We tend to make hospitality so complicated! The lost art of inviting people over has been replaced by expectation.

Artist Ewing Paddock's three-year project of painting people on the London Underground.

If you've got scissors, paper and a pencil, making paper people cut outs is as easy as fold, draw and cut. Have fun experimenting with various silhouettes, sizes and paper color.

These simple drawing ideas for kids is shadow art created with basic art supplies and the sun! Shadow art is…

String paint art is SO PRETTY and it's really simple to create! This is such a fun and easy art technique and a great art project for people of all skill levels. You can make pull string art with any kind of acrylic paint and either string or yarn. Pull String Art With Acrylic Paint String paint art using acrylic paint is a great art project for kids, tweens, teens, adults and seniors! I love how bright and bold the acrylic paint looks on the black paper. This is such a pretty art technique - and it's SO EASY! We

Needlework is an impressive enough technical skill, but pair it with some top-notch creativity and you end up with embroidery projects that are truly next level. This online group is dedicated to helping beginners and showcasing the top talent out there.

Can you believe we only have 8 days of school left? Where did this year go? Looking back on all of the projects that we completed, I am very pleased with the quality and quantity of work that my students produced. I truly believe that I have the most talented, wonderfully amazing students in the world! While looking back over all of the projects, I was shocked and a little upset with myself that we didn't do printmaking this year. While in college, I LOVED printmaking. I even did an independent study in it and my entire senior art exhibition was printmaking. We did printmaking in 7th grade last year but I wanted to kick it up a notch this year and make it a bit more challenging. I decided to try reduction printmaking! For this project, I took a picture of the students and used paint.net to posterize the photos into 3 colors (black, grey and white). Students shaded on the back and transferred all of their white areas onto the linoleum. We use easy carve linoleum at school and it's so easy for the kids. We haven't had any slips (or bad cuts) this year! Students used the gauge to carve away all of the areas of their print that would be left white. Since we were printing on white paper, we didn't need to print this part. All that would be left would be the grey and black areas. They chose a color and mixed it with some white to make a tint. Then students pulled a proof. A proof is a practice print so they can see what it would look like. If they were happy with their proof, they could pull 10 or more quality prints. The students discussed what made a quality print and here is their list... enough ink, no white spots linoleum carved away where it was meant to be carved away (no stray marks) Ink has an orange peel texture No finger prints No smudges (where the paper slipped on the plate) After they printed 10 or more quality prints, they had to carve away all of the grey area, leaving only the black areas to print. They then mixed a shade of ink and printed on top of their first prints. Here is the final result

Middle School students will love this pop art lesson that focuses on the principle of movement. It also makes a great abstract portrait that is frame-able!

There's a New Yorker magazine cartoon from the 1950s which I loved when I was young. It shows a man watching tiny figures walk out of a storefront. The caption is something like, "I just wound them up, and gave them their freedom." I can't find this in the New Yorker cartoon archive, but I know it was there. So here I was in the Tysons Corner Mall, and I just found the little walkers, wound them up and gave them their freedom to walk around the Mall and consume stuff. Meanwhile, I drew them as the strolled to and fro. They were all races, colors, creeds, genders, ages, and nationalities. There were pretty ones and not so pretty ones. Unlike elves or fantasy figures, they didn't have perfect posture, big muscles, other big endowments, or gigantic weapons the size of highway signs. They didn't know I was drawing them. I must draw people. I must draw them both real and idealized. For some reason, I have become severely hesitant about drawing any human figures. I guess I know what the reason is, that is, I've been looking at the figure drawings in deviantART and feeling overwhelmed with how good even the silly manga copies are compared to the stiff, ugly humanoid figures I try to draw. As I've said so many times, I have never succeeded in drawing a graceful human figure or a pretty girl. I need to learn. I am not sure that endless drawing of weary, saggy, grungy art models in a dimly lit studio will help me draw as well as the comic book and conceptual artists at deviantART. How did they learn? I just bought two new books about drawing people, starting from stick figures on up. Right now I need to draw more people. And pretty pin-up girls. Please wind me up and give me my freedom.

