Grade 6 Tasty Thiebaud Cakes

I have already explained that the school I was subbing for last year was celebrating its 40th birthday. If you haven't checked them out already, look at these great 3D cakes sculptures my fifth graders completed for the festivities.

I also wanted a little something for the background of the birthday display so I had this nice little Wayne Thiebaud-inspired drawing project for my sixth graders to work on as they completed their other work (I had actually left this as a sub plan one day when I was out, but that's another post for another day).

These were a fun break for them and they had a great time decorating the cakes. As you can see below, I put them in the background of the birthday display and they really looked cute. This is a nice project to talk about unity and repetition as well as color theory (and of course Modern and POP art).

I have done this project before with elementary school students and they have fun with it too. The directions for this project are here. The sixth graders used oil pastels to decorate their cakes, but construction paper crayons are a less-messy alternative.

Have fun creating your yummy cakes! ENJOY!

Mmmmmmm....Tasty Thiebaud Cakes!

I've had this project on the agenda for a couple of years since I saw it at my first NH Art Educator's Association State Conference. This project is from the Art History-inspired Lesson Planning Session I took with Claire Provencher, who is this year's President of the NHAEA.

Some of the tasty cakes in progress. This also shows the handout
I gave each student to make sure they knew all the elements I was expecting:
cake, cake stand, shadow on table.

I had originally planned one one-hour class for this project, but even my speediest student needed the project to continue into another session, so if you are limited on time, you can reduce the number of cakes from 9-ish to 5-ish, to make the project more manageable.

I started class by showing the students a slideshow about Wayne Thiebaud I had found online and I gave each table a handout which had an image of Thiebaud's cakes for reference as well as an example of the elements I was expecting them to have on their papers: cake made from construction paper, cake stand that had been traced on the background paper, then colored, and the shadow from the cake stand that had also been traced on the background paper and colored in.

I also implemented my "AT LEAST TWO COLORS" rule for every piece of this project. Students have to use at least two colors in their cakes, on the cake stand and on the shadows that fall onto the table. Oh, and no black in the shadows. This gets the children thinking about using richer color choices that are more natural and slows them down a bit. I really didn't want them to spend two minutes decorating cakes and throw some black shadows everywhere and call it a day.

I had the children use a combination of crayons (the regular kind) and craypas or oil pastels to decorated their cakes (Claire suggested using construction paper crayons originally, but I didn't have those). The children really enjoyed decorating their cakes, and I was pleasantly surprised by all of the different kinds of cakes they were able to create! I also showed some of the students how to make a half cake and a cake with a slice taken out of it.

Enjoy these tasty cakes!

Tasty Thiebaud Cakes

Supplies Needed:

• One 9"x12" piece of neutral-colored construction paper for a background (cream, white, light blue)
• About ten 3"x 4 1/2" pieces of construction paper, various colors
• Cake template cut from card stock
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Oil Pastels
• Crayons
• Glue stick
• Cake stand template cut from card stock, optional, children could just freehand it

Directions:

1. Trace and cut the cakes from the small pieces of construction paper. If you stack a couple pieces of construction paper, you can cut a couple cakes at once. Don't try to cut all 10 cakes at once with child scissors--your cakes will be messed up!

2. Decorate your cakes with the crayons and oil pastels. Add glazes, sprinkles, nuts, fruit, stripes, polka dots, hearts, etc. The sky's the limit! Use at least two colors on each cake to make them interesting. If you decide to add shadows to your cakes, make sure all of your shadows are going the same way (in the same direction). You can also make some of your cakes missing a slice or even make a half cake just like Thiebaud would do.

3. Once all of your cakes are done, glue them to the background paper.

4. Draw the cake stands below each of your cakes. I suggest drawing all the cake stands at once since they will probably overlap and you'll need to make some decision about which ones are on front and which are behind and that is much easier to do in the pencil phase.

5. Color in the cake stands and add shadows going in the same direction they appear on your cakes.

6. Add shadows from the cake stands onto the table. Again, make sure the shadows are going the same direction as all of your other shadows.

Mmmm-mmmmm! 

Rainbow Turtle Craft

Are you looking for a quick, easy craft to make your preschooler smile and give you a few minutes to make dinner? Then try this flexible turtle craft! How can a turtle be flexible, you ask? Well, this can be a purely for fun activity or you can adapt it to be a learning activity. You can use sharpies, crayons, paints--whatever you have on hand that works with your idea or lesson plan!

Happy Rainbow Turtle!

A few ideas to try:

• Colors of the rainbow (labeled with the names of the colors or not).
• Numbers (put a different number in each section of the turtle shell and have your child put that number of stickers in each section)
• Different Lines or Patterns (fill each section with a different line type or pattern)
• When done, you could make a tambourine or shaker (not for little ones under 3 years of age due to choking hazard).

The ideas for this craft are endless. I'd love to see some examples of how you and your children decide to use this craft idea! ENJOY!

Rainbow Turtles:

Supplies Needed:

• Two paper plates that are the same size
• Pencil and ruler
• Sharpie or black marker
• Crayons, markers or paints
• Scrap pieces of construction paper for head, feet and tail. Color, your choice.
• Clear tape
• Stapler

Directions:

1. Draw an octagon, or similar shape, in the center of one of the paper plates. I traced a puzzle piece from one of our puzzles. Then, draw a line from each of the points of the octagon to the edge of the plate creating 9 sections total. This can be divided however will work for you and your children (and the lesson you are teaching). Don't stress, draw the best you can. Have fun!

