Painted Paper Butterflies
I love happy art lessons. The ones that engage children right from the get-go. These painted paper butterflies… [more]
Chalk and Tempera Primary Portraits
I've been doing a different Kinder portrait for the last ten years of teaching art. I love mixing things… [more]
Pinch Pot Monsters
I'm a planner. I like to be prepared. So whatever happened during those last few weeks of school that… [more]
Painted Paper Tropical Birds
Even though by the end of the year my art room is overflowing with painted paper scraps, I couldn't… [more]
Sneak Peek…Beyond the Basics Art Lesson Line-up
Planning my new e-course, Beyond the Basics, has challenged not only my organization skills but my own… [more]
Paper Owl Art Project
This colorful owl is a great lesson for those times when you need a quiet art activity. Tearing and gluing… [more]
RECENT POSTS…
Art and Literature: Have You Made the Connection?
In a few weeks I will be giving a talk to my local SCBWI group (The Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators). I belonged to this group for ten years while pursuing my dream of publishing my middle grade novel. I LOVE this group. They are the most giving of people and the encouragement I received from countless writers was nothing less than extraordinary. Deep Space Sparkle has been my biggest love recently so my book writing days … [Read More...]
Sneak Peek…Beyond the Basics Art Lesson Line-up
Planning my new e-course, Beyond the Basics, has challenged not only my organization skills but my own personal comfort zone. I often wondered how teachers managed to teach a unit on papier mache...what paste they used, how they handled the storage, dealing with the mess....you know what I mean. And now I have a fairly good idea of what practices work and what I will never attempt again. And I mean NEVER EVER. I have always wanted to try … [Read More...]
Painted Paper Butterflies
I love happy art lessons. The ones that engage children right from the get-go. These painted paper butterflies are a perennial favorite in my art room. My first graders make painted paper and then use the paper to create butterfly wings. I set out wing templates from my Eric Carle-Inspired Lesson Plans PDF but encourage the children to make their own wing shapes. If the children draw their own wings, they usually end up with very tiny … [Read More...]
Watercolor & Pastel Resist Art Lessons
I recently introduced my Kinders to the magic of watercolor and oil pastel resist. I love hearing the squeals of delight after seeing white oil pastel appear through a wash of color. These are the simple joys of teaching art. As with most watercolor projects, a good drawing lays the foundation for a successful project. Three directed line drawing instruction are included in the lesson plan. If you aren't sure what directed line drawings are, … [Read More...]
America the Beautiful Mural…the beginning
I'm in the planning stage of this year's ceramic tile mural. A few weeks ago, a few 6th graders suggested that the mural theme have something to do with the United States. I was thinking that we might do a mural on Ancient Aztecs but after researching images, I decided that there wasn't enough variety to sustain a mural. So I put some thought into the American mural idea and came up with the theme America the Beautiful Landmarks. I think it … [Read More...]
Arts & Activities Magazine
A lovely surprise yesterday...one of my favorite lessons in my favorite art magazine. Arts and Activities sent me some copies of their 80th Anniversary issue. I have used and been inspired by many art lessons from this publication and had to think which one was my favorite. In the end, I loved Lady Liberty as it opened up so many teaching possibilities. What has been your favorite lesson from the magazine? If you have links, please share (but … [Read More...]
Teaching the Masters: Art Lesson Round-up
Looking for a lesson on the Masters? Here's a directory of my art lessons from the past ten years featuring the great artists... Cezanne: Still-Life in Chalk and Tempera Paint for upper grades Chagall: Marc Chagall's "Drawing a Dream" Kahlo: Frida Kahlo Portrait Klee: Paul Klee Buildings in pen and watercolors for upper grades, Paul Klee's Cat and Bird in chalk and oil pastel for younger grades Klimt: Gustav Klimt's Tree of … [Read More...]