This easy mono printing art project for children is so fun to try. Find out how to make your own DIY stamps and try this beginners printing project to create your own work of art. Easy mono printing art project for children Mono printing is a type of printing where your print can only be […]

Make a spinning paper earth craft with this printable template. This is a fun paper craft idea for kids perfect for Earth Day which spins in the wind

Aging is best done gracefully.

Artwork by People Too @ peopletoo.ru People Too are an amazing Russian artist duo best known for their incredible paper craft. Hailing from Novosibirsk, they chronicle their wonderful…

Here's a resource to help you teach your children about the people in the Bible. This Bible People printable will help you do just that.

Bus Stop People designed by Esther Aarts. Connect with them on Dribbble; the global community for designers and creative professionals.

Stephanie : "No daddy, you can't watch Thea and me." Thea : "Let him watch, he's kind of cute."

Coming off of their autumn-y landscapes dotted with Aspen trees, fifth graders have moved on to seascapes. I've done seascapes for a few years but decided to mix things up this year, combining elements of projects I found here and here. Like that second plan suggests, I use this project to show the kids the work of Winslow Homer. The more I study his realistic oil paintings, the more I appreciate both his talent and dedication to the subject of the sea. This year, the kids looked at some of Homer's watercolors and oils before starting their own. Everyone chose a tempera paint color palette with which to cover a 12x18" sheet of white paper. They loved blending their colors and experimenting with brush techniques to achieve smooth waters or crashing seas. They added some sgraffito if desired. On this day, art class was sponsored by the letter M. For MESSY. On day two, all students painted another 12x18" sheet--this time, watercolors on watercolor paper--for the sky. This day was sponsored by the color blue, a.k.a. an excuse to wear my new blue pants. The 'ocean paper' was torn horizontally to create white waves and surf--so cool! These pieces were layered onto the watercolor paper to make sky and water meet. Lastly, we went over a few origami boat folds. Kiddos had lots of paper and sizes from which to choose. I required them to use differing sizes to demonstrate perspective. I pre-taught my Art Enrichment kids how to do the folds so they could teach the others. Pile-up in the marina! My fifth graders really enjoyed this mixed media approach--when I hear, "this is so cool!" and "woooow!" I want to do a happy little dance (and sometimes my blue pants and I indulge). Some kiddos really went wild with this. I had a few kids 'sink' their ships by ripping them in half, and others made little "S.O.S." flags or named their boats. One of my outside-the-box thinkers asked to use a black Sharpie to draw on the sky; I asked if she'd prefer to paint on clouds but she said she'd like to use the black marker. I said yes and she ended up with this rockin' result, graphic and bold like the rest of the artworks I've seen from her: Gosh I love these kids.

