Student work inspired by Romero BrittoI first discovered the colorful art of artist Romero Britto at a San Francisco airport gift shop/gallery. Britto is a young (well, he seems young to me anyway!) self-taught artist from Brazil who has been fortunate to enjoy great success in his lifetime. I knew my students would be as inspired by his art as I was, so I created a fun … [Read more...]
Keith Haring “Action Figures”
I found my inspiration for this lesson at Deep Space Sparkle. It's the end of the school year, and while this project looks fantastic on regular white paper, I needed to go a step further to really grab my 6th graders' attention! So, I created my sample on aluminum foil with colorful Sharpies. The result.... my students said this was their favorite art project this … [Read more...]
Memorial Day Flag Designs
Here's a great lesson for Memorial Day... I did this with my 1st graders, but any age could have fun with it. Easy to prep, no clean up, everyone was successful, and the kids LOVED it... you can't beat that!Materials:9x12 white paperBlack "F" SharpieRed and blue markersDirections:1. Discuss the American flag and what it symbolizes. (This is a great opportunity to talk about … [Read more...]
Compass Mandalas
The word "mandala" comes from the Sanskrit word meaning "circle" and has it's roots in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. We know mandalas as circular designs with radial symmetry and repeating patterns. Mandalas can be found today in a variety of cultures as well as in nature. (Ask students where they have seen circles, or patterns with circles, in nature or in man-made … [Read more...]
Designs with Number Patterns
This lesson is adapted from a math activity my own kids did in middle school, where they used colored string to "stitch" their patterns on card stock. I simplified this lesson for my students (4th grade and up), replacing the needle and thread with markers and a ruler.... Have you ever marveled at the fascinating patterns found in nature?? I like to … [Read more...]
Stained Glass Name Designs
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...]
“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...]
Grade 5 Portfolios – Collecting Words
I LOVE kids' books!!! I just discovered a great new book, titled "Max's Words" by Kate Banks. While this book doesn't have a specific art theme, it inspired me to create a portfolio project for my 5th graders based on WORDS. Kids LOVE to collect things. I learned this from personal experience, with a daughter who collected Beanie Babies like there was no tomorrow, and a son … [Read more...]
Foil Fish
Self-adhesive mounting board made this project a snap to prep and clean up! Special thanks to Mabel Gidcumb for sharing this fun lesson plan, which she adapted from a project in the Usborne Book of Art Projects. She made these colorful fish with her Vacation Bible School kids and reports that it was a huge success! They used self-adhesive mounting board, but you could also … [Read more...]
Abstract Design with Markers
Kids will learn about art history, abstract art, and alternating patterns with this fun project inspired by the art of Robert and Sonia Delaunay. All you need is a pencil, a ruler, a marker or two, and some plastic lids or other circle templates to trace around. Making these cool patterns is easier than it looks and kids will be so proud of the unique designs they … [Read more...]
