With Halloween (thankfully!) falling on a Friday this year, I thought I'd share some make-n-take art lessons with you for the big day. One thing I learned REAL FAST as a teacher is that ya never want to bust out those beautiful projects the kids have been working for days on at a time like this. Instead, let 'em have at it with some quick lessons. So! I'm sharing some of my faves with ya today!
Got some construction paper, glue and scissors? Then this lesson is a fun one that always yields the cutest Frankensteins! Check out this lesson video here.
Now one of my fave things to do was to set up CENTERS on Halloween (and any major holiday when I knew the kids were gonna be 'touched'...and not by an angel!). You can see how I do that right here!
Here's to survivin' and thrivin' this week, friends! You can do it!
This lesson is also perfect for a line and shape review as well as an introduction to collage!
Making your own sunflowers is also super fun! I have done projects like this with my students with kiln fired clay...but this one was done with salt dough clay. Recipe and details here!
Speaking of artist inspiration, this one was clearly inspired by Vincent van Gogh! To watch the full drawing video, just go here:
Now, more on Payons and how I use them in a moment! I have lots to say about this art supply from Prang. But first...
Did you know that Vincent is one of the seven artists featured in my decide-your-direction art adventure titled Find Your Way? There are seven world famous artists for you to go on adventures with!
I wrote this book for my students...as they worked, they loved to be read to. But I always struggled to find the perfect art history book for them. So...I wrote one! My book also includes art activities and biographies of the seven artists featured. To read snippets, find out more and get a copy, visit here.
I also included actual quotes from the artists...that's what you see here in bold print. The other artists featured are: Hokusai, Frida Kahlo, Claude Monet, Augusta Savage, Leonardo da Vinci and Salvador Dali!
What better way to create artwork inspired by Vincent van Gogh than while hearing all about him in art class!?
Okay, now let's talk art supplies...
For this lesson, I am using Prang's Payons which are water soluable or watercolor CRAYONS! I had never played with them much before until the last couple years and I love them! They go on just like a crayon BUT...with the addition of water, the colors transform into watercolor. The colors are super vibrant and fun.
However...if you don't have those on hand or they are not in your budget, you can do THE SAME THING with Prang's markers! I used ton only buy a certain brand of markers (ahem, I think you know the ones I mean) until I discovered that they seemed to dry out quickly and just seemed like they didn't last as long. When I got my hands on Prang's markers, I was suprised: they are juicy and bright...AND work perfect for a project like this where you just add water! If you aren't familiar with this method, you can see it in action in this lesson of mine here.
Anyway, have fun friends! I hope there's a sunflowery lesson here that you and your artists enjoy!
Hey friends! Today I'm sharing with you a fun sunflower still life lesson that is the perfect review for lines and shapes...while introducting collage and monoprinting! This lesson is perfect for your 1st grade and up...and I'm going to share with you a bunch of alternative art supplies just in case you are on a cart or don't have the supplies I am using on hand. So, like many of my videos of late, I'll walk you through a 'teacher talk' at the start of the video to help you think through how you can best make this lesson work for you. Here you go:
I'm so excited that my book has sold 10K copies! It's so amazing to think that I've been able to share with so many incredible art teachers. A big thanks if you have ordered a copy! And...just so you know...I sign all copies before packing them up. That's right...my books are packed and sold by yours truly. I'm an independent book publisher and seller. If you ever have any questions about that, feel free to reach out!
Knowing that not everyone has bingo daubers or the time to fill them, in the video, I share a couple of alternatives. Students could use tempera sticks to create their line papers or...they could paint the lines! So even if you are on a cart or short on supplies, I got you.
This lesson could be done on 9" X 12" paper as the final result or, my preference, 12" X 18" paper. I like the larger format only because it allowed more room for the bigger flower prints.
For the flower prints, I would recommend using a pizza pan. I got a class set at Dollar Tree for $1.25 each and use them ALL THE TIME. We print on them so much!
By the way, if you are new to using tempera paint with students and are looking for some pointers, I got you covered right here!
Day #3: Collage it all together! On the final days of this lesson, it's time to create a collage! If students need a reminder on how to use their scissors and glue...well, I think I can help!
This Paul Klee/Mary Blair-inspired shape lesson was apart of a rotating stations that I did with my students. For my first thru fourth grade, my students rotated from station to station making a variety of shape-inspired art. These castles were one of the stations. The following art class, we added color and designs to these castles. You can check them out here!
Looking to dive into a little printing? This lesson is one I do with my kindergarten students but kids of all ages have enjoyed it! All you need are some foam stickers and a large foam shape for the background. I found these hearts at the dollar store but I've also used foam stars too! You can check out this lesson here.
Here is a little look at the printing plates created with stars in the background. This was apart of my shape making stations! Details on that here.
After students are finished printing with their plates, the plates can be turned into some super cool metal art! You can check out that process here.
If you are interested in doing elements of art stations in your art room, I made a video to walk you and your students through the process. You can find it here.
During 2020, I did a series of videos on robots...that all feature the element of art of SHAPE. This first one is all about drawing robots and using shapes. You can find that video here.
Did I mention that there are several TOTALLY FREE downloads? Yep! Check them out here!
I always love doing collagraphs with my students. Start hoarding those cereal and snack boxes as that cardboard is thin and easy to cut. These can be created by doing crayon rubbings as I did here or you could use brayers and printing ink. Find the video lesson here.
You could also take it in a totally different direction by covering the collagraph with foil and doing marker prints! This type of printing is always one the kids love! Details here.
I recently created a lesson with my friends over at Prang using (my favorite!) their Tru-Ray construction paper and Prang's white school glue. You can find the lesson, with the step-by-step process here!
Why not just let 'em draw?! I have this totally free download and a quick video that you can check out here. 