Beyond the Basics
Now enrolling! Beyond the Basics e-course is a 4-week online course that you can do from the comfort of your own home no matter what your time zone. This e-course is jammed packed with art lessons designed for children ages 5-12 or grades K-6 and will give you complete instructions via HD video, written lessons and printable PDF art lesson plans. Check out this post to see a snap shot of some of the lessons. Here are the … [Read More...]
BUNDLED ART LESSONS
America’s Southwest Landscapes Art Lessons
Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park in Utah offers the most humbling panoramas. Majestic rock formations, iron-rich colors and endless blue skies are an artist's dream. These landscapes in my newest PDF offers the student artist a glimpse into the magic of Utah. In this 15-page lesson plan, students learn how to draw a landscape focusing on perspective and space to create distance. Students use chalk and oil pastels to draw arches, hoodoos … [Read More...]
Valentine’s Day Art Lessons
Here are two fail-proof 9-page art lesson plans that will add a spot of color to your winter classroom.... The Shape of My Heart Inspired by the book, The Shape of My Heart by Mark Sperring, this 9-page art lesson plan introduces young children to shapes, watercolor techniques and positive and negative space. Full-color photo tutorials of actual student work, an alternate art lesson idea, a coloring and activity page plus student galleries … [Read More...]
Fun with Art Movements
Fun with Art Movements introduces Impressionism, Expressionism and Cubism to young children with three easy, colorful art lessons. Inspired by Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso (you can't get any better with these three!) this 23-page booklet shows how to introduce these art movements in a fun, exciting way through coloring pages/drawing guides, full-color tutorials and special techniques. Inspired by Van Gogh's Cypresses in Wheat Fields, Monets' … [Read More...]
Watercolor Art Projects for Grades 4-6
The best watercolor projects start out as great drawings. Learn my simple techniques for creating wonderful pen drawings and the best approach to enhancing each project with pan and liquid watercolors. Designed to enhance upper grade units of study, the booklet can also be purchased with access to three video lesson tutorials! This 21-page booklet offers THREE art lesson plans: The White House: Learn to draw the White House using my simple … [Read More...]
Modern Masters e-Book with video!
Deep Space Sparkle is pleased to announce our first e-book with video tutorials! Modern Masters for K-2nd grade contains three lesson plans that will check off all your art room standards. Easy and dynamic, the lesson now include the option to purchase the e-book with or without the video supplements. Modern Masters for Kinder-2nd grade introduces young children to the modern masters with easy to prep and easy to do art lessons. Children … [Read More...]
Modern Masters Art Lesson Plans
Modern Masters introduces children to the wonderful world of Van Gogh, Cézanne, Chagall and Matisse. Using famous paintings to understand the artist's styles, children reproduce their own paintings. These lessons are classic examples of how mixing art history with simple techniques can create the most beautiful works of art that every parent will want to frame! This 27-page booklet features four complete lessons and is perfect for grades … [Read More...]
What Do You See? Art Lesson Plans
Based on the books by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle, my What Do You See? Art Lesson booklet contains three adorable art lessons for the younger set. Children create their own painted paper for either a brown bear, panda bear or polar bear and use templates to create their own bear. Alternatively, the polar bear lesson uses either observational drawing skills or templates for the project. The lessons will take three, forty-minute class sessions … [Read More...]
Art & Literature II Art Lesson Plans
Art and Literature is a natural combination. Art lessons flow directly from the illustrated pages of the picture books and right onto the art tables. For this 23-page Art Booklet, I have chosen three beautifully illustrated books and created kid-friendly, classroom-tested art lessons for you to use. Each lesson has a supply list, photo-tutorials, gallery of actual student's work plus my popular How-to-Draw handouts. Plus, as an added bonus, I've … [Read More...]
Art Booklet Updates
I've been a bad girl. Now don't go thinking the wrong thing, I only meant that I made a few promises that I can't honor (at least not in the timely manner that I had hoped to). Namely, the release date of three Art Booklets: Lines and Patterns, Art & Literature II and America the Great. You see, I had this expectation that I would somehow be able to work while traveling. I know. I don't know what I was thinking. I ask you, does this look … [Read More...]
