Peter H. Reynolds on Creativity
One of the presentations I was most looking forward to going to at NAEA ’19 was the author Peter H. Reynolds. Most elementary art teachers are familiar with his books.. they are all so colorful and teach about…
Elementary Art Lessons, Projects & Teaching Ideas for K–5
Because art is fundamental to who we are. Art has always been a basic form of human communication. From cave walls to classroom walls, art helps us express ideas, tell stories, and better understand the world around us. I believe art is an essential part of every child's education, which is why I chose the name Art is Basic. Here you'll find K–5 creative art lessons, teaching ideas, and printable resources to help K–5 art teachers inspire young artists.
Read More...Peter H. Reynolds on Creativity
Amy Sherald and Howard Gardner at NAEA ’19 Conference
The National Art Education Association conference this year had some thought-provoking and inspiring speakers, as usual! In this post, I will tell you about Amy Sherald and Howard Gardner. Next, I will share about Peter Reynolds! Amy Sherald,…
NAEA Conference 2019
I had a very exciting trip to Boston last week for the National Art Education Association Conference. If you have never been to one before, you should really try to go some year. It’s quite the experience! The…
Hot Air Balloon Watercolor Paintings
In this hot air balloon painting project, my 2nd grade students learned about types of lines, watercolor gradations and warm & cool colors. I saw beautiful, colorful hot air balloon paintings awhile ago from Painted Paper, which you…
Girl Scout Cookie Math
Some of you might know that I am a Girl Scout troop leader! This blog is mostly for talking about art teacher related things, but I thought other Girl Scout leaders might find this useful! I made this…
100 Positive Mindset Affirmations and Quotes for Kids
My students are making kindness bookmarks now when they have free time. These are some positive mindset affirmations and mantras that I wrote or collected. Great for kids! Great for art projects or art journaling! For a high…
Mask Drawings
My 3rd and 4th graders are currently making messes with paper mache! They are building and paper maching masks. They learned about Pacific Northwest Coast masks, but also masks from around the world. Here is a sneak peek…
Pop Art Snowmen Project
I have a new art lesson plan to show you! I wrote this for a substitute lesson, but you can make it as simple or complex as you want to. My students were very interested in watching me…
Snowflake Template: Easy to Draw!
I used this simple “Snowflake Starter” to help my 1st and 2nd graders draw their own snowflakes. This is a great way to teach about radial symmetry. If you are going to use watercolor paints or glue thicker…
Georgia O’Keeffe and Flower Paintings for Kids
I love these tempera paint flowers that are inspired by the artwork of Georgia O’Keeffe. These close-up paintings were created by my 2nd grade students last year. The children used photo references to draw large flowers. Then, they…
My Dad’s Quilt with Pen & Ink Drawings
My Dad recently received this amazing gift that I thought you would be interested in seeing! My Dad went in for some serious surgery a few weeks ago and a group of quilters from his church made him…
I’m on a Podcast! Art Class Curator Podcast
I am so excited to let you know that I recently was interviewed on the Art Class Curator Podcast! I was so honored to be invited by Cindy Ingram to be on her show. Visit her blog, Art…
Bucky Badger Designs by Kids
This past summer, there were painted Bucky Badger sculptures all over our city. The Badger is the mascot of the University of Wisconsin. I wrote all about it in a previous blog post which you can read here.…