Hundertwasser Watercolor Art Project

Hundertwasser watercolor art

Here is an easy art project that takes minutes to complete. After studying Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and creating a colorful collage, some of my fifth grade students finished early. Instead of doing random free-choice art, I handed them a small piece of watercolor paper (9″ x 12″), some colored waterproof markers and a pan of watercolor [...]

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O’Keeffe Inspired Graphic Flowers

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This Georgia O’Keeffe inspired art lesson is quick, easy lesson that all grade levels will enjoy. Needing a one-lesson project for the end of my sixth grade art rotation, I was inspired by an O’Keeffe art print on my wall. But instead of focusing on the center of a flower and creating a detailed drawing, [...]

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James Rizzi Birds Art Lesson

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Artist James Rizzi has been providing my art students with fabulous inspiration this Fall. After finishing another James Rizzi art lesson before class was over, some students continued on the Rizzi path and created these adorable birds. The 2012 James Rizzi Wall Calendar (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch Edition) is a great visual aid [...]

Hundertwasser Art Lesson

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Hundertwasser is inspiring. For many of my fifth grade students, learning about and creating their own “Hundertwasser” inspired art was the best ever lesson. Combining a lesson in warm and cool colors, patterns and lines, composition and flow, this lesson has it all. I picked up the book by Harvesting Dreams: Hundertwasser for Kids by [...]

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James Rizzi Art Lesson

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James Rizzi is a dynamic artist/illustrator who lives in New York City. His animated art style, rich in detail and expression, has a massive following. The simple black lines with bold dashes of color make a perfect style for my students to imitate. My 6th graders loved this lesson. I mean, loved! I used the [...]

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Fantastic Fauve Art Lesson

Fauve Zebra

Phyl at “There’s a Dragon in my Art Room” has a fantastic Lesson on Fauves. I’ve never really thought about doing this type of lesson before, so as soon as I saw it on Phyl’s blog, I bookmarked it and filed it away for a time when I needed some extra help. My art program [...]

Van Gogh Landscapes

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Van Gogh’s “Wheat Fields with Cypresses” is one of my favorite paintings. There is a distinct separation between the foreground, middle-ground and background, making it a perfect example for a landscape lesson. The Landscape I used 3 pieces of paper for this project: 12″ x 18″ white paper, 8″ x 18″ blue or purple paper [...]

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Birch Trees Watercolor Lesson

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Everyone has done a birch tree art lesson. They are such a lovely tree, stripped of their leaves and shimmering with black and white bark. Most kids in Southern California have never seen a forest of birch trees, unlike my 10-year old self who collected the bark to someday build my own birch-bark canoe like [...]

Portrait of Dora Maar Art Lesson

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After a recent trip to Seattle where Picasso’s “Dora Maar” was on exhibit, I knew my fifth graders would love an art project that would express what Picasso did: express emotion through color and shapes. I love Picasso’s work but not all of it is suitable for elementary, but if you can get your hands [...]

Kandinsky Inspired Art Project

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Kandinsky’s concentric circles are an art room staple and for good reason. The opportunity to explore color is nonthreatening and children can see how powerful mixing colors can be. For this lesson, my students folded a piece of white 12″ x 15″ paper into quarters. Then, with tempera paint, they painted a circle and expanded [...]

3-Ingredient Art 5/6 Lesson Plans

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A 24-page booklet that includes three simple art lessons for grades 5 & 6 using basic art supplies: paper, paint, oil pastel or marker. Drawing handouts, photo tutorials and student art galleries take the guess work out of teaching these lessons. Collage dancers inspired by the paper cuttings of Henri Matisse, students use scraps of colored [...]

3-Ingredient Art 3/4 Lesson Plans

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For some teachers, the biggest obstacle for teaching art lessons is lack of supplies. This 24-page booklet features four art lessons developed for grades 3 & 4 that use basic art supplies: paper, paint & a drawing tool (oil pastel or pencil). These lessons offer tips and tricks to shorten art instruction time and give options for [...]

Andy Goldsworthy Inspired Elementary Art

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A few years ago, Sandra Goodenough, a parent in my daughter’s third grade class invited parents to a small art presentation. Here, she presented a hardbound book to the school librarian, documenting the adventures our children had creating an unusual form of art. She called the art journey From the Mountains to the Sea, Neighborhood [...]

Van Gogh Sunflowers Art Lesson

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A perennial favorite…what student can go through elementary school without completing his own version of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers? I usually do a collection of Sunflowers in oil pastel, but decide to try out a tempera paint version instead. Here’s what we did: Using an oil pastel, students drew a vase, table line and the flower centers. [...]

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Keith Haring Art Project

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I thought I’d revisit this lesson from a few years ago. It’s a perfect lesson to get you through an end-of-the-year slump. 5th graders love the graffiti nature of this project. To expedite completion, use a smaller size paper. Fifth and Sixth grade students love Keith Haring! They are inspired by the simplicity of his [...]