Senufo Print Designs

In this 3rd grade lesson we explore the tribe of the Senufo of Africa. I usually do this lesson after our Native American Unit, which provides a great background for comparing and contrasting the purpose and asthetic of different tribes and their artwork. We create a line drawing and use designs to fill the border and chosen animal. We use powder pigment and water to create the spiritual glow of the Senufo tribe. We then add contrast with a dark oil pastel. The students really like learning about the tribe!

Winter Birch Tree Painting

This is a 4th grade lesson that explore the concepts of using relief as a technique. Students create a "drawing" using only tape to create trees and details. We then use the visual contrast of blue watercolor to fill in the paper. Removing the tape revels the contrast and relief left from the tape.

The Colorly Lion

In this 1st grade lesson we explore how color works and how color wheels can help us. We first learn how to turn 3 simple circles into a lion portrait. Then add the primary and secondary colors into the appropriate spaces. To finish we fill the lions mane with the colors and order of the rainbow. This creates a visual representation of the color basics.

Abstract Portraits a la Paul Klee

In this Kindergarden lesson students explore the differences in art styles and learn about the artist Paul Klee. They use fundamental shapes and lines to create an abstract portrait. The background is filled with color blocks using tissue paper painting technique.