2. Go over your pencil lines with marker, if desired, to make them stand out more and make the sections easier for your child to see.

3. Labels the sections with color names and have your child fill them in using crayons, markers, etc.

4. Cut out a head, four legs and a tail from construction paper. Have your child draw a face on the turtle head and then tape the body parts to the bottom side of the plate. 

5. Attach a second plate, flipped the opposite way, to become the underside of your turtle. Staple the two plates together around the rim, making sure to go through the turtle body parts to secure the layers altogether. **If you want to turn this project into a music-making shaker, insert a few dried beans in between the plates before securing them together. You may want to use extra staples or glue to make sure the plates are securely fastened and the dried beans do not come out. Either way, you'll want to keep this craft away from anyone under 3 due to the small parts that will create a choking hazard.

Gifts From the "Art" Class

Last week I finished a mini course with students in 2nd through 4th grade where they create eight art-inspired gifts for giving. The course was fun to prepare for--I had to choose projects the children would love to make that resulted in gifts they would be proud to give! I think the class was very successful. 

The projects we created were:

Stained Glass Plate: based on rose windows of Gothic cathedrals, this project is pretty much a black snowflake-like shape decoupaged onto a clear glass plate with tissue paper squares added for color. These are striking displayed on a plate rack where light can shine from behind. We used Mod Podge to attach both the "snowflakes" and the tissue paper squares to the back of clear glass plates.

Faux stained glass plate

Watercolor coasters: The children used crayons and watercolors to create four pieces of art (Christmas images and the four seasons were popular). These paintings were then cropped and inserted into a glass coaster set.

One student's set of coasters with a holiday theme.

Mexican Folk Art-Inspired Ornaments: The original post for this can be found here.

Pillow Pals: The children drew an animal, doll or critter onto white cotton using permanent marker and crayon. The image was heat set and stuffed with fiberfil. The result was a unique stuffed animal for a younger sibling.

Coloring in a turtle Pillow Pal. We used black Sharpies to outline and regular Crayola crayons to color in the images. When done, heat set using a warm, dry iron and a pressing cloth.

Framed Silhouette: I took the children's profile pictures in the first class, printed them out, cut them out with scissors and then painted the shapes. The children mounted these on white paper for contrast and then on a larger piece of colored card stock and framed the piece. Mom is sure to love those! I'll have a more detailed post about this in the future.

Mosaic candles: We used the technique from the snowglobe mosaics post to create little mosaics (7x7 squares). The children could do a holiday image such as a tree or snowflake, or the initial of the gift recipient. The resulting mosaic was decoupaged onto a ready-made glass candle using Mod Podge.

Peg game: We used the process from an earlier post for a Valentine's Day peg game, but I changed the image to a tree. Dad will love that game!

Hand woven fleece scarf: We used a technique similar to one that I saw in Family Fun magazine, but substituted different types of yarn for a more artistic look and feel. The resulting scarf is sophisticated, and a great intro to weaving. Plus it used up some of the yarn I had in my stash!

Lots of great projects! I have had wonderful feedback from the parents and students! I think this course increased the students' confidence in being able to create a quality finished art piece as well as showing them that the best gifts really do come from the heart. Have a wonderful New Year!

Story Totem Poles

The last time I taught an art class about totem poles I had the children create family totem poles. They could bring in pictures of their family members or draw them. They came out great and the children were very happy with them. While looking online for totem pole images, I came across an idea that got me thinking a bit: Story Totem Poles from Art Smarts 4 Kids. She used a simple story, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and had the children illustrate the characters and plot on a totem pole.

In this piece, the student shows the Old Man with his cloak, and then attached the Old Man and Rock with the same fastener so that he could show 1. the rock on top of the fallen Old Man and 2. the rock cracking in two. The Night Hawk is on a tab so that it moves down the Totem pole and can touch the rock (and crack it in two) as in the story.
So clever!

I decided to have the children illustrate a Native American tale and I found a few great ones at Apples 4 The Teacher. I chose "Why The Night Hawk Has Beautiful Wings." Besides having a couple of moral lessons, it is also a funny story and has great visuals for the children to explore. Here's the tale.


Supplies Needed:

• Paper towel roll
• Construction paper (I used green, brown and white)
• Markers/Colored Pencils/Crayons
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Clear tape
• Wing template, optional
• Brass fasteners, optional
• Images of totem pole figures and a picture of a Night Hawk for reference, optional

Directions:

1. Read the story to the students. Once I was finished, we discussed characters and plot. I then gave a brief discussion on totem pole art, highlighting some of the features they may want to include in their totem pole designs (3D wings, etc).

2. I gave each student a 6 1/2" x 12" piece of construction paper (green) to use as a base for their artwork. The children then divided it into about 5 horizontal sections (change this based on how many characters and plot points you want to show). I instructed the students to work directly on or attach their work on this piece of paper--flat on the table--and then when it was done, they could glue it to the tube.

The children could draw right on the background paper, or could illustrate their characters on a half sheet of white construction paper, cut them out and glue them to the background paper. I also gave them a half sheet of brown to use for the Night Hawk and/or the stone from the story, if they wanted. 

