Talking Sticks
The talking stick is used in many Native American traditions. Whoever holds the stick has the right to talk. The talking stick is used to make sure that each person in a group has a chance to express his or her…
Marcia
Marcia is an elementary art teacher and loves painting, drawing, sculpture, art journaling and clay. Her blog, Art is Basic, features many exciting art projects for kids.
Make Your Own Creature with Fabric and Paper Scraps
Little artists love digging into a big box of fabric scraps to find the perfect patterned piece that speaks to them. We have an upcoming Fine Arts Night with the theme of Animals. We are calling it “Wild about the Arts”,…
Primary Color Hands for Kindergartners
Here is a simple lesson to introduce your students to the primary colors. We started out by reading the book Mouse Paint, which is a fun story to teach about primary colors. My kindergartners, while I love them dearly, were having…
4th and 5th Grade Profile Drawings: In the Style of Egyptians, Mixtec Codex and Duncan Tonatiuh
My students were treated to a visit by illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh. He is both Mexican and American. He grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City. His images are inspired by…
A Few of My Favorite Posts from 2016
Another year has come and gone. Here are some of my favorite posts from 2016. Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year! My Top 6 Favorite Posts in 2016.. in no particular order. 1. Huge Printable List of “What Artists…
Stitching on Burlap: A Painting & Sewing Experience for Children
One type of art skill that I haven’t been the best at consistently teaching in my classroom is sewing. I was reminded of how you can sew on burlap after seeing some painted and stitched leaves at my daughter’s school.…
How to Make a Christmas Tree Collage
Are you looking for a fun art project to try over winter break with your kids? Here is one that is sure to be festive, fun and creative! What you will need: 1. Begin by drawing a Christmas tree shape…
Animal Cloth Paintings inspired by Korhogo Cloths
My 3rd grade classes learned about African Korhogo Cloth paintings. They had been studying Africa in their Social Studies class. Here are some of the resources we used: information about the cloth paintings and a couple of YouTube videos– Take a Look…
Duncan Tonatiuh: Author/Illustrator Visit
On Friday, we had a visit to our school by author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh. See his artwork here. He is both Mexican and American. He grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and graduated from Parsons School of Design…
“Emily’s Blue Period” Art Project: Personal Collages
Personal Collages: 4th and 5th Grade We read the book Emily’s Blue Period, which is about a girl whose parents are divorcing and now she has two homes. (Amazon affiliate link used at no cost to you.) Emily was learning about…
3 Fun and Easy Kindergarten Art Lessons
For me it is always a challenge to keep up with Kindergarten art projects. I see my classes twice per week for 40 minutes, so they get to do a lot of art! They go through lessons and projects quickly,…
Color Theory and Rhythm Drawings by 3rd Grade
This is a project I love to do with the 3rd graders. Their drawing all turn out so unique and fun. First, we talk about what rhythm in art is. Rhythm is like a visual beat in a picture, created…
Abstract Shape Collages and Artist Reggie Laurent
Reggie Laurent: Contemporary Artist Reggie Laurent is a self-taught artist living in Georgia. He creates very intricate abstract shape paintings. I saw his paintings online and I was immediately drawn to all of the fun patterns and colors. My…
Letter Painting with Kwik Stix
I love Kwik Stix and so do my students. “It’s like drawing with lipstick!” I posted a video review of the product because I liked them so much. Then, the Kwik Stix company saw it and contacted me about trying…
Published Article in Arts & Activities Magazine
I have a new article in Arts & Activities magazine this month! I am very excited. I encourage you to submit articles to magazines if you have ideas you’d like to share. It is very rewarding to see your words…