-
Pop, Pour, Print! Soda-Pop Powered Lithographic Art
Kitchen Lithography: Printmaking Magic with Soda-Pop (Really!) I love a project that makes students say,“Wait… that worked??” Kitchen lithography is that project. It looks like legit, old-school printmaking… but we’re using foil, soda, and oil like we’re about to cook something instead of make art. It feels slightly unhinged and very science-experiment energy — which
-
Seeing Like an Impressionist: Crayon Sketchbook Studies
Seeing Like an Impressionist: Crayon Sketchbook Studies Painting with Crayons, Pastels, Dashes & Dots Some art lessons unlock a brand-new way of seeing.This week, Impressionism did exactly that. I brought in a handful of landscape reference photos — scenes filled with shimmering water, trees dancing in sunlight, and wide skies full of colour.Before we even began,
-
Peachtober Reflections: Keeping the Prompts Alive Year-Round
Peachtober Reflections: Keeping the Prompts Alive Year-Round As an art teacher (and artist!), I love following art prompts that pop up on social media. They’re such a fun way to stretch creatively and step outside my own oeuvre. Special events like Peachtober are especially inspiring — each daily prompt feels like a tiny challenge, nudging
-
From Blank Canvas to Bold Creation: One-On-One Painting Lesson with a 10-Year-Old Artist
From Blank Canvas to Bold Creation: One-On-One Painting Lesson with a 10-Year-Old Artist This week’s 1.5-hour one-on-one session with my 10-year-old student began, as always, with a blank canvas and a big idea. She wanted to paint something “dark but cool,” so we decided to reinterpret the Grim Reaper — not as something scary, but as
-
Exploring the Magic of Foreshortening Through Portraiture
Exploring Foreshortening Through Portraiture Foreshortening can be one of the trickiest concepts for young artists to grasp — how do we convincingly represent objects or figures that recede in space toward the viewer? This painting created after a poolside holiday which I thought would make an excellent demonstration for a foreshortening lesson, is a fantastic
-
Big Eyes, Bright Skies: Embracing Whimsy in the Art Room
🎨 Big Eyes, Bright Skies: Embracing Whimsy in the Art Room In our recent “Fantasy Landscapes” unit, students combined narrative thinking with technical skill to design imaginary environments using both observation and invention. This project was structured to support key learning goals in composition, color theory, and cultural appreciation, all while leaving plenty of room for
-
Every Shade is Beautiful: Helping Students Paint People from All Backgrounds
🎨 Every Shade is Beautiful: Helping Students Paint People from All Backgrounds Welcome! In the art room, we get the special privilege of helping students learn to see the world—and themselves—in new ways. Whether we’re mixing colors, painting portraits, or exploring different cultures through art, we’re also helping students understand people, emotions, and identity. One
-
The Pedagogy of Play: What a Snacking Dog Can Teach Us About Expression
The Pedagogy of Play: What a Snacking Dog Can Teach Us About Expression This week, my classroom smelled faintly of linseed oil, and it echoed with laughter. That can only mean one thing: oil painting week—and the return of our favorite muse, the donut-loving dog. If you’ve ever watched a student carefully layer oil paint
-
Exploring Light and Shadow on a Face: Painting with Flat Colors
🎨 Exploring Light and Shadow on a Face: Painting with Flat Colors Light defines form. Shadow reveals it. In this study, I explored the power of dramatic lighting on the human face—using flat colors only and focusing entirely on shapes created by light and shadow, without any blending or gradients. 🔦 The Setup: Creating Drama with Light To start, I set
-
How To Create a Marker Portrait- Time Lapsed Marker Portrait Demo
Practice portrait painting with acrylic markers! I used Arrtx brush tip acrylic markers to “paint” this portrait. Acrylic markers dry quickly making them the perfect medium for practice. Develop an eye for tonal differences and contrast with little clean up. I’ve used the grid method here again. It’s my go-to method for drawing faces. The
Rebecca
Growing creative, confident global thinkers through art and design.
Recent Posts
- From Ocean Lab to Art Lab: A Bubble Painting Sea Jelly Investigation
- Divergent Thinking Art Lesson: Turning Paint Blobs Into Birds
- Recycled Bottle Flower: Turning Trash into Bold Sculptural Blooms
- Sew Sushi So Cute!
- Drawing in the Air: A String Sculpture Inspired by Ruth Asawa
- Designing a Robot Chicken: Where Art Meets STEAM
- Coffee Filter Flower: Capillary Action
- The “Chatterbox” Comeback: A Classic Paper Toy with Big Creative Power
- Slit & Shape Slotted Sculptures: From 2D to 3D With Cardboard
- The Horse [马]: Meaning And Symbolism Found In Chinese Art
- Setsubun [節分] Seasonal Japanese Tradition Mask-Making & Coloring
- Pop, Pour, Print! Soda-Pop Powered Lithographic Art
- Seeing Like an Impressionist: Crayon Sketchbook Studies
- Impressionism In Real Life At the National Gallery Singapore
- East Meets Gold: Collaging Cultural Influence in the Style of Gustav Klimt