I also showed them how they could add motion to their totem poles (not really traditional, but fun!), by attaching characters to the background paper with brass fasteners (you know, the ones that allow things to spin. See the pictures for reference). I showed them how they could attach a picture of a stone with a brass fastener to make it roll, a key point in the "Night Hawk" story. They loved that idea and many of them took the mechanical aspect of the project even further (see photos).

3. Once the characters and images of plot points are completely colored in, cut them out and attach them to the background paper with glue. Work the story from the bottom of the totem pole up (that is more traditional). Attach any pieces that require the brass fasteners to the background NOW (before you glue the paper to the background). Wings and other 3D elements are added later, in step 5.

4. Once all of the pieces are on the background, turn the entire thing over and spread glue on the back (we used a glue stick, but white school glue would work). Roll it around the paper towel roll and secure with a couple pieces of clear tape, if needed.

5. Add any 3D elements such as wings or a beak using the glue stick.

Done! Enjoy watching your child retell the story using his or her Story Totem Pole!

Kandinsky Circles Watercolors

Today, in my after school art class, I decided to do a colorful project that was relaxing and simple, but with great results! This project is from one of my favorite blogs: Art Projects For Kids and it uses my favorite medium: watercolors, and is based on the art of one of my favorite artists: Kandinsky.

Kandinsky was born in Russia and was originally a lawyer. When he was thirty he decided to leave that profession and become an artist. His paintings and color studies are gorgeous and full of life. They are a neat look at abstract art for children because the paintings allow for quite a discussion! Kandinsky LOVED color and explored the way color could make people feel and think. For example, how do you create a painting about war without using images that people normally associate with war? What about the feelings that fighting and war conjure up?

The piece we used for inspiration.

This project is based on some of his color experiments. I hope you enjoy it--we did!

Supplies Needed:

• Watercolor paper, ours was 8 1/2" x 12 1/2," I used Arches brand, cold press
• Masking tape
• Foam core or heavy cardboard
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Crayons, assorted colors
• Watercolors
• Paint brush
• Water bucket and paper towels

Directions:

1. Cut out an 8 1/2" x 12 1/2" rectangle of watercolor paper and, using the masking tape, tape it to the foam core board. This will keep the paper from buckling as it dries.

2. Divide the paper into 4" squares. Use the pencil and ruler and make light pencil lines. We had two rows of three squares.

3. Use a crayon to go over the lines you just made. Press down firmly to make a heavy crayon line. Then take the crayon and make a series of concentric circles in each of the six boxes. We did about four rings in each section.

This picture shows the crayon circles within each of the six sections.

4. Starting with the lightest watercolor (yellow, if you are using it), fill in the rings of the circles. Don't work on one box at a time, jump around the paper and do all of the rings you want to be yellow at once. This gives the paint a chance to dry. Work with the watercolor paints in order from lightest to darkest (this minimizes the chance the colors will get all mixed up and yucky in the paint trays).

See how the child isn't just working on one set of circles within one square?
Working on the entire piece at once allows the paint to dry and minimizes
the chance that the paint will bleed between sections.

5. Keep going until all the circles are painted. Leave the piece on the board until it is completely dry. Gently peel the tape off of the piece, frame and enjoy!

I am so proud of the students in my art class! These pieces look fantastic! Good job everyone!

Drawing With Leonardo

Last week we made sketchbooks in my art class & this week--we filled them up! Nah, we didn't fill them, but I certainly gave them a bunch of stuff to draw this week! This week's class was all about Leonardo da Vinci and his magnificent sketchbooks!

The man of the hour--Mr. da Vinci! (There on the left in 1514).

Da Vinci is probably most famous to us today as an artist (painter & sculptor), but he was also an engineer, a town planner, an inventor, a scientist, a writer, musician and more! He filled countless sketchbooks with his notes, studies, and drawings. Here is a lesson that helps kids explore what kind of work he did. The classroom is divided into four stations:

Station One: Drawing From Nature
Station Two: Strange Beasts
Station Three: Backwards Writing
Station Four: Interesting Inventions

I gave a quick discussion about da Vinci's work and then walked around the room explaining what they'd be doing in each station while showing them examples of da Vinci's work relating to each station. They were able to spend about 10 minutes at each station.

Station One: Drawing From Nature


Supplies Needed:

• Fruits or veggies cut in half (I used an orange and a pepper)
• Shells, flowers, leaves or other objects from nature
• Station handout (examples of da Vinci's work relating to the station and instructions for the station).
• Blank paper (the children could also use their sketchbooks)
• Colored pencils and crayons
• Regular pencils and erasers

Directions:

On the instruction sheet for this station, I had two pages of da Vinci's drawings from nature: oak leaves with acorns and flowers. The instruction sheet encouraged the children to observe (look at) the natural objects on the table and explore how they are formed. Notice the inside and outside of the object. Draw it's texture and color. Draw all of it's parts and label them like da Vinci did in his work.