April 16, 2012 This session I will be teaching my fifth grade class. Unfortunately my sixth graders left and will be moving onto the middle school next year:( I will miss them greatly. What a good bunch of kids! April 15, 2012 Silkscreening T-shirts with a Social or Environmental Message! Miss Flegal and I cashed in on these stretcher bars we came upon and combined them with white organza fabric to make silkscreens! Students brought in their own t-shirts and used elmer's glue to create a resist. The exciting component about this project was the glow-in-the-dark printing ink I was able to find to make their shirts really special! March 21, 2012 Sixth grade silhouettes complete! Our art program has been getting so many positive comments about the front entrance of our building and these vibrant mosaic silhouettes. Using marbled paper that the students made and thinking about color choice that coincided with their action or movement was very important. Lastly, we incorporated a literacy element inspired by Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see? March 9, 2012 My sixth graders are back and we are working on life sized art projects combining two types of art we just looked at and learned a lot about-- silhouettes and mosaics. These were inspired by an installation art piece we did last year as an entire building. I cannot believe how cool these are looking! Our media for this project has included cardboard, black latex paint, various colors of construction paper, shaving cream and tempera paint for marbling, scissors and glue stick. The poses for the silhouettes were derived from the children themselves and interests they have both in and outside of school as well an energy or emotion they are trying to evoke. When all is said and done we are incorporating an element of Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear book. I can't wait to post more when they are finalized next week! December 2, 2011 This six week session I will be instructing my fifth grade class and will return to teaching fifth grade again in February. Stay tuned... November 11. 2011 Self Portraits in Chuck Close Style Students in sixth grade are integrating math skills by measuring and creating a grid for an exact self portrait drawing. This is the method that artist Chuck Close uses to create his portraits. After spending extensive time learning about his life-- he is my FAVORITE artist, we are now in the beginning stages of creation. So far, so good! November 4, 2011 Oh what a busy Friday! Students were busy glazing ocarinas as well as using acrylic paints to put finishing touches on their cubism Picasso sculptures. It was a great way to end a busy week and we will look forward to working in new art media next time. October 26, 2011 Pablo Picasso Sculptures in progress... Students are using some unconventional tools for their current sculptural project-- wood scraps, glue, wire and pantyhose. Yes, you heard me right. If your child has recently come home talking about using pantyhose as part of his art project, he is not lying to you. Here is what we have started in the past few days. October 19, 2011 Ocarinas We are trying our hand at constructing ocarinas out of clay. Students did extensive research online and here is what we have learned so far. The ocarina (/ɒkəˈriːnə/) is an ancient flute-like wind instrument.[1] Variations do exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. It is often ceramic, but other materials may also be used, such as plastic, wood, glass, clay, and metal. The ocarina belongs to a very old family of instruments, believed to date back to over 12,000 years.[2] Ocarina-type instruments have been of particular importance in Chinese and Mesoamerican cultures. For the Chinese, the instrument played an important role in their long history of song and dance. The ocarina has similar features to the Xun (塤), another important Chinese instrument (but is different in that Ocarina uses an internal duct, whereas Xun is blown across the outer edge.)[3] In Japan, the traditional ocarina is known as the tsuchibue (kanji: 土笛; literally "earthen flute"). Different expeditions to Mesoamerica, including the one conducted by Cortés, resulted in the introduction of the ocarina to the courts of Europe. Both the Mayans and Aztecs had produced versions of the ocarina, but it was the Aztecs who brought the song and dance to Europe that accompanied the ocarina. The ocarina went on to become popular in European communities as a toy instrument.[4][5] Its earliest use in Europe dates back to the 19th century in Budrio, a town near Bologna, Italy, where Giuseppe Donati transformed the ocarina from a toy, which only played a few notes, into a more comprehensive instrument (known as the first "classical" ocarinas). The word ocarina in the Bolognese dialect means "little goose." The earlier form was known in Europe as a gemshorn, which was made from animal horns of the Gemsbok. The ocarina was featured in the Nintendo video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, attracting a marked increase in interest and a dramatic rise in sales.[6][7] How an ocarina works: 1. Air enters through the windway 2. Air strikes the labium, producing sound 3. Air vibrates throughout the inside of the ocarina Covering and uncovering holes lowers and raises the pitch Source: Wikipedia Here are our ocarinas in progress... Let's hope they make music once they are come out of the kiln! October 17, 2011 After not having my sixth grade class for the first six weeks of this school year they are now occupying my room every morning for 45 minutes for the next six weeks. It is such a joy to have them and experience their growth since I last saw them as fifth graders. We started our time together with a pencil study called The Vanishing Snack. I adapted this from high school art teacher Mrs. Vogel of Field High School. My students as usual have risen to the challenge and are producing wonderful work. At each stage of their four part drawing, they are wrinkling a pop can and drawing it as well as all of its highlights and shadows in its new state. September 7, 2011 Because of our new six week schedule I will not see my sixth graders until October 10th! Stay tuned... June 1, 2011 Tile Triptychs in progress! Students in sixth grade are embarking on a triptych constructed of clay. A triptych is a three paneled piece of art that views as one continuous piece but is constructed in stages. This has been a great opportunity for them to learn about specific properties of clay and how to work with this medium from one class to the next, keeping it moist and workable. The students were expected to include text, an image and possibly a favorite verse that states something about themselves as an individual. April 21, 2011 Plaster Hands and Feet March 13, 2011 In sixth grade we have about three projects going on at once. One is our plaster hands and feet project that we started back in January. Here they are as works in progress.... January 31, 2011 Recently in sixth grade I set my students loose with plaster and these thoughts in mind. Below are the results so far. Once again, their minds, their thought processes and their creative journeys amaze me. I will keep blogging as their projects move along... Take a moment and think about all of the uses of your hands in the course of a day, the course of a hour or even a minute. For example list every way you can think of that you used your hands just this morning… -to brush your teeth -to eat your breakfast What do you think your hands can say about a person? Can they have polished nails? Wear certain rings? Does their appearance tell you a story? For example having wrinkles… Let’s think about some of those features. Next think about phrases that have the word hand in it… “hands of time” “helping hands” “clap your hands” “give me a hand” “lend a hand” “in good hands”… If you could compare your hand to another object of similar form what would that be? A growing tree branching out? Sunday, January 16, 2011 Don Drumm Inspired Endangered Animals Students in sixth grade studied the metal art works of local artisan Don Drumm and then decided to make a statement with their art. After doing some research about the current Endangered Species list they created these metal embossed pieces about animals of diminishing numbers. Next, by adding a statement, they could give the animal a voice to be heard. Won’t you do your part in raising awareness for some of these unknown creatures? Below is our display of the completed sixth grade Chuck Close inspired portraits. Chuck Close Self Portraits in Progress November 29, 2010 We are wrapping up our Chuck Close portraits and the end results are amazing. Not only are students manipulating charcoal very well to create various tones but they have mastered a likeness of their own face! Chuck Close Self Portraits November 15, 2010 Wow! It has been awhile since I have updated my sixth section of the blog. Students have been hard at work and are tackling difficult projects and techniques. Most recently we have begun working in Chuck Close grid style. You can see his work at http://www.chuckclose.coe.uh.edu/. He is my favorite artist. Using a grid, students have integrated math skills into their drawing by focusing on exact measurements for precision. Here are a few of their starts... Vanishing Snack Drawings October 14, 2010 Students in sixth grade are training their eyes to see close details through these altered still life drawings. They are working on drawing a pop can and then slowly crushing it until it becomes very minimal. At each stage they have to look closely at how their object has been changed and then try and draw it. Charcoal has aided them in learning about the value scale. They are beginning to see that with shadows some parts can be extremely dark and extremely light.

