The Mirror Doesn’t Lie

Have you ever given mirrors to young children? Do this and observe without judgment. What you will notice is one of the purest forms of first hand, primary source research. You will witness curious faces test an array of poses. The mirror wants to play and so the children feel free to play too. Eyes widen and squint, lips…

Flower Portraits

  Artist Georgia O’Keefe once said “Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven’t time, and to see takes time – like to have a friend takes time.” Her most famous works are large scale flower portraits. Georgia zoomed in on each flower and illustrated their form to help us witness the fine…

So, what green do you mean?

Green is my favorite color. Mostly because, in my eyes, I believe it to be like no other hue on the spectrum. Green is never considered blue, nor yellow. But orange can labeled as tomato or even yellow-gold. And purple, well add a drop to many of blue and it becomes indigo. Now, Green, this shade has so…

Nurturing Creativity at Home

As an artist I get excited over colors and shapes and am inspired by many things that I encounter each day. I can easily say that I am an art teacher at heart because I yearn to share my excitement with others. I would rather use my energy dreaming up creative art experiences than make a personal…

The Language of Learning: Talking to Children about their Art

For young children, art making is their main means of expression. It is how they are able to share stories and it is how they reflect on their experiences to better understand their world. As a parent and teacher, it is often the adult’s responsibility to foster the child’s interest as an artist and help them to…

PEOPLE: From Collage to Drawing

PEOPLE. That is what we are. Super complex beings on the inside and out. Have you ever sat down to draw the human figure? Drawing people from observation is quite challenging let alone creating one from our imagination. There is so much to include, so where do we begin? SHAPE. We begin with geometric shapes. Read on, I…

Color Wheels need not be a Circle!

Young artists were offered the challenge of designing and creating a color wheel that was anything but a wheel. View a few of the selected images below or click here to learn more about the process behind their unique creations. Before embarking on our primary, secondary and tertiary journey, we gathered together to arrange color swatches in the formation of…

What’s in a Name?

In the beginning of the school year, students have to create portfolios to act as folders for their art and as placeholders for their seat during class. Of course, our portfolio must have our name, in large bold letters, written across the front. Natural materials work well for older students who have a stronger ability…

Hues, Tints and James Turrell

To jump start a painting unit, I had students explore hue and tints via concentric circle paintings. I wanted them to understand the difference between a hue and a tint, so we first mixed a hue using primary colors, then added the color to a pile of white a little at a time.   Each…

Understanding Symmetry with Rangoli

Happy Diwali Everyone! Nature can inspire assemblages that teach symmetry, design and promote cultural awareness. Rangoli is made during Diwali, the festival of lights, with colored sands and glitter. In the art studio recently, we used nature. The leaf colors this time of year are divine! A strong art historical connection can be found in…

Materials for creating self-portraits

An integration with mathematics, students measure the parts of their party, divide by 2 and use collected data to create a miniature version of themselves in a self-portrait. First collage, then drawing… Students first create collages of humans using simple geometric shapes. They then draw their collage and use details to enhance their art.  …

Art/Science: Fossil Study

It is important for students to understand how artists and scientists share many work habits, one of which is utilizing the page as a “study” for multiple observational sketches. While learning about fossil formation in Science, students study ammonites and trilobites in the art studio and record their lines, shapes and pattern using brown and…