Station Two: Strange Beasts

Supplies Needed:

• Station handout (examples of da Vinci's work relating to the station and instructions for the station).
• Blank paper (the children could also use their sketchbooks)
• Colored pencils and crayons
• Regular pencils and erasers

Optional Supplies:

• Last year, I created a wheel that the children could spin to select different animal parts to combine into strange mythical beasts. I brought these wheels back in for this exercise, but your children can use their imaginations :-)
• The Bestiary Book from my last year's Medieval Art class (a Bestiary Book is a book of mythical and real animals created in early history to document the animals of the world).
• Blind draw envelopes I took a couple of envelopes and wrote a description of a beast on the outside of each. The children were instruction to read the description and draw the animal described. When they were done, they could look inside the envelope and see what animal I was describing. This is what they said:

"This beast has the head of a [dog]...the eyes of a cat, the ears of a porcupine...the eyebrows of a lion and the neck of a turtle." (that part is from da Vinci's notebook, I added the next part...) It's claws are deadly and its thin, long body is covered with armor-like disks (It's a dragon).

This beast has a small head, long neck and a whip-like tail. It roars to life and it doesn't chew its food when it eats--it uses a whirling force to inhale its prey. Its body shines and can come in many colors. It is walked by man as it hunts its prey (It's a vacuum). *Please note, many of the children did not like this one--they felt rather grumpy that I had deceived them and "made" them draw an animal. 

Directions:

On the instruction sheet for this station, I wrote the following: Back in da Vinci's time, travel was limited. Most people never left their village their entire lives! People would talk about the strange animals that lived in other places, but things were often exaggerated!

Create an unusual beast. You can combine the parts of several animals, if you like. Think about these things:

• Where will your beast live?
• What color is it?
• What does it eat?
• What texture is the coat?
• Is it mean or nice?
• Name your animal.

Station Three: Backwards Writing

Supplies Needed:

• Station handout (examples of da Vinci's work relating to the station and instructions for the station).
• Blank paper (the children could also use their sketchbooks)
• Regular pencils and erasers
• Quills with watered-down tempura paint
• Hand mirrors

Directions:

On the instruction sheet for this station, I had an example from da Vinci's sketchbook of his "backward" writing. I also had the alphabet printed backwards so that the children could see how the letter should be formed. They were able to create secret signs and messages using the backward writing. I encouraged them to use a pencil first and then go over it with the quill. 

Station Four: Interesting Inventions

Supplies Needed:

• Items to take apart (I used a spring-type clothespin, a cassette tape, a Lego man, a ball point pen and a wine bottle opener)
• Station handout (examples of da Vinci's work relating to the station and instructions for the station).
• Blank paper (the children could also use their sketchbooks)
• Colored pencils and crayons
• Regular pencils and erasers

Directions:

On the instruction sheet for this station, I had a couple of da Vinci's drawings of inventions (the giant crossbow and the armored car). The instruction sheet encouraged the children to observe (look at) the manmade objects on the table and explore how they are built. They could draw the outside of the object (or the object "together") and then take it apart and draw the pieces (of everything except the wine opener). I encouraged them to notice the details such as: screws, lettering, switches, textures, edges and springs.

OR...they could create an invention of their own. They needed to think about what the invention would do, what it would look like and what the parts would be. These could be labeled (maybe with backwards writing!). 

All in all this was a great class where the children were able to explore the many facets of Leonardo da Vinci's work! These stations could be turned into three to four separate classes if you wish, but I think my hour-long class was just enough for my students to get a little sampling of the wonderful work of da Vinci!

Resources:


"Da Vinci," by Mike Venezia (ISBN 0-516-42275-8)
"Discovering Great Artists," by MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga (ISBN 0-935607-09-9)
"Eyewitness Books: Renaissance," by Andrew Langley (ISBN 0-7894-6624-4)
"Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer," by Robert Byrd (ISBN 0-525-47033-6)

Artist Trading Cards

Ahhhh...the internet. I need to set limits because there are just WAY too many good sites out there with WAY too many great art ideas and I get lost in a world of links! But, on the bright side, I get so many wonderful ideas and learn so much! One thing I see that intrigued me is something called Artist Trading Cards (or ATCs).

Some of the ATCs made by my boys (the "Make More Art" one is by me).

Artist Trading Cards are awesome! Started in 1997 by an artist in Munich, they are a great way for artists to showcase their style or ideas, but they aren't just for professional artists! Anyone can create ATCs--children, teens, or grown-ups! There are very few rules for ATCs: 1. They must be 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" and, 2. You cannot sell them--they must be given away or traded. This is a wonderful way for children (and grown-ups) to learn new art techniques and express themselves! It is also a wonderful way to spend time together as a family--grab some art supplies and sit down and let your creativity go!

For Me: Personally, I am embracing the ATC idea! I'm an artist but I am also a mother of four and an art teacher trying to grow my business--I don't get to do huge masterpieces right now. I'm OK with it, but sometimes I get an art idea and need to explore that. ATCs are just right for me!

For my children: I am also encouraging my children to do ATCs. My children love to collect and trade things, but I seriously WILL NOT pay lots of money for cheap trading cards whose sole purpose in life is to get children to spend money (oops, getting off the soapbox now...). Anyhow, ATCs allow children to create & explore and gives them something they are excited to trade and are actually connected to. Learning and fun--I'm all in!

Supplies Needed:

ATCs are easy and require no special supplies, unless you want to try different techniques. Here are some supplies to begin with:

• Posterboard cut to 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" to use as "blanks"
• Glue sticks
• Scissors
• Pencil and eraser
• Markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc.
• Stickers
• Stamping materials
• Neat papers (I have a scrap paper bin I brought out and I save neat papers from junk mail, etc).
• Old magazines
• Paint (tempura or watercolor) & paintbrushes
• Old photos
• Needle & embroidery thread
• The list is truly endless!

