Favorite Art Lessons Featuring Vincent van Gogh!

Hello, friends!

I'm not sure where you are in your school year...but I hope it's going fabulously! I know here, teachers just wrapped up their spring break and are quite possibly starting the countdown to summer. Is it too soon? I say NEVER! 

I know some of y'all are like "spring break?! It's still snowing here!" and, yeah. Same. Well, it was 80 over the weekend and then we did get sleet and 30 degree temps here in Tennessee. But...this is just how we do spring in TN; we like to keep everyone dressing for all seasons!

Regardless, I put together a blog post today featuring art lessons based on Vincent van Gogh. Did you know that March is his birthday month?! Yep! And, in honor, I am also doing readings from my book Find Your Way! I'm posting it to my YouTube in case you wish to share it with your students. Have them vote and then be sure and visit daily (or as close to daily as I can get) for the adventure to continue!

In my art room, I would read this book while my 2nd through 4th graders worked and...it worked WONDERS. I always seemed to struggle with my older students after spring break...the sun is out, the summer vibes are approaching and the kids (and me!) are itching for a break. BUT it's the stretch to the end! We are usually doing weaving and clay at that time so I still need 'em to focus and create. Reading while they worked helped with that TREMENDOUSLY. While I was at NAEA a couple of weeks ago, I meant so many art teachers who said they were skeptical at first and now...they can't imagine their class without Find Your Way. Trust me, I think you and your artists will love it.

And now, let's talk lessons! Kicking things off first with my latest discovery: you can fill those bingo daubers with tempera paint for a variety of paint markers! I'll walk you through how as well as where to get your empty bingo daubers here.

Are you in the mood for clay? We used Vincent's sunflowers as our inspiration for these clay florals. You can use kiln fire clay OR...these were made with salt dough clay! I'll share with you how I create that clay and more lesson details here. 

For details on how to make them out of kiln fire clay, visit here!

For even more sunflowers, check out this lesson! This project was created with Payons...have y'all ever used those? They draw on the paper like a crayon but react like watercolor when water is added. The colors are super vibrant. However, in a pinch, markers could also be used in this same way. For details and product info, visit this lesson!

If you are looking for a lesson that is ALWAYS a kid-favorite, then you gotta check out this James Rizzi meets van Gogh lesson! I have a lesson video here as well as some totally free downloads!

Find the free downloads here! I keep mine in plastic sleeves, one visual on each side, so that students don't get em too dirty when creating. They LOVE creating the funny faces on the buildings. Can you blame them?!

My second graders had a fun time looking at van Gogh's cherry blossom trees before creating their own. We used huge sheets of tag board for this one...but even construction paper would work. I know...this time of year, it's 'we use what we have left' time! Lesson details here. 

Ready for another artist mashup?! Then check out this Charly Harper meets van Gogh lesson!

Looking for an art show-show stopper?! Here's a HUGE collaborative lesson I did with my second graders one year!

One lesson I ALWAYS did, year after year, was this van Gogh sky/super hero lesson! My students loved drawing themselves as superheroes!

Of course, the kids can't have all the fun! Why not create some earrings or buttons to wear as you teach about van Gogh?! Here's how!

Looking for even more van Gogh lessons?! I have some here!

Not sure how to go about reading a book like this while students are working?! No worries, I have my tips and tricks for making it happen right here!

AND if you want to keep the art adventure going, check out my book here...and stay tuned to my YouTube channel!

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In the Art Room: Salt Dough Sunflowers!

Here's a way to introduce your kiddos to clay even if you don't have a kiln: Salt Dough Clay! Last summer, when I was writing my book Clay Lab for Kids, I had to come up with kid-friendly clay recipes. You see, the book is divided into three parts: projects created with air dry clays available at craft stores; polymer clay projects and clay projects created with homemade clays. There are several clay recipes in my book (including an edible clay!) and this salt dough clay is one of my favorites. Here's how to make it and create a Salt Dough Sunflower (a project not found in my book, just for you!):

Here's the recipe which would be enough clay to create a half dozen flowers:
(Allergy warning! If you are allergic to gluten, this is not the project for you.)

