Rousseau Tigers

Students in grades 1-3 created these hidden tigers in the style of self-taught French painter Henri Rousseau. We began by completing a guided drawing of a tiger. After the drawing was completed in pencil, students traced over the lines with black crayon. Before we painted the tigers, we looked at lots of pictures so students could see the tigers colors and which areas are typically white. During the final class, we read the story The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel. Students got to learn about the artist and see his many hidden jungle animals. We then added textured leaves and grass to our paintings to mimic the habitats of jungle tigers.

Elmer Collage

Elmer is a wonderful children's story about appreciating people's differences. I enjoy teaching this lesson to PreK and Kinder classes and the kids love the story. Elmer discovers that when he tries to change his appearance in order to 'blend in' with the other elephants, they no longer recognize him or accept him as one of their own. This makes Elmer sad and he experiences how it feels to be treated like an outcast after being ostracized by his old friends. It's only when it begins to rain and the grey paint that Elmer has covered himself with starts to disappear that Elmer's 'true colors are revealed, much to the surprise and delight of his friends who preferred his multicolored and fun loving persona. Following their happy reunion, the elephants reassure Elmer that they love him because of his differences and not in spite of them. As a way to celebrate the elephants cover themselves in multi-colored paint in recognition of Elmer's unique appearance and personality.

We began by using a glue and water mixture and brushing it over squares of tissue paper to attach it to a white paper. During the next class, we drew an elephant shape on the back of that paper and cut it out to create the Elmer. All you need to add is an eye and an ear with black crayon or marker. We glued our elephants onto a torn paper background of palm trees.

Watercolor Self-Portraits

Students in grades 4-6 began the school year with these vibrant self-portraits. We began by drawing a proportional self-portrait in pencil during the first week. These were then traced over with crayons before being painted in with watercolor paints. Students learned about all different styles of portraits- from Frida Kahlo to Pablo Picasso and Chuck Close. Students were given the option to do a more realistic portrait or one that was more colorful and expressive. We also cut out our names from magazines to add over the top of the portrait. I am loving the uniqueness of each piece and how it reflects each artist's personality!

Abstract Sailboats

We began this project by learning about abstract art. We learned about Jackson Pollock and how abstract artists usually use color, shapes and/or lines to express a feeling or emotion. We then used crayons, texture plates and watercolor paint in cool colors to create an abstract painting. During the second class, artists learned about American painter Winslow Homer and viewed many of his different seascapes. We then created a blend of warm color paints- from red to orange to yellow to create a sunrise or sunset sky. The abstract painting from the previous week was torn up to create many layers of waves. The final class was used to create sailboats out of corrugated cardboard and white paper. This project was a lot of fun and covered many aspects of the curriculum-warm/cool colors, space and depth, Abstract art, seascapes and texture.

Watercolor Weavings

To create these artworks, students first began by creating an abstract textured watercolor painting. The students used an analogous color scheme to create a sense of color unity. These paintings were then torn into 1/2" strips and woven together on a large piece of paper. Weaving is an important method of art making around the world and most students enjoy the process.

Owls in Different Values

This project began with a lesson in values. We started by watching "The Value Song" video on YouTube. It's a fun and catchy song that goes over all the different vocabulary associated with value like shade, tone and tint. After watching the video, students divided a paper into five sections and mixed colors to create 5 different values of a color. During the second class, we discussed depth and texture. Students cut or tore paper to create a snow covered landscape and textured trees with branches. For the final class, students were able to design their own owls and place them into their trees. 

Make-A-Robot

Students in grades 1-3 created their very own robots! We began by looking at many examples of robots, from cartoons to real life models. Students then sketched several different types of robots while being encouraged to include a lot of details. For the next class, students chose their favorite design and drew it out large on a colored paper. They painted the entire shape gray and had to make sure each side of the robot came close to every edge of the page. During the final class, students drew in the details with black crayon, painted highlights on one side with white paint and a shadow on the other side with black paint. We also added a bit of color to the robots, some aluminum foil for shine and rubbed a texture into the background. The students were very proud of these and each robot has so much personality!

Texture Lions

Students in grades PreK and Kinder created these texture lions last spring. We began by drawing out the lions face using simple shapes in pencil. Once it was complete, students drew over the pencil lines with a black or brown crayon to make the features stand out. During the next class, students were given orange, yellow and brown paints and asked to create a line pattern around the lions head to create a pattern. This teaches pattern but can also incorporate movement depending on the type of line the student paints. The final step was adding texture with yarn. We drew lines of glue over the painted pattern and placed strips of yarn on them to add the texture. This was a fun project for practicing some fine motor skills and learning art concepts like line, pattern and texture.

Watercolor Peacocks

Students in grades 1-3 created these realistic watercolor peacocks! We began by drawing out the peacock in pencil step by step. Once the drawing was complete, we outlined the drawing with cool colors (blue, green and purple). We looked at pictures of real peacocks in nature to see the colors and textures of all the feathers. We then painted the peacocks using cool colors, however students could choose to paint the eyes of the tail feathers with a warm color. Last, we stamped lines in the back feathers to recreate the texture of a real peacock.

Textured Autumn Trees

Students in grades 1-3 created these textured autumn artworks! We began by painting the background- students first learned the three cool colors- blue, green, and purple. We then created concentric circles and painted in the design with cool colors. We then created textured rubbings and painted over the design with red and orange paint. These are common fall leaf colors and would also create a good color contrast with the sky because they are warm colors. Students painted a tree and added some textured grass for a more three-dimensional feel. This lesson covered texture, warm vs. cool colors, and also pattern.