Instructions:

1. Cut a whole bunch of blanks from posterboard. You'll need about 8 or so per person to get started. Once you get going--it is hard to stop!

2. Start creating! Think about the different ways you can create:

Drawing
Painting
Collage
Stamping
Ripped paper
Sewing (by hand or machine)

There is no right or wrong way to do these. Relax and have fun. Send me pictures of your ATCs--I'd love to see your creations! ENJOY!

Need more inspiration? Here are a couple of links to check out:
This month's Family Fun Magazine
A great mini tutorial on ATCs from http://www.cedarseed.com/ 

My disclaimer: While I do look at all references before sharing, I cannot look at every page of every reference. Please check out these references before sharing with your children, to verify that the content and images are appropriate for your child's age level and the content is acceptable for your family.

Creativity Break: Cat Cards

I just got back from a camping vacation with the hubby and kiddos, and now I'm finalizing the curriculum "stuff" for this coming year (right before vacation, I was told I'm going to be teaching two more classes-YAY!!). So with all of this art stuff a-swirling in my head, I needed a break. I also needed two thank you cards to thank the two people who took care of our cat (and our bird and sea-monkeys). I knew I had some artsy papers so I did a bit of tearing and pasting and added a couple of stitches, and "ta-da!" instant thank you cards.

Torn Paper Cards

Supplies Needed:

• Cardstock or greeting card blank
• Envelope
• Various papers (I used a good quality black paper, white rice paper and pink tissue paper)
• Glue stick
• Crayons, colored pencils or markers (optional)
• Embroidery floss (I used two strands of burgundy)
• Needle, needle threader
• Scotch tape
• Scissors
• White construction paper for inside of the card

Directions:

Don't get too fussy with torn paper--it is meant to be fun and easy!

1. Cut the card stock to the size you want and fold in half. Decide if you want your card to be horizontal or vertical--this will help you plan your image on the front of the card.

2. Use the crayons, colored pencils or markers to create some texture on the front on the card, if you want. I used three different crayon colors and just did some light scribbling.

3. Rip the papers, a bit at a time, to create the image you want on the card. I started with the black and created the body of the cat. Then I ripped some white paper to make the white parts of his fur. I glued all of that to the card with glue stick. I took a bit of pink tissue paper and used that for his nose.

4. Once all of the torn paper portion was done, I threaded a sewing needle with two strands of embroidery floss (a piece of embroidery floss is made up of 6 strands, but that would be too thick for this project). I then sewed the eyes, mouth and whiskers of the kitties. Once done, I taped the floss from behind to secure it.

5. To hide the backside of my sewing, I applied glue stick to the backside of the sewing and attached a piece of white construction paper. I then refolded the card and trimmed the white construction paper even with the cardstock.

My cat-sitters are sure to enjoy these quick little images of their furry friend! ENJOY!

Clothespin Theater

I love this project! This clothespin theater is one of those projects which kids can totally make their own! I originally taught this project as part of a medieval art course. I tied in medieval puppetry and theaters and it was a wonderful way to link history with art. 


While I had envisioned creating backgrounds and characters to act out a play about St. George and the Dragon, the children created a wide variety of characters and backgrounds such as a rainforest explorer, a soccer team, a horse and rider, and more. This project would also be a wonderful way for children to make an interactive diorama for a project at school or a book they've read (imagine Little House on the Prairie!).


Enjoy this wonderful project and the creative options it inspires!

Background:

Medieval life was hard! But during festivals, children and adults alike were able to enjoy puppet shows. There are woodcuts, paintings and illuminations that show people enjoying puppet shows. These shows were also a great way to illustrate stories for people who could not read.

One popular type of puppet during medieval times was the marionette. We created marionette during my first semester art class. Marionettes have jointed body pieces that are controlled from above with strings. Although there were also puppets that were glove puppets (that fit over a person's hand) and "jiggling" puppets that were controlled from below with a stick.

I brought in a few different types of puppets for the children to see: a finger puppet, a marionette from our first semester class, and a glove puppet. We talked about the elements of a stage: the floor, or stage itself, the background, the actors, etc.

In this project, we use a cardboard box with the top and front removed, for our theater. We then created backgrounds and floors by drawing on pieces of paper and inserting them into the box. The actors (or puppets) are drawn on index cards or cardstock and glued to clothespins. The puppets are then placed onto a piece of yarn that has been strung across the width of the box. The child can then move the puppets along the yarn as s/he acts out the story.


Supplies Needed:

• A cardboard box (we used a box that juice pouches came in)
• Yarn to go across the width of the box 1 or 2 times 
• A nail to make the holes for the yarn (a grown-up's job)
• A plastic needle
• Plain white paper for the background (ours were 10 1/2" wide x 5 3/4" tall)
• Plain white paper for the floor (ours were 10 1/2" wide x 3 1/4" deep)
• Pencils
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Sharpie marker (optional)
• Clothespins (the non-spring type)
• Index cards or card stock, white
• Hot glue or tacky glue
• Scissors
• Glue dots or masking tape (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove the top and front of the cardboard box you will be using for your theater.

2. Measure the back and floor of the inside of your box and cut plain white pieces of paper to fit. These will be the background and floor of your theater.

