Please Note: All images seen below are of my students artwork only. These photos/lessons are not posted in any particular order regarding the flow of my curriculum. Abstract Self-Portrait Paintin…

I have been active the past month in the role as an arts educator visiting grade five classes in a couple of elementary school classrooms here in the city of Thunder Bay. This is through the Community Arts and Heritage Education Project or CAHEP. I have been actively getting placements in schools through this program since 2006. This year the learners have been given the opportunity to learn relief block printmaking. Not only do they get to try a brand new visual arts technique but learn about the principles of design and explore colour theory in the process. This years theme for the program is Thinking Outside the Box. Here is the Project Overview for the second and most recent venture: Project Title: Construction This project uses relief block printmaking as the basis for the creation of hand printed imagery that utilizes several stages of process from start to finish. Learners were given the opportunity to use two surfaces to create a two colour print on paper. One surface was left solid and the second surface was carved into using special cutting blades to produce a relief design. Prints were produced by using careful registration of paper and application of ink to both sides of a block in two separate printing sessions. To begin, the learners were encouraged to think about and share dialogue revolving around the concept of the word structure. Using photo reference they focused on a particular section of either a manmade or nature made structure. They enlarged the chosen area and proceeded to develop it and construct a colour print that would allow it to be viewed in an entirely different way. This is where adhering to the theme of “thinking outside of the box” came into play. Learners were also challenged by utilizing the principles of design in their respective works of art. During the project they learned about such important areas such as line, shape, positive and negative space, rhythm, repetition, texture, composition, contrast to name but a few. Using linoleum cutting tools they were able to carve their images into a soft composite material (softoleum). Ink was applied to the relief surfaces using brayers and prints were made in two colour combinations on paper using traditional hand printing methods. An emphasis was made on using complementary and split complementary colour combinations in the prints that would allow for real contrasts and impact in the images. The students printed a solid colour square first and then the cut side of the block with their design was printed over top in a contrasting colour. Materials used: Softoleum blocks, linocutting tools, water based printing inks, soft rubber brayers, registration boards, subi printmaking paper, rubbing sticks, spray adhesive, white foamcore board panels, spray adhesive Individual panels contain 6 prints are stacked vertically with an overall measurement 25.4 cm (10 inches) in width by 101.6 cm (40 inches in height). Each image explores the concept of structure in two colours. The finished results have been very good. I have put together a display module where an equal number of prints (6) are affixed to a foamboard panel in a vertical format. Four of the panels will be hinged together into a four sided column and set on a table to allow for 360 degree viewing. The results of these sessions will be presented to the public in a day in Feb. at a Community based Arts Fiesta held annually in our local auditorium. Then the works will continue as a display in a public space such as an art gallery or other public accesible space for a longer duration through the month of March. Below are some photos that were taken during different stages of the projects. cutting the softoleum using linocutters reference for the drawing on the block is from a colour rough sketch water based Speedball inks applied to the block using a rubber brayer that was rolled out onto brayer from plate glass surface registration of block on simple cardboard with foamboard strip taped on top. The paper is held in place with push pins and the paper is set over the inked block and burnished using a plastic rubbing stick using constant pressure in a circular motion. back to back prints hung to dry on a clothes line. One of several stations set up for application of different colours of inks to the blocks. zig zag design - orange printed over top of a solid violet square detail from square print panel - spiral shell design printed in green over red (complementary colours) another detail from a print panel spider web study - yellow over top of a solid red square four panels each with six prints that will be hinged together to create a four sided column display Each print is 14 x 14.6 cm (5.5 x 5.75 inches) and there are a total of 24 prints in total. .

Read below to find out how we created these, see step-by-step pics and watch my YouTube tutorial on this lesson! Printmaking is one of my favorite things to teach in art. I love it because it alway…