For centuries, artists have created self-portraits to give others a glimpse into who they are. Since our likes and dislikes, personalities, hobbies, and skills all contribute to making us interesting and unique, why not include those in a self-portrait, too? And what could be a more fun approach to this than a mixed media collage??!...

A collection of beautiful spring-themed artworks made by elementary kids. My faves are the tulips and sun/moons. Drop by for inspiration.

There are few things as relaxing and inspiring as clouds, but you can't always go outside to look at them. Make a hanging cloud to enjoy the sight of the sky anytime you're stuck indoors. Cut four equal strands of thin wire with wire...

Preschoolers, toddlers, and even older children will get into this dinosaur art activity as they stamp and mix colors to make dinosaurs.

Lovely Hello Kitty Amigurumi Free Pattern Ideas – Here you will find a list of Hello Kitty amigurumi free pattern ideas. The amigurumis on this page are not only lovely ... Read more

Also called a Tyrolean hat, the Alpine hat is the perfect accessory for an Oktoberfest Party! These hats come in a variety of styles and are used by German, Austrian and Swiss people. This cute paper version is so simple to make!

How to Choose the Best Boulders for Landscaping While many people are looking to buy pavers in Las Vegas, boulders are equally important to landscape design. They act as major…

I love felt crafts! Our smaller felt board has been one of my favorite DIY’s for the kids! Every time I shared pictures of it, people commented on how they were wanting to make one. So I thought I would put together a Large Felt Board Tutorial so you can see how easy and doable this project really is! The best part of this project is that it’s both art and fun for the kids’ room! If you’ve been thinking about making one… go for it! If you have a sewing machine you can easily sew the blue and green felt together, or to make this project EVEN easier, just do green! You need three things to get started: Canvas, Felt and a staple gun! Try to grab your canvas when it’s on sale or with a coupon. The Craft stores I shop at always have them. I got this one at Michael’s for 40 percent off and then 25 percent off my total order! So plan ahead and grab those canvases if you have this project in mind. FELT BOARD SUPPLIES: Canvas You can use any size you want! Just make sure to get enough felt to cover and wrap …