3. With pencil, draw the details of the background and floor. In my case, I created two backgrounds: one that shows the outside of the castle with a seascape and misty hills shrouded in thunder storms (that is where the mean dragon lives) and an inside view of the castle. This was a great opportunity for me to draw all of the things we've learned about this year in our medieval-themed art class: shields, tapestries, swords, etc. When drawing your background think about drawing things near and far (the foreground, mid-ground and background)--that will add depth to your drawing.

The two backgrounds I created. I only colored one in.

When I drew the pieces to line the bottom of my clothespin theater, I drew a dirt path for the outside view and a castle floor with rug for the inside view of the castle.

The two "floors" of my theater.

4. If you'd like, go over your pencil lines with black Sharpie marker and then color the images in with crayons or colored pencils.

5. Create the puppets or actors: You will need one clothespin and one index card per puppet. Draw the puppet onto the index card (put the puppet's feet at the bottom of the index card), trace over your pencil lines in Sharpie, if desired, and color in as you did the background. I made my puppet about 5" tall. When done, you can cut around the figure with scissors to remove the excess paper. Using hot glue or tacky glue to attach the puppet to the clothespin as shown in the photo below. This will allow your puppet to move along the yarn.

Puppet front

Puppet back. Note how the clothespin is glued to the puppet.

6. Assembling the theater: Have a grownup poke holes in the side of the box. They should be the same height as the clothespin slot. Now, using the plastic needle, thread the yarn through the holes and knot each piece outside the box. Slip the background into the box and place it into position (if you want to change the background, you can just prop the background in there, or you can use glue dots or masking tape to permanently attach the background paper to the back of the box). Slip the floor into place (you can attach that with tape or glue dots if desired). Place the puppets onto the string and enjoy the show!

You can string one, two or more lengths of yarn across the theater.

Here are a couple of the clothespin theaters the children in my art class created:

Last Minute Bunny Basket & Filler Ideas

No art class for me this week--the cooperative is closed for Holy Week (Easter is this Sunday). I thought this would be a great time to write about some of my favorite artsy gifts to help out with filling those Easter baskets! Come on--one cannot live on chocolate alone!

My theory on Easter baskets and the like is to buy consumables that can be eaten (Peeps candy), used up (a suncatcher kit) or added to what we have (markers) with little impact. With four children, I have WAY too much stuff! While I'm sure you already have a list of candy for those Easter baskets, here's a list of some other stuff to make your children's Easter baskets shine!

• Basic art supplies (crayons, markers, watercolor paints, glue sticks, glitter glue)
• A new sketchbook (spiral bound)
• Mini art kits (make your own picture frame, a suncatcher kit, paint your own pottery, a scratchboard kit, etc.)
• Origami paper
• A disposable camera and scrapbook kit or supplies
• Beads and cord to make a necklace, bracelets, etc.
• Dover art books--Dover makes a series of mini-books that have mazes, paper dolls, sticker books and more--these are so fun and there is one for every interest! (Buy these online or at book stores).
• Klutz makes a line of books that foster creativity and come with the supplies needed to create the projects in the books. They have doodle books, window art, pom pom creations and so many more! These books are more pricey (about $15-$20 each), but for older children, one of these books and a couple of candies might be the Easter gift.
• Yarn and crochet hooks or knitting needles
• A bucket of air dry clay or play-doh (or you can make your own)
• Stickers
• A mini notebook, ruler, and mechanical pencils (for the future draftsperson!)
• Pipecleaners and googly eyes to make critters
• A big pack of construction paper
• New scissors--either straight edge or with decorate edging
• Sidewalk chalk for outside doodling

Have fun with the "basket" as well--it doesn't have to be traditional! You can use a pail, an art caddy or plastic tote with handle (see the post about art supplies to have on hand). A canvas totebag is also a great "basket" and the child can decorate it as a project as well. One of my girlfriends said that she saw premade baskets made from an upside down sunhat. You can often find plain colors of these and paired with a set of fabric markers, you have an easy project your child will love!

The bunny basket idea below, is a wonderful preschooler craft (or for anyone who is young at heart!). This is not original, it is just the version I improvised with my four-year-old the other day. Excuse the photos--it was difficult to take nice photos while doing the project with a four-year-old! He's very proud of it though--he shows it to everyone who walks though the door!

Spring Bunny Basket

Supplies Needed:

• A one gallon milk jug, washed and dried
• A sharpie or other marking pen
• Scissors
• 2 Googly eyes (about 3/4"-1" diameter)
• Glue dots, tacky glue or a hot glue gun and glue sticks
• 3 pom poms (about 3/4"-1" diameter), 1 pink and 2 white
• 3 pipe cleaners (any color)
• Scrap cardstock, white
• Pencil and eraser
• Crayons
• Stapler

Directions:

1. You'll want to start by making a hole at the top of the bunny basket for all of those Easter treats! We left the handle of the milk jug on so that my preschooler could carry it around for an Easter egg hunt. Use the photo below as a reference. A grown-up should use scissors to carefully cut the milk jug.

The cutting line is marked with Sharpie.

2. We then used glue dots to glue on the googly eyes. I like to let the children glue them on because I love the cute expressions that are created when the kids glue the eyes on askew! So cute!

3. I then cut a set of teeth out for the bunny and had my son glue those on using glue dots.

4. I then cut a small slit (about 1/2" long) on either side of the teeth and we threaded all three pipe cleaners through the slits to create whiskers.

