Are you looking for an easy back to school project for your students? Here is a name design that I have taught in the past. This will be easy for you to do, with very little prep. My own kiddo did this project in their 2nd grade class and that is where I got the idea. It is so simple yet makes cool results. All you need to do is print out the grid paper and maybe make an example … Read more…
Hi friends! Many schools are already going back for the new school year and I thought I would round up some previous posts you may have missed from years ago that may help you come up with some ways to start your school year off right! The first section contains links and pictures from my blog. The second section contains blog posts from some of my art teacher friends! Tips and Projects for Back to School from Art is Basic … Read more…
I recently took a workshop at a local gallery with artist Kinga Johnson. I learned a lot of great tips and techniques for working with alcohol inks. I bought some of my own alcohol inks and experimented at home and I wanted to share with you some easy ways to get started using alcohol inks. It is a really fun process and you can use the resulting papers for fun backgrounds or to cut out and make collages. You can … Read more…
Neurographic art is an art form that was designed in 2014 by a Russian psychologist named Pavel Piskarov. It is an intuitive form of art that involves mindfulness and intentionality. We have over 100 billion neurons that transmit information from the brain to the rest of the body. These neurographic artworks kind of look like neurons and cells. Piskarev’s Definition: Neurographic art is a creative method of world transformation. It helps evolve our reality by engaging our emotional and aesthetic … Read more…
Hi all! I’ve been working on a few things for my classroom and I wanted to share with you one new resource that is available in my TPT shop. It is an All About Me Student Survey. This is an interest survey perfect for the first couple of days of school. As an art teacher, I will use these surveys for my students to generate ideas for an All About Me silhouette artwork. (Last year I did an all about … Read more…
Hi! I know I haven’t written in awhile. I hope you are doing well and had a great school year. It’s been a challenging time and I haven’t made blogging a priority. I’m still here though and making art! Now that summer is here I have a bit more free time, so maybe I’ll catch up on sharing some things with you. I wanted to share with you a couple places to get free or cheap materials– but you have … Read more…
Happy Spring! It is Spring Break for us and we took a little trip to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. We saw an awesome Lego exhibit at the museum by artist Nathan Sawaya. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend visiting the museum to see this exhibit. My favorite pieces were the ones in which he recreated famous works of art throughout art history. There were some impressive animal sculptures as well as a fantastic … Read more…
Here is a fun project to do for the element of art texture. It is great for the little kids in grades K and 1, but I have found that the older kids in grades 3 and 4 enjoyed it too. It is also good as an early finisher activity for the older kids because it doesn’t require a lot of instruction. The supplies are simple. You will need a marker to draw the shapes, peeled crayons and texture rubbing … Read more…
I was contacted by a representative at Grabie online marketplace, which I had never heard of before. Since I love trying out new supplies, I decided to go ahead with a product review. I also love to find and share different art supplies with other art teachers. They sent me two art supplies to try out. I was not compensated for my review, other than the free supplies. I told them I would be completely honest in my review and … Read more…
Hi! Valentine’s Day is coming up and here is a fun, free word search you could give to your students. Here is the high resolution PDF version for free download. You might be interested in some of my other word searches: Winter Word Search Spring Word Search Art Word Searches Bundle Art Vocabulary Word Search I am an Artist Word Search Famous Artists Word Search Elements and Principles of Art Word Search
Hi! This is a project I repeat in some form every year with my 3rd/4th grade class. Often I do it to teach about shading and values. Here’s an example from 12 years ago (wow, I can’t believe my blog is that old) of a black and white non-objective lesson. This year, I wanted to add pops of color to the hallway and I wanted the kids to explore color and blending. We first learned about non-objective art- art that … Read more…
Here is a fun and seasonal art project for kids that can teach about the element of space. I did this project with my 1st graders. The first step is to paint stripes of green on a large piece of paper. We used watercolor paints. Wait for the paint to dry. Cut a piece of white paper down the middle to make hills of snow. Glue the white paper to a blue background. Next, cut the painted paper into triangles … Read more…
We recently had everyone in our school trace their hands, cut them out and write things they are thankful for on the hands. We then used the hands as feathers for a turkey for a bulletin board. We are going to use the remaining hands for the leaves of a large tree. The other art teacher, Kathy, who is subbing for maternity leave made the body of the turkey. I think it turned out really cute!
Here is a welcoming art project you can do with your students. Read the book All Are Welcome (Amazon affiliate link at no extra cost to you.) This is a great book about including everyone at school. Have each child draw a self-portrait from head to toe. Display with the heading You Are Welcome Here! We used these handouts for reference.
This year during Latinx Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) I will be teaching my 3rd graders about Frida Kahlo and her many pets. It is a good reminder to teach about diverse artists throughout the year and throughout your curriculum. Frida Kahlo’s had many pets including macaws, parakeets, a parrot, sparrows, a cat, a fawn, monkeys, an eagle, and hairless dogs with ancient Aztec lineage. Many of her self-portraits feature herself with animals. The animals are like children to her, … Read more…
