Fuel the Maker in YOU

Romare Bearden Inspired Collage

“Take Harlems heartbeat, make a drumbeat. Put it on a record, let it whirl!” -Langston Hughes Visit an informative and fun interactive site at MetMedia. Listen to the sounds that inspired Romare, discover the hip artists he grew up around. We were first introduced to Romare Bearden through a picture book inspired by his life…

Mindfulness

Because New Beginnings always have Great Potential. You make your life with each choice and every breath. Simple reminders help others know they are in charge of their bodies and minds too.

Art of Africa

Works of art can tell us a lot about the values of a culture, their beliefs and customs. observational ink drawings of African masks We can undertand a whole lot more about an object when we are given the opportunity to look at it closely. Observational drawing is always a successful activity in achieving this…

Winter Landscapes

Have you ever noticed the night sky during a winter’s snowfall? It is a stunning mixture of purple, magenta and blue. First grade artists created winter landscapes using these colors to illustrate the beauty of the winter sky. We learned about the art of Barron Krody, a local Long Island landscape painter who paints on an…

People in Collage

It is beneficial to allow students to explore an art medium before giving them a thematic goal or asking them to work with a specific content. After a collage exploration (which can last for one class or more) and a lesson focused on creating a shape collage, students will be ready to connect shapes to…

Mondrian Inspired Assemblage

Piet Mondrian was inspired by music. He loved Jazz, Boogie Woogie, and dancing, and was motivated to express his love through art with color and shape, movement and rhythm. Inspired by Broadway Boogie Woogie, this art experience offers students the opportunity to listen to the music that inspired Piet and, by tapping into a kinesthic…

Paper Sculpture

How can you take something flat and change it into something 3-D? Students are prompted with this question and offered the challenge of transformation. Paper sculpture has a strong mathematical connection and allows students to understand form through hands on exploration. By taking a flat paper and rolling it into a cylinder, students see a…

Gesture Drawing

Gesture drawing with children creates an open and accepting classroom environment. It allows students to loosen up their drawing style and helps them to view the “gestalt” of the figure or the big picture. When beginning this activity, students may feel like every mark is final and may feel self-conscious. I emphasize that gesture drawing…

Materials Workshop: Organizing with COLOR

markers organized by hue and temperature The local thrift store in my neighborhood organizes their articles of clothing by type and by COLOR. This method of categorization is what excites my senses and motivates me to search, touch and discover great finds. But this is not the first time I have seen this done, for…

Shape Collage

Collage is a meaningful experience. It helps develop eye hand coordination and fine motor skills. It creates a deeper understanding of shape, form and detail…and of course it’s fun! You can vary your learning experiences during each lesson, while teaching collage through a variety of motivations. Today I am going to discuss the tried and…

Hand Painted Paper

Ever wonder how Eric Carle creates such vibrant and crisp, delicious illustrations? His secret is painting on archival tissue paper. The papers above were made with tempera on tissue paper. If this photo excites you, read on. Construction paper collage can be a become redundant when you work with the same colors and textures. I…

Nature Prints in Clay

Much of the texture of an object goes undiscovered when we study something with our eyes. But when we feel it with our fingers or even our cheek, we are able to discover the bumps, nooks and crannies of an object. Printing allows a viewer to discover the textural qualities of an object by sight….