The pipecleaners are just fed all at once through two slits--one on either side of the bunny teeth.

5. Using the glue gun (a parent's job), I attached the pom poms to finish the bunny's face.

Awwww....look at that cute bunny face!

6. I then cut two ears out of cardstock and drew an inner ear shape inside of them. My son got busy coloring them in, and then we attached them to the back of the bunny basket with a stapler (he helped me and thought that was the best part of the entire project!).

Not perfect, but what do you expect with a 4yo breathing down my neck!

Rainbow colored ears!

This basket could be done up much more fancy then we did it. You could add a bow tie for a boy bunny and flowers and bows for a girl bunny. Don't worry if you don't have the exact supplies that we used here--using what you have on hand is a great way to teach children how to reduce, reuse and recycle. Enjoy this simple craft with your child!

And, when it's time to help the Easter bunny fill your child's Easter basket--have fun! Helping your child to "spring" into creativity can be easy!

Have a wonderful and joyous Easter! Welcome Spring!

Fostering Creativity: Supplies to Have on Hand

I'm in love with art supplies. I consider walking up and down every aisle of an office supply store, craft store or fabric store "quality time." At the beginning of the school year, when department stores have bins and bins of pencils, crayons, etc.--I get giddy! But, ahem, I guess that is not the norm.

This is the art bin we use at home. My oldest three children share it and it stays on the art table all the time.

Throughout my years of being a mom I have encountered many a parent who says, "Oh we do not have (fill in some basic art supply) in our house--it's too messy." I first encountered this when my first son was about three and one of my mom friends said her toddler was driving her crazy (she had a new baby and was short on sleep and patience). I suggested bringing out the crayons and letting the toddler go to town. My friend told me she had never let her two-year-old use more than one crayon at a time. Why? Because it was too messy and she might "get into trouble."

Was this an isolated incident? I guess not. I'm often told by parents and children that they don't have watercolors, colored pencils, etc. at home. I've found that with my children, just having a space with art supplies available gets them thinking creatively. In fact, we just came off of a very prolific watercolor weekend in which my three older children must have created 20 pictures!

Here are some thoughts about fostering creativity by simply having art supplies available to children:

1. What is age-appropriate for your child and household? If you have a two-year-old and a baby crawling around, then maybe the art supplies stay in a bin and come out when mom is prepared to sit with the child who is creating (maybe when baby is taking a nap?). If you keep the "approved" art supplies for your child in a bin, you can bring it out quickly and put it away quickly. Don't put all of your art supplies in this bin--only put the things that the child could use easily at one time (you don't have to out every coloring book, every sheet of stickers, the pom poms, glue and glitter all in there--you will be creating a cleaning nightmare and become frustrated). Have the basic supplies in the bin and have a cabinet or shelf out of sight for the other, special supplies.

2. Be prepared for mess. Young children do not use art supplies like grown-ups do. Some art supplies don't make a huge mess (like crayons and colored pencils--always buy washable!!). If you teach your children the rules about art supplies and remind them over and over that "crayons are for paper," someday you'll be able to trust them to use the supplies without making a mess. I have a child-size table that is well-loved and is called the art table. I still tell them not to draw on the art table, but if paint gets on it and stains the finish (as even so-called washable art supplies do), at least I don't have to worry about my dining room table. The art table is located in our kitchen where spills can be wiped up easily and bits swept up right away (if you let your kids do artwork on carpet, you are asking for trouble).

Since we have a crawling baby, I occasionally drag the art table a few feet to an area behind a baby gate. It's sort of an inconvenient place for mom to get around if I'm running upstairs, but it allows my four-year-old to play with dough without me having to worry that my baby is eating most of it!

3. Be prepared for waste. Well, no matter what the age of your child, they are going to "waste" art supplies. By this I mean going through endless amounts of paper just scribbling randomly or cutting it into little tiny bits over and over and over again....While this may seem wasteful to us as grown-ups, it has great value for children to do these things over and over. It is really forming connections in their brains and teaching them fine and gross motor skills. OK, so not every piece is worthy of being framed and being hung in a museum, but the process does have value to the child in terms of social, emotional and cognitive growth.

That being said, you need to know when to speak up and encourage using the supplies fully ("we use both sides of the paper") and when to let them go on a crayon or glue bender. This is also why I don't suggest putting all of your art supplies in  one basket, so to speak. If you set 5 bottles of glue in front of many children, they will use 5 bottles of glue! So, either bring out the glue when necessary, or leave a half-used bottle in the bin (and keep an eye out for glue dripping in your floors!).

There truly is a fine line here. You don't want your child purposely breaking crayons and refusing to use a piece of paper that has literally a dot-sized crayon mark on it, but think of the pressure on a little child to have to create a refrigerator-worthy masterpiece on every piece of paper! Or know that if s/he makes a mistake when experimenting that mom or dad is going to flip! Art supplies can be inexpensive, and they are meant to be used!

Bin Full of Art Supplies:

Remember, these bins are for most-used art supplies that are safe for your child to use on his/her own while you are nearby.