Our household has gone crazy with yarn knitting and weaving over the past few weeks. It must be all of this cold weather! Painted Paper Weaving (6 year old) Our class theme this week was WEAVING. We started with paper weaving to master the basics. After searching the web, I decided to base the lesson on this pin as I loved the colour and simplicity of this paper weaving. After the paper weaving we moved onto yarn weaving which I will post about next. What you need: painted paper (I used up all of the extra paint from the previous two weeks to make this paper) Black markers Scissors Glue sticks Oil pastels Sheet of A3 black paper How to: Ask the children to draw lines on their painted paper with a black marker. I said they didn't have to be exactly straight and they could make them interesting if they wanted. Ask the children to cut out the strips of paper Once they have at least 5 strips of paper they can glue one end down onto a black piece of paper They then wove the other strips through Once the weaving was complete they glued down all the loose ends The final step was to decorate with oil pastels The Results: Paper Weaving (5 to 9 years) Our artist of the week is Murray Walker. Murray was the artist responsible for planning, designing and coordinating the "The Federation Tapestry" which was commissioned to mark the centenary of Australia's Federation in 2001. It is displayed at the Melbourne Museum. It took over 2 years to produce (20,000 hours) and 22 artist-weavers were involved. Its is 41 metres in length. Part of the Federation Tapestry Cheers Fiona

Earlier this year, my co-worker Jayne found the idea to make a collaborative school-wide paper mural based on the artwork of Thank YouX. The idea for a student mural originally came from Jenell Novello and you can see the lesson plan write-up on Artsonia. She also so generously provided the lesson plan and templates on Google docs. Thank You X got his name by accident. In 2009 Andy Warhol’s spray painted portrait was spotted on a city street in L.A.. … Read more... →

Each student chose a silhouette for their Element of Design Accordion Booklet and illustrated examples on each panel. The project reminded me of a similar project I had done in college while in Des…

Students began this lesson with a week of watercolor painting. We learned four painting techniques and each student created an assortment of painted papers in each style using warm, cool and “free”…

This is a project that was just SO much fun. I got the lesson from this website, and I basically followed the instructions to a T. Clas...

Painting 1 students studied the elements and principles of art and began a new “secret” watercolor project, more on that later. Right now we are working on design ideas using a matrix. …

Every grade level loves to make castles. I wanted an easy fairy tale castles project for my second grade students.

I found this assignment that I had yet to post from back when Mr. Koehn was student teaching... He started by introducing the 5th graders to the idea of a person being "in proportion." He had them complete this worksheet to create a shape person who is drawn in human proportions. Then they had to draw their person doing something... keeping it in proportion! Then they had to paint them using a monochromatic color scheme. ... it was really a great lesson for learning for Mr. Koehn. He realized that something that is simple to us adults who have gone through art college is challenging to 5th graders. He did a great job of adjusting to keep the lesson interesting to the students. Here are some of their final shape people... We finished the project by creating a city for our people and displaying them all together. I would love to have the students write "a day in the life of..." to finish this project if I reuse it!

Who doesn't love a good simile or metaphor? Well, that was the focus for some of our activities this week. The first thing we did after reviewing them was add them into our center rotations. My kids are a busy bunch, so I came up with this Simile/Metaphor Sort: The blue cards include similes or metaphors and students sorted them into the respective categories. They liked the busy-ness of it and it took the solid 15 minutes so it was a great exercise for the Superlative Six! In other news...I found this AMAZING video online on YouTube (I don't know how people taught without it) about similes/metaphors in songs. As we watched/listened as a whole group I had my kids take notes and sort the song lyrics into categories. Click for this AMAZING You Tube Video! I chose this picture to post because it's the same kid that made a resolution here to be a better student/improve in hw/school...and he totally has. A light bulb has gone off. His work is so much better than it used to be and he was so ATTENTIVE during this. Anything that holds their attention is GOLDEN in my book! This lesson comes HIGHLY recommended by not only me, but by my little cuties: As one of my cuties said at the end of class, "A fun day in ELA brought to you by Ms. D!" Awwwwwww

Pop art appellerer til de fleste børn og unge. Og med lette midler kan selv de, der ikke er vant til at arbejde med billeder, skabe...

This art sub plans worksheet accompanies a lesson on Piet Mondrian.

Art Teachers loooove to do self portraits with kids. This was a cool twist on the self portrait AND it involves art appreciation AND is ...

The story of Moses is recognized and known by people around the world, as the breaking of the iron grip of Egypt upon the children of Israel by God through Moses has captured the imagination of all those wishing to break the bondage imposed upon...

This was a super fun Halloween art project I did with my Grade 4-6 mixed elective class- the famous "Witches Legs" you see all over Pinterest. I'm not sure who posted the original project but I looked at lots of different blogs for inspiration. My students started off by painting a striped background on heavy white paper using tempera pucks. While the background dries, prepare your legs and skirt. I pulled out my big scrap paper box plus grabbed some of the bright coloured copy paper from the photocopy room :) Students went to town and needed very little assistance. Once the background paper is dry, glue the skirt and legs on. I find white glue sticks better to painted tempera surfaces. I brought out all my little 'bits & bobs' for decorations: buttons, sequins, lace scraps, stick-on jewels, glitter glue, etc. The cheap $1.50 bins near the checkout at Michaels are a great place to find lots of fun, sparkly, stick-on crafting items. I love how they all turned out!

