Betye Saar Elementary Art Lesson Pre-K to 6th Grade

Josey’s Art School

Presents

Studying Art with the Masters

By

Robin Norgren, M.A.

This Lesson:

Betye Saar – “Eye”

 Artist: Betye Saar (American, born 1926)

Title: Eye

Medium: acrylic on cut leather w/mirror collage

Size: 8.5 x 13.75 in. (21.6 x 34.9 cm.)

Discussion

Betye Saar is an American artist known for assemblage and collage works.  “I'm the kind of person who recycles materials, but I also recycle emotions and feelings,” the artist has explained.

Later in her career, Saar began combining her prints with other objects, such as found photographs, or placing them in window frames.

Saar transitioned to placing her artwork within boxes.  Some of these objects were gathered by the artist during trips throughout the world, including Europe, Mexico, and Haiti, or at swap meets and flea markets in Los Angeles.

SOURCE: https://hammer.ucla.edu/now-dig-this/artists/betye-saar

Materials needed

Pencil (to write the child’s name on the back of the work)

Large sized lunch bag

Construction paper – one for each page

Glue

scissors

various colors of tempera paint

water bowls and paintbrushes

Baby wipes

Aprons

Length of Time/Duration of project:

30 minutes

Instructions

You have a few options for how you want to proceed with developing the main thrust of the project.  I work with 3-5 year olds in a Montessori setting.  This means that you are met with a gamut of skill levels.  Some children will have no problem handling more of the details of this project which means less time needed to prep and more of the experience for the way the artistic process works is offered to the child.  I have attempted to give you two ends of the spectrum but please feel free to modify as needed.

1. Take your lunch bag that you are using as the base for the project and write the child’s name on the back of the paper or let them write their names on their own.

2.   Draw a football shape on your lunch bag.

3.   Draw parallel lines within your shape. Add the pupil.

4.   Design your eye either mimicking the artist’s work or create your own design.

5.   Use construction paper to add the pupil. Add details with paint; I also painted the pupil.

6.   Create the eyelid with construction paper and glue it within the crease of the paper bag.

 

You can find my art lessons on Teachers Pay Teachers

CLICK HERE: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Joseys-Art-School

Look at my free art videos on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbQExZltWJHERASlzbZ6nLtjeqvpAgLY7

Lipunja Elementary Art Lesson Pre-K to 6th Grade

 

Josey’s Art School

Presents

Studying Art with the Masters

By

Robin Norgren, M.A.

Lipunja

This Lesson: Aboriginal Art

Discussion

-Aboriginal art represents renewal in the culture. It shows the resilience and adaptability traditional Indigenous family systems. 

-A stunning example of the painting of Lipunja. Lipunja was one of the founding artists of the Milingimbi’s Contemporary Art movement.

-Lipunja’s work can be found in collections all over the world - including the Kluge Ruhe, USA.

Source: http://www.milingimbiart.com/publications/choosing-who-will-keep-the-stories-strong-the-garrawurra-artists-of-milingimbi/

 Materials needed

Pencil (make sure to write the child’s name on the back of the work)

Black pen (optional)

1 piece of 9”x12” mixed media paper or cardstock – something heavier weight than copy paper

This is a lesson that can be adapted in many ways depending on the age and skill level of your classroom. 

Acrylic paint – white/yellow/orange/brown/black

sponges

Paintbrushes/water bowls/paper towels

Aprons

Length of Time/Duration of project:

30-40 minutes

Prep work:

Gather the materials

Create a sample

This should take no more than about 20 -30 minutes

Instructions

1.   Take your piece of paper that you are using as the base for the project and write the child’s name on the back of the paper or let them write their names on their own.

2.    This lesson has a directed drawing component to it.

3.    This diagram shows the center of the page.

4.Turn the two circles that connect with petals to make a flower.

5.Create ladders to touch the edge of the page.

2.    Create hills that connect the ladders.   

3.    The structure begins to look like the bridge.

4.    Create the horizontal borders.

2.    Take sponges and use the paint (except black) to design the painting.

3.    Paint the background in between in black – I would have younger students use a black crayon instead of black paint.