• The bin itself. I show a variety of bin in the pictures, find something that works for your family and doesn't have too many areas for supplies to get lost. It should have a handle for a parent or child to carry and be easy for a child to put away his/her supplies.
• A sketchbook. I like spiral bound sketchbooks because they lay flat. One for each child labeled with his/her name.
• Crayons. I like Crayola brand. You can keep them in the box (hard to put away) or dump them in a yogurt cup for a more "grab and go" experience. A 24 count box is great.
• Markers. I like washable Crayola brand. A package of 10 chunky ones is very versatile, but as children get older they may prefer the fine tip. If you have older children, you could put a Sharpie in their bin.
• Colored pencils. Crayola is good for a start, but older children might like a gift of Studio brand or Prismacolor brand colored pencils in a case.
• Glue. I throw a couple of glue sticks in the bin when I'm feeling adventurous. Older children could use a glue stick and a bottle of Elmer's school glue (also called PVA glue). Skip this with very young children.
• Scissors. Very young children can use scissors under supervision. Add in a pair of age appropriate scissors. As your children get older, you can buy scissors that create decorative edges on paper.
• Regular pencils. Also called Number 2 pencils, these are a must for any child's art bin. Very young children will need to be supervised with them and you'll have to inspect the parts of the pencils to make sure they are OK for your little one to be around (toddlers like to chew on the pencils and erasers), but gradually, you can include a pencil sharpener in their bin. I also keep those rubber pencil toppers on hand to prolong the life of pencils whose erasers have been worn down by overzealous artists. These are not appropriate for children under three though due to choking hazzard.
• Rulers. A standard 12 inch ruler is great. I have flexible ones because they hurt less when your brother smacks you with one and they don't break when the children practice their muscle man moves.
• Watercolor Paint. I like Crayola for the very young and messy, but I prefer Prang for the older children. I don't usually keep these in the art bins since my kids make WAY too much of a mess with them and I like to monitor their usage, but if you have older children and they are neat, go for it!

This is a smaller bin and might be good for 1-2 children. This bin still holds plenty of art supplies!

This bin is easy to carry and can be stacked. This is a nice option if you need a few of bins spanning a variety of ages. Make sure to label the outside with the name of each child (or a picture of the child if they cannot read).

Enjoy the finished art bins! Create, create, create! Or as Ms. Frizzle from "The Magic School Bus" series of books says,  "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!"

Watercolor Creatures

This project is a natural progression of last week's technical watercolor demonstration. Children can use a variety of techniques they learned in the demo. I originally envisioned fantastical sea monsters, but the majority of the children in my art class painted turtles (they are a favorite of the children). We also had a shark, a really large whale engulfing a fishing ship, and a jellyfish. (For the demo below, I painted a turtle since one of my sons loves them!). Whatever creature you decide to paint--have fun!

Supplies Needed (for each painter):

• 1 piece of watercolor paper (I used 9"x12" Strathmore cold press watercolor paper from a pad)
• 1 piece of heavy cardboard or foamcore board slightly larger than your watercolor paper
• Masking tape
• Pencil and eraser
• 1 tray watercolors (I use Prang brand watercolors with my students--the colors are better quality than the dollar store/kid brands, 2 children can share a tray if necessary)
• Water cup with water
• Watercolor brush (The one that comes with the Prang set is fine, but don't use one from a cheap set, they are made of nylon and the results will be poor).
• Ruler
• Sharpie or other permanent marker (optional)
• A drinking straw (optional)
• Paper towels
• Plastic wrap (optional)
• Table salt in a cup or shaker (optional)
• Crayons (I like Crayola brand)
• Colored Pencils (Crayola brand or other good quality) (optional)
• Reference books (Animals, Sea life, Shells, Dinosaurs, etc.)

Directions:

1. Tape the watercolors paper to the cardboard using masking tape.

2. Using a pencil, lightly sketch a real or imaginary water creature on the paper. Don't draw too small since it will be frustrating to color and paint all of that tiny detail. Also, think about the environment of your water creature: is there a water line? a ground line? are there plants or other animals in the picture too?

Don't forget to use your reference books if necessary. There is nothing wrong about having to look at a picture of a shark in order to draw one! Many of us cannot draw them from memory! Chances are, if you are using a photograph or a model, you will be less frustrated and your drawing will come out better.

3. Once your sketch is done, use crayons over your pencil lines. This is the wax (or crayon) resist technique we learned last week, so you will want to press firmly with the crayons. You can use a variety of crayon colors, but do all of your crayon work now.

4. Once the crayon is done, you can start painting in the areas of the painting. Remember, to let the paint dry before moving on to other areas so that the paint from different sections don't bleed into one another. In my turtle picture, I painted the sky first and then I painted the turtle. These two sections are far away from one another so I didn't have to worry about the paint bleeding between them as I work. I also suggest leaving the areas where you'll be using salt and/or plastic wrap until last since they can't be disturbed once they are done.

First I painted the sky and then the turtle.

Then I painted a wash for the top of the pond and applied plastic wrap.

I then used the wet on wet technique to add a few different colors for the pond water. While the pond water was still wet I sprinkled some salt on it to create "sparkles" in the water.

5. Leave your painting to dry overnight. Once it is completely dry, remove the plastic wrap and brush off the salt. At this time you can decide that your painting is finished, or you can use crayons and/or colored pencils to add a final bit of detail.

Once the painting was dry, I used crayons and colored pencils to add some texture to the sky, another lily pad to cover a mistake I had made, and to add some motion lines in the water around the turtle's legs.

What a masterpiece!! Enjoy!