Lines are an excellent starting point for lessons with Kindergarteners. To begin this line unit, we read the book Lines That Wiggle. The students used colored tape to make straight lines across their paper. We talked about horizontal, vertical, diagonal and ziz-zag lines. During the next class period, the students used tempera cakes to paint a variety of lines: wavy, loopy, dotted, dashed, squiggly, spiral, jagged and more. Aren’t these lovely and expressive? After the painting project, we moved … Read more... →

Goal: reducing the visible world in horizontal and vertical lines and primatr colors. Technique: stamping. You need: black cardboard sponges cut in different sizes (squares and rectangles) tempera paint in red, blue and yellow brushes white crayons View these artworks of Mondrian and talk about how he abstracted a tree. Also talk about Victory Boogie Woogie, the painting in which you can see part of the map of New York. Tell students we are going to make our own Mondrian map. Discuss the terms primary colors, square, rectangle, vertical and horizontal lines. Instruction Brushes will not be rinsed, but will remain the same color. Show how to use a brush to rub the sponge with paint. Show how to stamp: do not slide the sponge, but lift it off the paper. This way you'll get a tight shape. Stamp horizontally or vertically only. Do not stamp two of the same colors next to each other. Make sure the shapes don't touch each other. You must be able to see the black roads between them. When the work had dried, draw stripes on the black roads using a white crayon. Elements of art: shape, color, line. Artworks are made by students of grade 1/2.

Explore the concept of symmetry while making your own watercolor butterfly painting. This lesson inlcudes a free video tutorial!

4th and 5th grade band and orchestra students are performing in a Music Concert on January 24th at Julian Middle School. In honor of this, t...

Every year we do a periodic table wall project, but we have always done it with pieces of paper. I found this awesome school periodic table project using

Inside you'll find an easy step-by-step How to Draw a Matisse inspired art project and Coloring Page. Stop by and grab yours for free.

15 Books, 15 Art Lessons % %

An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.

This art worksheet could be an art sub plan or an art lesson. High school and middle school.

Create Art with ME Art Sketchbook Assignment ideas and Art Resources

That's one of my favorite lines from the Lorax and I loved getting all into it with my kids at home when reading the book to them. It also suits this first week back to school project pretty well too:) School started this week here at Zamo and we are getting back in the creative mindset. For the past 4 years I have done a collaborative art mini lesson with the upper grade students to give them a low stress opportunity to create and to go over my art room rules and expectations. I LOVE doing these at the beginning of the year. (well, actually any time I get the chance- see my Gee's Bend and Eleanor McCain projects too:) These collaboratives really click with my love of textile design and pattern. My own work tends to swing back and forth from representational landscapes and interiors to more abstract pattern heavy colored works. I realized on my drive home yesterday that all of these projects have had one shape in common- the circle. I also realized that they also have another cool thing in common- they have all been inspired by women artists (Lee Gainer, Georgia Gray, Lea Anderson, and now, Maritza Soto). I came across Maritza's very cool modern take on the drunkards path quilt pattern on pinterest and immediately thought it would be a good fit for my opening week project. I decided to add a little more visual variety by quickly sharing Mexican talavera designs and talking about the repetition of line, shape, and color in them... and the presence of symmetry to boot. Maritza Soto's modern drunken path pattern traditional Mexican talavera pattern I always focus on unity and variety with this opening project, both visual and as it relates to our student population. Each of our students have similarities with one another, but each of them brings something different and unique to the table too:) After a quick rundown of my rules and expectations, I talk about the inspiration of the project, and then we are ready to dive into the hands on. At this point we have about 20 minutes to work! Students fold their square paper 2 times to quarter it. I emphasize having the one fold on the left and the 2 folds on the bottom. Students then take their quarter circle stencil and trace the curve onto the folded paper. One cut on the curve later and they have a whole circle... or 2 halves, or 4 quarters, depending on whether they got the fold locations correct. Even if they end up with 2 or 4 pieces, it's okay because they will end up cutting the circles apart in the end anyway. Students have about 10 minutes to draw a design on their circle, trying to create something that shows symmetry. They then cut their circles into quarters, reassemble them on a white square and glue them down. The final piece is to have students put glue on the back of their white square, decide the direction they want it to go, and glue it onto an even larger white sheet. The final collaborative could end up any size depending on how many kids are involved and how big the original circle shapes are. I did this with all of our 4th and 5th grade classes, as well as a couple 3rd grade. Probably about 400-450 kids. I plan on assembling them in our auditorium as our stage backdrop as soon as I can. Visually, projects like this are fun because of the look from far away and the detail of the designs when you get up close. after one day. After 2 days. 22' x 4.5'

