Monochromatic painting

You need:

1. white drawing sheet A3 size
2. tempera paint
3. brushes
4. black marker

Children choose a geometric shape and draw this overlapping and in different sizes on their sheet.
Then they choose one colour tempera to colour their shapes. Mixing is only allowed with white and black, because the painting has to be monochromatic.
When ready, outline everything with black marker.

more interviews coming soon!

Hi! A few of you have emailed wondering why there haven't been any new interviews lately...

Well, unfortunately we've been held up by various colds and flu and snow during the past few weeks. But I promise, there are several artist interviews already lined up in my mailbox waiting to be posted very, very soon!

I appreciate your patience, and I hope you are staying warm and well :)

xoxo
Stephanie

Winter through my window

Made by Silke, 10 years old

You need:

1. brown paper strips from 2 cm wide
2. light blue drawing paper
3. oil pastel
4. tempera paint
5. brushes
6. glue

Draw a winter tree and a fence that gets smaller in the distance. Colour tree and fence with oilpastels. Paint snow on the ground, the tree and the fence using white tempera paint. Paste the brown strips on the drawing as if it's a window frame.

Nameplate

You need:

1. white drawing paper A4 size
2. black markers (fine and wide)
3. colour pencils or markers

Children have to draw their name in big letters with a wide marker. Around this name they draw little pictures of anything they want.

The drawing can be coloured, with colouring supplies or with a computer program like Paint or Paint Shop pro (see examples below).

Olympic athletes

You need:

1. scissors
2. glue
3. white drawing paper A1 size
4. cardboard in Olympic colours
5. download athlete
6. compasses
   

Start this lesson with the symbol of the Olympics: the coloured rings. What do these rings mean? What colours do they have? How are they placed together?

Ask one or two children to take the position of an athlete; an iceskater, a skier or another Olympic winter sport. Look carefully to the position of the student: what is the position of the legs, arms and body? Ask some other children to show another position and discuss it againt.

Children are going to work in a group of five students. Every group gets a big white sheet, five sheets of coloured cardboard (in the colours of the rings: black, yellow, red, blue and green) and at least five copies (don't worry about misusing one's work; it's the website of my school!) of the athlete.

Step one:
Each group member cuts an Olympic ring, using compasses and scissors. Paste this five rings on the big white sheet. Look carefully which ring has to be pasted in front or back, and which ones have to be pasted through eachother. Be sure the little cutting line is pasted underneath another ring. Step two:

Every student takes a copy of the body (download) and cuts out every part of it. Then these bodyparts have to be pasted around, in, behind and in front of the Olympic rings.

Carnival portraits

You need:

1. a shelf
2. balloon
3. newspaper strips
4. wallpaper paste
5. toilet rolls, bottle caps, polystyrene etc.
6. toilet paper or paper towels
7. acrylic paint or tempera paint
8. brushes
9. glitter
10. confetti
11. black marker

Blow the balloon. Paste newspaper strips on the half of the ballon. Be sure you have at least eight layers. Let the work dry.

Take the balloon uit. Cut the edges and lay this half balloon on the shelf. Use costless things like toilet rolls, bottle caps or polystyrene to shape the face. Fix these parts with newspaper strips and wallpaper paste. The last layer has to be toilet paper or paper towel. Let the work dry again.
Paint the portrait with acrylic paint or undiluted tempera. Give the face a body. Sprinkle glitter or confetti in the wet paint.

This lesson and photographs were sent to me by Ghislaine Aarts.

Birdhouse of paper mache

I've got this great paper mache lesson from Ghislaine Aarts.

You need:

1. box from boots
2. scissors
3. masking tape
4. saw
5. 2 wooden paint stirrers (DIY store)
6. wallpaper paste
7. newspaper strips
8. toilet paper or paper towels
9. brushes
10. acrylic paint or tempera paint
11. brushes
12. varnish
13. artificial snow
14. small decoration items like pineapples, peanuts or berries
15. glue gun
16. wood for frame

Make a rectangle from the lid of the boots box by cutting the sides. Cut three rectangles from the box and glue them up with masking tape. See the photograph.

Saw one of the sirrers in two halves. Lay the halves of the stirrers and the complete one on the board. Lay the cardboard roof above. See photograph 2.

Paste everything together with newspaper strips and wallpaper paste (paper mache). Your latest layer has to be toiletpaper or paper towel. Leave the work to dry.

Paint the bird house with acrylic paint or tempera. Paint one or more birds upon it. Let your work dry carefully and then finish it with colourless varnish. Scatter some artificial snow on the roof if you like it. You may glue some berries, pineappels or peanuts around the bird house for decoration. Frame your work.