2nd Grade - Van Gogh's Flowers in Vases

 This lesson is a Judy Bowerman original... who is Judy??? My mother, who trained me to be an art teacher. She taught visual art for 32 years, mostly elementary. She always taught this lesson on pastel sulphite construction paper. I usually pick a different pastel for each class,
which keeps me organized.

We look at several of Van Gogh's paintings with flowers and focus mostly on his painterly style. 

I use this as a color mixing lesson, starting with the orange family.

Next time, we mix the violet family and create a vase with pattern. Then finish 

with the greens for some added pop!

Flowers in Vases always make me happy!

5th Grade - Fall Pumpkins!

I love this project for translating 3D forms on a 2D surface.  Highlight and shadow... blending analogous colors... so fun!  I prefer this project on blue and purple construction paper.  Black glue and chalk are so nice together!

We start by tracing three 6" circles on the paper, then three more half on, to make it look like a snapshot of a pumpkin patch.  Next, draw the stem IN THE PUMPKIN adding a vine coming off.  Next, draw from the stem the groves of the pumpkin radiating outward.  Last step of drawing... add subtle curves from each groove line on the bottom side of the pumpkin, gives it a more organic form.  Then, black glue! (India Ink and glue) 

The next week, we color with chalk pastels, starting with lighter yellow oranges in the center of each section of the pumpkin, then getting darker as we go towards the grooves where the shadow would be.  Students love this, they feel like they have really drawn something 3D!