*Also available in the Everything Art Bundle* This is a quick and easy assessment form for students to use when they complete an art project. Hand-drawn for a fun, sketchbook style presentation. I like to have students complete these, then do a pair share with a classmate - great way to incorporate...

An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.

On these dark winter day, let’s bring a little light to the school and make a project with bright, bold colors! This month, we’re making paper molas. This style of art developed when Ku…

Ever since I saw the Disney Pixar Movie Coco I have been wanting to do some kind of art lesson on Alebrijes. I have always loved these imaginative animals with their bright bold colors and patterns, but the movie really inspired me to come up with a fun lesson for kids to make their own. A@ Alebrije are usually carved out of wood or made out of paper mâché. I thought about trying clay or paper mâché, but in the end decided this was too time consuming and I didn't want to do a drawing or painting - I wanted some dimension so this is what I came up with. Pedro Linares - Artist who invented Alebrije - this link tells his story. https://alchetron.com/Pedro-Linares He made creatures that were made of different animals combined. I am going to tell his story and let my students decide if they want to change their animals paws to claws, give them wings, horns etc... They can make a more realistic animal or be inspired to create their own unique Alebrije. What you will need: Colored cardstock Glue Gel pens Pencils Scissors Glitter is optional I found a pattern for a horse on Krokotac and changed it a little bit: You can print this Jpeg directly onto card stock or trace it on the fold - see below. I traced mine on a half sheet of card stock folded lengthwise. I am going to have my students trace theirs and add their own details such as eyes, mane, mouth etc... I think they will be able to do this on their own. You may have to help them with the folding to make the head pop up. Fold the neck towards the body. Next fold the two angled folds on each side. Push the neck towards the back fold and then fold the horse in half. Put a little bit of glue inside the head and the tail, but not the body so it will stand. Now it's ready for decorating. I used gel pens. I'm going to show my students examples - if they want to make a donkey we can add bigger ears. They can make any animal with hooves with this, zebra, cow, deer, goat, sheep, etc... I used a bamboo skewer with glue and glitter to make the unicorn horn for mine and just put it inside the head with a little glue. For the Coyote I made my own pattern which needs to be cut on a diagonal fold. Once you get the Coyote cut out and glue on the tail it will keep him together so you don't need to glue anywhere else. I would wait until you have all the decoration on both pieces before glueing. By changing the ears and the tail you can make this into a cat, wolf, jaguar, leopard, raccoon, etc... I made some wings to add to mine like this: I cut them on a fold. Then I folded one side about 1/8 of an inch Turned it over and folded the other side to match Now it's ready to decorate and will glue onto the animal's back I can't wait to see what my students come up with! I'll post some pix after I teach it! Photos of student work ages 5-12

Third graders just learned completed a project that combined Math and Art! We began by looking at the art of Pop artist, Romero Britto, and his Pyramid Project in London. http://www.pyramidproject.co.uk/overview.php Students sketched four sides (faces) for their own pyramids, incorporating Egyptian symbols into each side as Britto did in his art. They also combined patterns and either warm or cool colors with black outlines. Finally, we cut out our pyramid patterns and assembled them. We were able to count and discuss vertices, edges, and faces in our 3D shapes-a concept third grade teachers asked me to incorporate!

Our first project this year has been a very progressive, multi step, multi media project that has really evolved as we created! Our first p...

