persistence of Memory" by Salvadore Dali One of my lifelong goals has been to become less of a perfectionist. They say that a goal should be specific and measurable. And this "goal" is neither of those. I don't expect to completely conquer perfectionism, but just to become more and more okay with "not perfect". It's more like a target to be aiming for than an … [Read more...]