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup salt
* 3/4 cup water

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Dump out ingredients onto wax paper or plastic and continue to knead until a soft dough forms. When creating, be sure to work on a plastic covered surface as this stuff is sticky! Also, when making this flower, use a styrofoam bowl or a bowl covered in plastic wrap so that the flower pops out easily when dry. 

Also, any clay not used, simply wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for later use. 

I placed my flower in front of a fan to dry overnight. Just so you know: this is a dough so it will rise a bit! Don't be surprised if your flower looks a little fluffy once dry. 

Salt dough can also be cured by baking in the oven at 200. Keep an eye on it as the goal is simply to dry it out, not burn it. I have cooked mine for 15-30 minutes depending on the dampness of the clay. 

I painted my flower with acrylic paint but tempra could also be used. Be sure to cover with a coat of ModPodge to insure that it will not break. 

If you don't subscribe already, I update my YouTube channel with videos like this and all things art teachery pretty frequently. You are always welcome to use my videos and lessons...I just always appreciate a shout out. 

In other news, I'll be presenting at Art Ed NOW on August 3rd on...you guessed it, all things clay! I'll be sharing a TON of no-kiln clay projects for the elementary and middle school set. 

And if you've picked up my clay book and you have a spare moment, a review here would be so very much appreciated. Thank you so much, y'all!

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In the Art Room: Ceramic Flowers with Third Grade

Well, spring is here but I gotta tell ya, for me, it feels like my spring done sprung. I'm absolutely beat this time of year. Between putting together our school-wide art show (where I've not hung a single thing, thanks to all of my parent volunteers. I.LURVE.YOUS.) and trying to clean up after a year of bad put-stuff-away-after-you-use-it habits (I'm so bad, y'all. I've got more cabinet space then Ole Mother Hubbard and I still leave everything out all over my counters), I'm a walkin' talkin' zombie. Therefores, I have no DIY goodness to offer you this week, dears. Howeverness, I do have this super sweet ceramic flower project that my third graders just wrapped up!

 (Insert "awwww" emoji here.)

Like, that's a sculpted hummingbird created without instruction, y'all. (Insert "child prodigy" emoji here. Which I imagine looks like Doogie Howser. Or a childhood photo of me. Ahem.)

And a frog snagging his lunch. Let's face it, these sculptures are way cooler than any DIY of mine. Here's how these crafty kids created 'em. 

 We started out with some low-fire clay the size of a grapefruit. and a styro bowl. 

 We then created ping-pong ball sized spheres. 

And proceeded to squish 'em flat. We kept the thickness as thick as a cookie. Any thinner will become too fragile and too thick takes for-evah to dry. And we ain't got time for dat!

Once they were all squishied, we lined them all up and went to war with the one wee piece on the left. Actually I have no idea why I snapped this photo and then proceeded to share it here. I'm tellin' ya. The end-o-the-year has devoured that gray blob between my ears. 

Shape a couple of those flattened circles into leafy shapes if you wanna. 

 Use a pencil to draw veins. Again, if you wanna. 

 Start layering the leaves and flower petals into the bowl. For slipping and scoring, we use a toothbrush dipped in slip. We still use the terminology but this method is way easier than actually having the kids score with a pen tool. 

Why am I talking, these photos are pretty self-explanatory, right? You don't even need me, just the pics. I'm like IKEA directions but way easier and without the long hours of wrestling with particle board only to discover you've got a couple screws loose. Both figuratively and literally. 

 Oh, look! A flower donut!

 Fill it in,y'all. 

Just to make sure the center is secure and all flower petals are attached, some kids added a coil around the center of the flower.

 And viola! Finished! 

From there I went into my lil speech about how you can make anything in all of clay land if you know how to create a coil, slab and a sphere. Together we brainstormed some ideas on what we'd create and just how that could be accomplished with those three things. These ceramic pieces were created in one 60 minute class period. 

 Once they were bisque fired, we used Amaco's Teacher's Palette Glaze which I looooove. The colors were so bright and rich that I'm an instant fan. 

Today the kids were able to catch a glimpse of their projects while creating labels for the art show. They were thrilled with the transformation. Glazing with kids is truly magical.

Almost as magical as their imagination! Whutz your fave clay project? 

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