Koi Fish are a favorite subject of many art teachers for obvious reasons; they’re relatively easy to draw and have wonderful markings. Most of the lessons I’ve seen have been done with watercolor paints. I would have done the same but my sixth grade students hadn’t yet worked in tempera paint so I needed for

Hey, friends! I'm coming to you today with my very favorite fiber arts projects! Teaching fiber arts is one of my very favorite things to teach, along with clay. This summer and fall, I put in HOURS creating THIS BOOK which will be due out this coming summer: You can preorder yourself a copy here if you are interested! But if you just can't wait, I thought I'd share some of my very favorite fibers projects right here today. Be sure and follow the links to the lessons as nearly all of them have how-to videos that are perfect for you and your students. Let's start with sewing! 1. These GIANT pizza pillows were such a hit last year with my students that I knew I had to do it again. Because I was wrapping my fibers book this past fall, I decided to kick off the school year with fibers. Usually, I'm all about fiber projects in the spring. This is how we displayed the pillows at last year's art show! This year, we also made both emoji and donut pillows (size: HUGE) but for details on those, you'll have to scoop up my book. 2. If you are looking for a beginner sewing project on a smaller scale, you might wanna try these stitched monsters on for size. My kids used Smart Fab fabric for the bodies but felt would work just fine. If you are curious what types of needles and thread I recommend, be sure and check out this blog post as well as the others where I break it down for you. 3. I learned embroidery from my grandma when I was in elementary school and I LOVED it. It felt so good to learn something so "adult" in my mind: creating a picture with needle and thread. I love sharing this experience with my students now too. You can read all about this Our School Has Heart fiber art's experience right here. This year, I decided to live dangerously and introduce embroidery to my second graders at the start of the school year...when they are still first graders, really. It was a bumpy start but they got it and loved it. This lesson can be found in my book but I did create this video a while back to help you troubleshoot stitching with kids: Actually, the above video was created for AOE during one of their online conferences! This is a couple years old but does walk you thru a lot of important details of all things fiber arts and kids. And here is my troubleshooting embroidery with kiddos video. I hope you find them helpful! 4. For even MORE details on sewing and embroidery, along with a book I strongly recommend, visit here! 5. Needle felting with kiddos is not something I do very often...but I do enjoy doing it! If you attempt needle felting with children, I'd make certain it's with a group of kids that understand the dangers of the needle felting tool and are responsible enough to handle it. As y'all know, I LOVE needle felting and have put in countless hours stabbing stuff. If you are interested in learning more about needle felting, start here. 6. One of the most popular lessons on this blog has been my string art lesson. This is based on a project I did in 5th grade and LOVED. My students have loved it just as much. I've created videos to walk you and your kids through this lesson so be sure and check out this blog post AND this blog post! 7. Paper weaving is a must when you introduce weaving to your students. But what to do with the paper weaving when finished? Last year, we made these woven owls and the kids loved them! Both this blog post and the one mentioned above have A TON of videos on teaching first graders (and up!) how to make a paper loom and weave. 8. Circle Loom Weaving has always been a huge hit! I normally do with my second graders in the spring but this year, I did it with third grade in the fall. I can't tell you how many videos I have on this! Be sure and check this blog post out if you have any questions about getting started. 9. Have you ever tried CD or Embroidery Hoop weaving? So fun and easy! Last year, my second graders tackled CD weaving instead of plate weaving. It was a great way to upcycle those stacks of CD's I'd been accumulating. This type of weaving takes less time than plate weaving as you don't have to spend two art classes painting the plates. They also look super pretty in the window when light hits the CD. Video and lesson details here! 10. Whenever I get stumped for a lesson, I just think back to the things I enjoyed creating as a kid. I remember the summer I spent at a vacation bible school learning straw weaving. So fun! My kids love this one too. Details and video here! 11. Want a lesson that packs a huge punch? Tree weaving teaches landscape painting, weaving and so much more! This lesson of mine has been another huge hit on my blog. I have many videos to walk you and your kids through this fun technique. You can find it here. 12. I have yet to meet a kid who didn't love making Ojos de Dios. Why not try expanding on that love by making BIG God's eyes?! We did that here! 13. Pouch Weaving used to be one of my all time favorite things to teach. Because it is complex, I created an entire series of weaving videos for you and your students, including how to create that cool cord. You can find the beginning of the series here. 14. Got yarn? Then you and your kiddos can yarn bomb! What a great activity for your early finishers too. 15. Shibori! I love shibori dying and so do my students. I created a video that explains EVERY one of these folding techniques and you can see it here. So, truth be told: I've been blogging for seven years and teaching for twenty. I KNOW I've left some great lesson links and videos off this list accidentally. So, you are wanting more, give my name and whatever type of fiber project you are interested in a google search...or search in the bar on the side of this blog. Because there are just so many fun fibers lessons out there. AND stay tuned for my book where there are even more!

An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.