There’s something about ceramic projects that makes them such special keepsakes. Maybe it’s the permanence of the glazed and fired clay, able to last well beyond a generation. Maybe it’s the tactile nature of the medium itself and the way it reveals each impression left by the artist’s hands. Or, maybe it’s that there tend to be fewer of these projects than the more common 2D … [Read more...]
Valentine Color Mixing
You can mix a "tint" of any color just by adding white to it. Painting with tints lends itself well to Valentine projects, like this colorful card made from a 12"x18" painting folded in half.1. First, place a "quarter-size" amount of red, yellow and turquoise tempera paint on a paper plate. (I like to use "turquoise" rather than "blue", because it's closer to "cyan", or "true … [Read more...]
Cut Paper Symmetry “Pop-Out” Card
This is a fun card to make for any occasion... just vary the colors you use and the shapes you cut to suit the holiday or theme! The pop-out feature inside (see below) is an added bonus!Front of Card: 9” x 12” construction paper (this will form the “base” of your card)3” x 9” paper in a contrasting colorscissors and glue Fold the 9” x 12” paper in half horizontally, to form … [Read more...]
“Hide-a-Heart” Valentines
This lesson is adapted from Karen Card, my children's middle school Art teacher. You can do this versatile project with any grade level, scaling it up or down as needed. It's fun to give kids a little structure and a lot of freedom to be creative.... then watch as all the great ideas start flowing out!1. Talk about how the elements in a design can be obvious or more subtle. … [Read more...]
“Box Fold” Pop-Up Cards
The variations are endless for creating cards with a fun pop-up feature! You can easily change the “heart” element in this design to make cards for any holiday or special occasion. Try putting several pages together to make your own pop-up book! To Make a Box Fold Pop-Up:Begin with two sheets of 9” x 12” construction paper, one for the inside of your card and one for the … [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...]
