Chinese Lanterns

In honor of Chinese New Year last month, I thought this lesson from Art Stars would make a great project for my K-5th graders. As Amy describes in her post, the children started their lanterns by drawing "squashed circles". I encouraged them to overlap some lanterns and have some go off the page to create an interesting composition. They used oil pastels to add color and patterns and then painted the background with watercolor. Once dry, they used the backs of their painted brushes dipped in white acrylic to create strands of white lights. I told them to imagine their backyards decorated for a party with colorful lanterns and strands of draping lights.

Dinosaurs

Other than a lesson based on the book, "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?", I have steered clear of realistic dinosaur art lessons.(They are a bit challenging) One of my students had been requesting dinosaurs for several weeks. Since my classes are private, I think of my kids almost as "clients"; their enjoyment is definitely a priority. So this one was for Jenna. :)

My kindergarten through 3rd graders created their Triceratops with watercolor and salt to mimic a textured skin. My 3rd through 5th grade group made their dinosaurs using chalk pastels. Both groups were encouraged to use charcoal to add shadow and definition. Dinosaurs were cut out and glued on top of simple chalk pastel landscapes.

Mixed Media Woodpeckers

 Abby, 1st

Ian, 3rd

 

I love how the "happy accident" of running watercolor looks like dripping sap.

Amanda, 4th

 Lacie, 4th

 Maggie, 1st

Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers to be exact. File this one into the, "when all else fails, do a bird project category." I find that bird art lessons are great for multi-age range groups. My 1st through 4th graders created these with a variety of media to choose from: watercolor, oil pastel, and colored pencil.We looked at photos of actual Sapsuckers. The children could create a realistic or "fantasy" colored bird. They also had the option of adding an extra layer of acrylic sponge painted leaves which I think adds a nice sense of depth.

Mary Fedden Inspired Still Lifes

I discovered the art of Mary Fedden via Pinterest. I had looked back at my pins on my Art Inspirations board and realized I had clearly been charmed by the work of this wonderful British artist (who passed away just two years ago.) For my group of K thru 5th graders I settled on a still life of black tulips and lemons (both reoccurring elements in her work). I found this video of her speaking about her art which I shared with the children:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxOOKRhllPw. I love how she described adding cut elements like putting together a "jigsaw puzzle." That's how my group approached their still lifes. I also learned that David Hockney was a pupil of hers. The children's use of bold color reminds me of his work. I look forward to creating more Mary Fedden inspired art, getting more involved with the "jigsaw puzzle" approach.

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Jungle Jaguars

 Ella, 5

 Alexa, 8

 Luke, 5

 Charlotte, 5

 Grace, 6

Cora, 5

My Animal Art Fun group of kindergarten through 3rd graders did a beautiful job creating their jungle jaguar pieces. Jaguars were created with chalk and oil pastel on construction paper and then cut out. Their backgrounds were done with oil pastel and watercolor resist (always magical in the eyes of a young artist). They had the option of adding an extra layer with cut leaves from sponge painted paper. Well done kids!

Merry Christmas from SoCal!

It certainly doesn't feel like Christmas here with a temperature of  81*( But I'm definitely not complaining) 

Wishing you all a Wonderful day and much happiness in the New Year!

Snowmen Collages

my example

Or I guess I should say snowpeople.  :)  I was admittedly overly ambitious to think the children could easily complete all the steps to create these collages in an hour and 15 minutes. In order to do so, it required me to become equal parts art teacher and drill sergeant. We first used liquid watercolor and salt to create our winter sky backgrounds. I had some Sax blue glitter watercolor which was fun for the kids to use and made their skies sparkle. The birch trees were created by scraping black acrylic paint across posterboard scraps using cardboard pieces. While these dried, the children made their snowpeople with chalk pastels on blue construction paper. At this point I brought out my hair dryer to hurry along the drying process. The snowpeople were cut out and the birch trees cut into strips. I encouraged the kids to vary the width of their trees to make them appear closer and further away. And last, they glued down all the elements. If we had more time, I would have had them add some cast shadows to their birch trees and maybe some extra snowfall. I will definitely try this project again at a more relaxed pace.

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas! Enjoy your time spent with family and friends!