Street Art Hearts

These adorable heart works of art were inspired by James Goldcrown. We began by tracing heart shapes and painting them in different colors of watercolor paint. We then used paper towel rolls in the shapes of hearts to stamp fluorescent colored hearts all over a black piece of construction paper. The final step was to cut out our watercolor hearts and glue them on top of our printed hearts. This is a very easy and fun Valentines Day themed lesson that gives every student an opportunity for success!

Fishbowls

Students in PreK and Kinder created these fun and vibrant fish tanks to learn about color, shape, movement and repetition. We began by attaching tissue paper to a 9"x12" white paper using glue water. These were later cut into fish shapes and a black eye was dabbed on to complete the look. The fish bowls were blue and green watercolor paintings where we talked about different types of lines and created a pattern to show movement in the water. The table was made by piecing together square pieces into a mosaic like pattern. 

Rhythm Fish

Students in grades 4-6 created these magnificent fish designs. We began by looking at different examples of fish. Students were free to either draw a fish from observation or create their own fish. I required students to draw them a certain size and to include a certain amount of detail. Once the fish was drawn, we traced it onto the back so it could be transferred repeatedly to a larger paper. Students would then fill the space with repeating fish in any type of layout they wanted. The final step was using colored pencils to the fish. I demonstrated several colored pencil techniques so students could blend or fade the coloring. 

Tiki Prints

International Academy students were introduced to printmaking for this cultural project. We began by learning about Tikis- how they come from Polynesian countries, that they are used for worship or good/bad luck and that they are typically made from wood or stone. We examined the features and textures of Tiki masks to incorporate those into our own designs. Once students drew out an original Tiki, it was carved into a piece of foam. These were then colored with marker and then printed onto a slightly damp piece of paper. This allowed the students to get good color areas and do plenty of experimenting. The best prints were chosen and mounted onto black paper for display. 

Watercolor Leaves

Students in grades 1-3 created these fun and festive fall paintings. We began by doing a leaf rubbing and cutting it out to create a stencil. This was then retraced onto a large paper repeatedly. I made the students aware that they would be coloring the background in black or brown so the closer the leaves are to each other the better. Repetition in art and negative space are important principles to stress and learn here. Once this is completed, students painted the leaves with the three warm colors- red, yellow and orange. I showed the students how to blend the colors from light to dark and to blend them into each other. The darkly colored background acts as a good resist so the students can be a little more free and loose with their painting.