I love this project that 2nd-grade teacher, Barbara Mendence, does with her students each year! Not only is this a fun art lesson, but it makes for a great geography lesson and culture study as well. Armed with a list that includes all the countries of the world, her class commits to praying for every country over the course of the year. As they work through their list each … [Read more...]
Crayon Resist Easter Card
Here's a quick and easy crayon resist project I did with some of my 1st and 2nd graders. Students folded 12x18 paper in half and painted on the front, for a charming Easter card. Inside, they wrote: "He is risen! He is risen indeed!" Materials:12x18 heavy-weight white construction paperblack crayonswatercolors (I like the Prang OVL-8 set)watercolor brush (Don't use the … [Read more...]
Grade 4 Portfolios – “Ish” Drawings
There are lots of wonderful children's books available today, but "Ish" by Peter Reynolds stands out as one of my all-time favorites. This is a story that everyone (kids and adults!) can relate to.... in fact, it's so influential that I can literally see a "before and after" effect each time I read it to my students. This year, "Ish" is the inspiration for my 4th grade … [Read more...]
Grade 1 Portfolios – Design a Dot!
Every year, I start each of my Art classes by going over my "Art Rules".While this is review for most of my students, it never hurts to hear it again! And reading this book provides a great on-ramp to having this discussion! The Dot, by Peter Reynolds, has to be one of my favorite children's books of all time. If you only read one art-themed book to your students this year, … [Read more...]
Valentine Card with Negative Space Resist
Use contact paper and masking tape to create a resist for a beautiful watercolor wash background!Materials:Contact paper, 4 pieces 3" x 4"Masking tape or painter's tape (Lessen the tackiness by sticking the tape onto your clothes first, that way it won't tear your paper when you remove it.)ScissorsWatercolor paper, 9”x 12” (the Strathmore “Kids Paint Pad” is a good low-cost … [Read more...]
Butterfly with Watercolor & Oil Pastel Resist
Fall is "butterfly season" for us who live on the California Central Coast! This is the time when over 100,000 Monarch butterflies migrate to our State Monarch Preserve from the valley regions west of the Rockies, making their temporary home here until spring. On sunny, warm days, they fly out of the eucalyptus trees where they cluster, to the delight of onlookers.... it is … [Read more...]
Watercolor Fish
These are your basic crayon resist fish, but with a new twist.... students painted the fish separately from the background, then we glued them on top after everything was dry. The result is a background that looks continuous. Try sprinkling some salt on your background before it dries for an interesting, "watery" effect! I like to put up lots of visual references for students … [Read more...]
Kindergarten Birds
These kindergarten bird paintings are guaranteed to make you smile! I was completely charmed by these when my students did them last week, so I wanted to share a few, along with some tips for getting great results....I began by sharing a special "artist secret" with my students.... that "artists use shapes to help them draw things"! Next, I read them the story of Mouse Shapes … [Read more...]
Grade 4 Portfolios – “Ish” Drawings
There are lots of wonderful children's books available today, but "Ish" by Peter Reynolds stands out as one of my all-time favorites. This is a story that everyone (kids and adults!) can relate to.... in fact, it's so influential that I can literally see a "before and after" effect each time I read it to my students. This year, "Ish" is the inspiration for my 4th grade … [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...]