 

Find all my art lessons over on Teachers Pay Teachers:

CLICK HERE: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Joseys-Art-School

Look at my free art videos on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbQExZltWJHERASlzbZ6nLtjeqvpAgLY7

Josey's Art School Episode #4: Doodle Flowers Beginner Mixed Media art project Art Lesson

You can find my art lessons on Teachers Pay Teachers

CLICK HERE: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Joseys-Art-School

Look at my free art videos on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbQExZltWJHERASlzbZ6nLtjeqvpAgLY7

Fun Art Project with Sunflowers: How the Sunflower Colors our World by Josey's Art School

Tulips and Daffodils Make Lovely Art Project Ideas

 

photo credit

 


photo credit 

I found these wonderful renderings of tulips that has inspired me to come up with a flower project for my art students.  Make sure and subscribe to my Youtube channel to get the project right when it goes live.  

ONE of my favorite things to do is to find art on Pinterest and to deconstruct them to allow for a student as young as kindergarten to enter into the conversation with pencil and paint.  

THIS VIDEO offer a more mixed media approach to flowers:

The Value of Boredom to Spark Creativity

 

photo credit 

I love working on a series of paintings and I want to start incorporating this idea with my art students.  I remember when I was younger, I read a book where the protagonist had an art teacher who instructed her students to draw an apple for 100 days in a row.  I like this idea of allowing the mind to 'bore' itself into focusing on the nuances of an item.  I think we underestimate the power of boredom in a child's life.

Keeping with the nature them of this post (kinda), here is a video showing you how to create a bird art journaling page - which of course can ALWAYS be created on a larger canvas.

 

Diego Rivera and the Study of Drawing People

link to deep space sparkle

One of the blogs that really inspired me to go for it in the area of teaching art classes to kids is Patty over at Deep Space Sparkle.  Here is a lesson I am going to try for sure.  My students are always interested in getting a chance to draw people and this seems like a nice intro lesson.  

Here is a fun mixed media lesson that I have done many times and the students love it!  They get to play with color by working with scrapbook paper and it helps invite any studnet who might be timid with color to give it a go.

Andy Warhol Poppies and Henri Matisse Fish Art Lessons

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I am always on the lookout for projects that help create connections with famous artists - this one is a nod to Andy Warhol.  I like the use of colors and I love the challenge of working with black paint.  

Here is an art lesson that is inspired by Henri Matisse - enjoy!

Ducks and Gardens Kids Art Lessons

I came across this organization called Arts For Life
Check them out - this group brings art to kids who do not  have the opportunity to take art classes.  Having lived all over the United States, I know firsthand that there is still a HUGE disconnect on the value of creativity to INCREASE health, wellness and productivity.  Make sure to check out how you can support this group.

Our contribution is to create TONS of art lesson videos online so that if you are not able to afford taking a class in person, you can do so for FREE.  We now have over 65 videos and the goal is to get to 100 videos by June 2016.  Spread the love please!

Josey's Art school presents an Art Lesson with Bugs

I came across this idea and I think this would be a hit with your art students.  Watercolors and doodling and bugs - a little bit of fun for everyone.  You can create it as a simple line drawing or you can you a pen and ink project.  Simply doodling and add color when time permits is one way to make this move from a 30 minute project to a series on bugs.

Here is a video of my firebugs projects - feel free to add this to your series:

Spring Showers Umbrella Color Wheel Art lesson for Kids

I seriously enjoy this fun way to teach kids about the color wheel.  Now you may decide to simply create this project and allow for the students to paint the mood of the day using paints or you can add this as a Spring theme art project.  Whatever you decide to do, I found that the raindrop creation was the most DIVINE step of this piece.

I created an art video using feathers that would also compliment the idea of creating a color wheel in an interesting and unique way.  Let me know how you created your projects!

Spring or Fall Colorful Trees Art Lesson for Kids

One of the easiest ways to teach drawing landscapes is through this simple activity of dividing the page into two and creating above and below the line.  With this autumn tree you have the opportunity to create with a ton of color.  What I find so lovely about living in Virginia is just how colorful the Spring Trees are.  Having lived most of the life in Arizona, seeing these delights feels like I am in a Dream land.  

This lesson can be created with crayons if you want to keep it simple and as always you have the ability to challenge more advanced students by inviting them to create shadows and vary the mood in the sky.  

I have a fun art video that builds on color and also includes a message on self esteem - hope you enjoy it!