Starry Night Sky

Crayon resist and liquid watercolors inspired by this famous work of art. Two different classes-different grades, and the projects will be completed (in Part II) in different ways.

Teacher sample with Part II torn paper landscape

Watercolor crayon resist and sea salt

Turtle warm Turtle cool

This 3-4 part project connects to classroom themes and builds on art skills and techniques. Through discussion and hand outs students learn about Aboriginal art, explore the color wheel and color related vocabulary such as primary, secondary, warm and cool. Using a variety of painting tools such as sponges and corks they paint either a cool turtle shell or a warm turtle shell. After the shells have dried using brushes they paint the water for their turtle in the opposite color groups from their shell. Tracing around patterns on the back of their painted shell paper students draw then cut out their turtle, adding cut paper for the head (4) legs and optional tail. After the turtle is assembled he is placed in the water and white decorative dots and bubbles are added to complete the composition and connect to Aboriginal Dream painting.

Bear with me...

It's a small cookie world

Cookie people from around the world.

I provide cookie people patterns and show students how to place the entire pattern on the paper "dough" before they begin to trace. Using either regular scissors or "crazy" scissors they cut along their traced form and if time allows color a face .

Part II: time to add the "icing" so I bring out  collage materials such as stickers, bits of yarn and lace, scrapes of solid and printed papers and tissue paper. Students refer to table handout that show cultural costumes from around the world for inspiration. In the end we have very colorful "it's a small world" cookies .

Journey to ancient Egypt

This 3 project unit connects directly with 6th grade world history and VAPA standards

Sky full of apples

photograph of Rene Magritte inspired by
his famous painting Golconda

This project was inspired by works from the very creative artist Rene Magritte, this collage art project connects to VAPA standards while building on skills and supporting art history themes.
Part I: paint the sky with blue and white tempera paint using sponges.

Part II: Look at prints of paintings by the famous surrealist artist, Rene Magritte, notice how one object can be used repeatedly in a variety of sizes to create movement and interest.
Using painted paper student cut out a variety of apples sizes attached stems and arranged on the their blue sky.

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs would be a great
book connection for this project.

Starry Night in Winter

 This two part project connects to Van Gogh's
Starry Nights masterpieces while allowing students to add their own seasonal winter creativity. Using black mat board they painted using sponges and corks in white tempera.
Let it dry.
Drew a Starry Nights inspired sky and added
buildings and or trees. Last painting with white glue for the sparkling glitter finish.

Full Moon Owl Moon

3rd grade students built on their color knowledge and created a full moon value scale in blue.

This project connects to the language arts theme of city wildlife while developing skills and a deeper
understanding of color theory.


This is a 2-3 part project depending on the length of each studio session and can be developed to support a writing and research component as well.

The colors of Fall

This two part project was explored by my kinders and  mixed 1st/2nd special needs students. I have a great set of leaf rubbing plates we used  to create transfer prints working with cool crayon colors. We talked about color and how leaves change with the seasons, what are seasons and how seasons are not holidays.

Part II involved having the students selecting their most successful transfer rubbing and adding warm colors by painting with  liquid watercolors.

I used old certificate copy paper for this project

because I really liked the frame it provided for the the students.

This is a great lesson to connect to color theory, introduce new art vocabulary and build on skills.