Show Me the Depth! - Freeform Landscape Collages.

Second grade learned all about foreground, middle ground, and background, and then they did a quick collage exercise using this printable from the Getty Center's Art Ed dept.

From Plein Air Drawing to Plasticine Landscape Bas-Reliefs - Voila!

I am super excited about this project that my first graders just completed. They started out by experiencing plein air drawing on our campus, and then turned their favorite drawing into a plasticine landscape bas-relief.

Kindergarteners Make Tiny Thumbelina Figurines in Clay - Photo Shoot Immortalizes Them

I try to incorporate relevant life experiences as well as other school curricula with my art curriculum. Each grade at my school does a play each year and last year the kindies did "Tiny Thumbelina."

2nd & 3rd Graders Take Creative Risks and Think Like Artists!

For a collage project last year I wanted to challenge my students - well, that's something I always try to do - but this time I really pushed them out of their comfort zones!

Wooden Cubist Face Sculptures - Goofy & Fun!

Once my second graders finished their Spain-inspired artworks, I had all of them work on these Picasso-inspired cubist faces made with wood pieces and tempera paint.  

Mother's Day (or Valentine's Day) Process Art - Hearts A-Peel!

This was a two-day project that involved several types of hand work and the use of a variety of materials by the lambies. They were extremely engaged in all of the steps and the results are lovely - as usual! This would be a great Mother's Day project or could be used next year for a Valentine's gift.

You Can Think Like an Artist!

I created this design in Illustrator and had it printed on canvas to hang up in my art room at school:

We refer to it often during lessons, and students will sometimes point out how we are thinking like an artist when I forget. Its been a great tool this year, as I am really working on teaching my students that art is not just about how real you can make something look. There is much more to artistry than that, and I think they are starting to really get it!