Winter Bird Oil Pastel 17x22 inches, ages 7-12

This was a good class in looking for the simple shapes to draw the bird and then use oil pastel to layer the color to enhance the round shapes was saw.
We also talked about movement in the background to keep it simple yet interesting.
The examples below are from the 10-12 year old class.

and this is my example with more layers in the back.

They got more complicated in the older classes.

Layers, acrylic, watercolor on watercolor paper, teen class

I really appreciate the projects that get the students thinking. 

This was about layers, and patterns behind a layer.

Pumpkin Lessons- Teen Advanced

This is the advanced teen final pumpkin paintings using only red, yellow ochre, black and white acrylic paint on 10x14 canvas board. Yes, only 4 colors! It is a great lesson in really looking at values and color mixing without the distraction of many other colors. Please read below to see how they got to this level.

my 4 x 5 inch example

They started with a simple pencil drawing 

and then did 2 small 5x7 inch value paintings.

They looked at the light bouncing back from the white table cloth, shadows and light direction...

There is a wonderful difference between the first and second painting.

The subject is more familiar so you can notice more of the light in the second painting.

The brushwork is also more confident.

Nice job!

 #1 #2

 #1#2

Panorama, teen class

Just a challenge for the teen class to work in a different format still thinking about composition.
4x24 inches acrylic on canvas board

State Maps- ages 10-12

I replaced my car atlas (yes I still use paper maps) and thought we could do an art project with the old one. Each student picked a state/place and modge podged it on to a board. Then they had to decide what they liked about each place and create a painting using the map as a background.

Daffodils Still Life, ages 10-13

I found some great little daffodils that the students used for an observation painting. They had to include three flowers from three angles... and use layers of color to show the layers of leaves. A graduated background gave them practice in color mixing.

Textured Chickens and Roosters, ages 10-13

The students used the tissue paper texture technique again and came up with some great projects. We used a calendar that I had in the studio as inspiration for the colorful birds.