Ammonoids are extinct animals that lived in marine environments.  The are characterized by their ridged spiral shell.  Though unknown, they are thought to have been great swimmers and may have even been able to shoot ink at predators.  Here is a video of ammonite fossils washed up on the shore line.  Ask permission to watch it first!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVCH98aFSRY

Supplies: heavy watercolor paper, black construction paper, white oil pastel, watercolors, round brush, water bowl, rag, scissors, glue, pencil, salt

Techniques: wet on wet watercolor technique, line, salt resist

Symmetry, shape, line, and emphasis created this guy. WIth chalk pastels to illuminate the crayoned nutcracker he really pops off the page!

Henri Rousseau was an inventive artist. For this greenhouse project we used acrylics or tempera paint, sponges and a black sharpie. Perspective, blending of colors and composition were the objectives for this lesson.

Art is an occupation. Fashion Designer being one of them. Here we used watercolors with a no bleed watercolor technique using vibrant colors and a simple study of the human form. Clean lines, crisp shapes. Sonia Delaunay created the Orphism art movement.

Think big! Draw a big pear, like bigger than your whole head! We looked a artist Paul Cezanne’s work and reflected on his style of movement and lighting of pears. After examining a couple of real pears we set to work. Acrylic or tempera paint on 12×18 paper. Texture came in by using a paper towel to blot the wet paint.

Grades 3-5 reviewed the 7 elements of art in this build-upon lesson. They can work right in their sketchbooks with pencil and crayons.

This just reminds me of candy, a really big candy house! So much texture and architectural delights! Middle schoolers used watercolors and oil pastels to create a resist so colors wouldn’t run. The oil pastels contained the watercolors! Techniques for this assignment were texture, line, overlay, and watercolor resist. Spires and onion tops embellished with texture to create this wonder!

Introducing color theory to my middle schoolers. Studying the color wheel we became mixologists! Primary+Secondary=Tertiary. Acrylics or tempera paint in primary, secondary, black and white and a black sharpie are the supplies.

I asked them to name one of their favorite combinations. Keep this in your sketchbook to use as a reference for your next painting.

Look at that adorable mermaid!