Continuous Line Paintings: Inspired by Geoff Slater

I recently subbed in the art room and was asked if I had a one class lesson plan I would like to work on while I was there. I used this lesson that I originally saw at: kinderart.com. They have a great visual step-by-step lesson plan that you can check out.

We looked at works by Geoff Slater and saw that they were painted in one continuous line. We worked with the goal of two lines: one to fill the flower and one to fill the background. I also let them know that even if they used more than two lines that it would be fine. As long as their paintings resembled a maze, they were accomplishing the goal of a work inspired by the artist.

Students had a choice of painting a daisy-flower shape or a tulip-styled flower, which I had examples of on the blackboard. They also had the option of using realistic or non-realistic colors. This is a great lesson for watercolor technique and brush control, because the students need to use the tip of the brush and they need to have the right consistency of paint to pull their maze lines along the paper.

Sometimes it is difficult for the children to remember that you pull your paint brush, not scrub with it. And you need to add a bit of water to the pan of color and gently wiggle the brush to loosen the paint, not mash it into the pan! For this lesson too, watch carefully when they begin to paint. Some students just revert to filling in the areas with their paint brush, rather than creating continuous lines. Correct early and things go smoothly from there on!

Van Gogh Sunflower Weaving

The idea for this lesson plan came from Family Fun Magazine online. I was interested in the project for its application of weaving and 3-D art. It is also nice for my small studio because the children make and take their looms home as part of the sunflower. I had a template for them to trace and cut to create the petals of the flowers on their paper plates.

We read the book titled 'Van Gogh and the Sunflowers' to learn more about his life and inspiration. Then I used the lesson to help them create their own sunflowers. They got to decide when they had weaved enough to create the centers. I also had photo reference available for the shape and color of the leaves. 

I gave this lesson to my older and younger students, and have to say that it was more appropriate for the older kids (grades 4-8.) But since my classes are small, I was able to guide the younger ones to create great flowers too! It was also just a great project to send home to brighten up this cold, snowy winter we are having. Have a look:

Straw-Blown Cherry Blossom Trees

Recently we worked on a unit using India ink, while studying different parts of the world. One of the most fun lessons was creating a cherry tree in blossom. These trees are indigenous to eastern Asia. Countries such as Japan Korea, and China depict them in prints, paintings, and even on currency.  First we used drinking straws to blow drops of ink across the paper, until a pleasing array of branches were formed. After the ink dried, students added blossoms and leaves to their composition with a watercolor brush. The variety of images really impressed me, and the kids had a great time with such an offbeat approach to creating a image on their paper.

Magazine Flowers

I saw this lesson on the Teach Kids Art site, and had to make it part of my Recycled Art Camp this summer. We used recycled lids as our templates to trace four different sized circles on magazine pages of our choosing. Then we folded each circle in half three times and cut petal patterns onto the outer edge. Our smallest circle was left untouched to become the center of the flower. We also cut out a pair of leaves, and rolled up a half page from a magazine to become the stem. I also encouraged the students to add bits and pieces of their cutouts to fill the negative space of their compositions and to give them some pattern. Here are a few of our beautiful flowers.