Van Gogh Sunflowers Art Lesson

van-gogh-sunflowers

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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Painted Pigs Art Project

temp-pig-DCG

Simple. Cute. Fun. What more could you want from a first grade art lesson?  Last year I did a watercolor pig art project and couldn’t resist doing it again. This time, however, I used tempera paints with a black outline. Not as fast as the simple watercolor resist, but more dynamic. Art Supplies: 12″ x [...]

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Free Expression City Scape Art Project

city-scapeDCG

For my last class with my fifth grade students at Brandon School, I asked them to create a self-expressive city scape. We spoke about things you would find in a city, including skyscrapers and roads but also parks, zoos, shopping malls and skate parks. We traced the skyscrapers using cardboard templates and placed them on [...]

Sock Monkey Art Lesson

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Aren’t these the most adorable things you’ve ever seen? I spotted a Sock Monkey Calendar at Border’s bookstore and knew the colorful photographs would make an outstanding art lesson. I mean who doesn’t like these nostalgic toys? The lesson is easy and introduces a new technique for my students: paint scratching. The collage aspect of [...]

Cardinals in Winter Art Lesson

winter-cardinal-art-lesson

My second and third graders created this beautiful Winter Cardinal art lesson, but it would be appropriate for fourth grade as well. It’s very easy considering how stunning it is. I didn’t create a handout for this lesson because you really don’t need one; just a quick demonstration on the whiteboard is enough to get [...]

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Dr. Seuss Day “One Fish Two Fish” Art Project

Dr Seuss Fish

Here is a great Dr. Seuss Day art project for your little ones. Inspired by my favorite “One Fish Two Fish”, this lesson is perfect for any lower elementary grade including Kinders. If you need more Dr. Seuss-Onspired lessons, check out my Literature-Inspired Art Lesson lessons Plans. Supplies 2 @ 12″ x 18″ white paper [...]

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Pirate Ship Art lesson for Fourth Grade

pirateship-DCG

This lesson combines many techniques: drawing, cutting and shaping with paper, painting waves and composition. I chose to do this lesson with an upper grade class but it’s suitable for much younger children as well. Supplies: Brown, black, white and gray construction paper (I cut the white, black and gray paper in 4″ x 6″ [...]

Amate Bark Paintings

amate-bark-painting

Based on “Folk Art Lesson” in the book Art Projects from Around the World (Scholastic 2006), I adapted the images to create a very cool “bark” painting for fourth grade. What you’ll need: 6 x 9″ brown or tan paper (paper bags or craft paper works well as does construction paper) Tempera paints in red, [...]

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Easy Winter Landscape for Second and Third Grade

winterscape

Here is a super easy lesson that incorporates many art principals. It takes one 45-minute art class to complete this project if you use small sheets of paper. I used half-sheets of colored construction paper (12″ x 9″). If you have more time, use full sheets (12″ x 18″) and the results will be even [...]

Kinders Paint Kandinsky

kandinsky

Judging by the intensity of my kinder class faces, I gathered they enjoyed this art lesson a great deal. The goal is to teach the children color-wheel basics. Begin with three colors of paint (red, yellow and blue) and see what happens. It’s really not about blending the paint perfectly, it’s really just about blending [...]

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Drawing and Painting Barns for Third Grade

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Here is a super easy lesson that I snagged from Painted Paper Flicker Page. If you have any desire to be utterly inspired let alone be swept away by color, visit this link. This gal is my ultimate inspiration! Couldn’t quite find the “barn” painting to refer you to, but it’s in there somewhere! Anyway….like [...]

Day of the Dead Art Project

day of the dead

The Dead of the Dead is a Mexican celebration honoring loved ones who have passed. This vibrant holiday calls the elaborately decorated skeletons, Catrinas. My second grade students loved creating their Day of the Dead Catrinas using paint and paper. Use a white oil pastel on black paper to draw the Catrina. We started with [...]

Dia de Los Muertos First Grade Sugar Skulls

Sugar-skulls-art-lesson

Latin American and Mexican cultures celebrate Dia de Los Muertos on November 1st and 2nd. It is a joyous occasion where loved ones who have passed on are honored and remembered. Fantastic art is created for this vibrant holiday and I just couldn’t help join in on the fun. I rarely create holiday based art lessons. [...]

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Maud Lewis Lighthouse Mix Media

maude lewis

This folk artist from Canada is one of my most favorite artists. Her vibrant, child-like art is not only full of joy but many of her pieces are inspired by the rugged, yet tranquil beauty of Nova Scotia, which is also my birthplace (Yay, Pictou!). Many of my students have never heard of Nova Scotia [...]

Old Bear: Leaf Print and Bear Painting

Old Bear painting

While looking through the library one afternoon, I stumbled across Kevin Henkes’s picture book, “Old Bear”. The adorable illustrations inspired me to create a combination bear painting and leaf print art lesson for my fourth graders. We used one 50-minute period to draw and paint the bear and another period to print the leaves. This [...]