Art educators consistently strive to coach and model good craftsmanship to their students. Sure, teachers can check to ensure students are understanding the art concepts, test them on the vocabulary or even assess students on their color mixing strategies. If these art standards are performed in a sloppy manner (i.e.: lacking craftsmanship),…

What makes an artist a great master? Why are some artworks held in higher esteem than others? In this article, the author considers why the contributions and creations of some artists have made it through the years. A short quiz using just a few of the abundant facts and fascinating information found in "The First Time: Innovations in Art" is…

This activity features artwork by "Grandma Moses" in which children will learn the picture plane in terms of foreground, middle ground, and background. The teacher also introduces the children to Eric Carle's colorful collaged images in his books. Using the two artists' methods, children experimented and invented new techniques and colors. As the…

The focus of "Endangered Species: Real Life in Two Dimensions" is to create awareness about a critical environmental issue. There is a special urgency to this project because large numbers of animal species are currently endangered or on the brink of extinction. In addition to being enlightened about this important topic through research, students…

Pure visual art is a silent communicator. The people who make it have something to say, yet they don't always say it out loud. They count on others to look at their art, and to gather meaning from materials and forms arranged to pluck familiar and unfamiliar chords. Some artists have the gift of gab. They are sociable and outspoken. Those artists…

Nature is all around, and can be the inspiration for some excellent creations in the classroom. How can a teacher bring these rich natural elements into the art class? As the author was exploring a hiking trail, he came across a large piece of bark from an old oak tree. A strong wind began to blow through the trees, the leaves began to rustle and…

Japanese ceramics enjoy a long and distinguished history, and the Japanese aesthetic of elegant simplicity, along with their approach to materials, has influenced ceramic artists around the world for centuries. Women in Japan have been involved in the production of ceramics for thousands of years, but with few exceptions, their names have remained…

The Day of the Dead project is absolutely one of the author's favorite lessons. It's easy enough for almost any grade level--the author does it with her second-graders--yet can be detailed enough to keep eighth-graders interested. It uses a limited number of easy-to-acquire supplies, which is great for tight budgets. It can also be easily broken…

The author discovered artist Eleanor McCain's work on "Dear Ada," an art blog he follows. McCain makes brightly colored art quilts using various rectangles and squares. She creates visual "pop" by using these shapes in a variety of sizes and bright colors. There is an interesting spatial "push and pull" that happens when looking at her quilts.…

One can easily find a choice studio. In this choice-based art classroom, the students move comfortably within an organized structure of space, time and materials, managed by the teacher. They are well aware of their responsibilities and their possibilities. The teacher helps them to mine their lives and interests for the content of their…

Teaching the author's fifth-grade students a lesson on clothing design was a great way to show them how art and design are part of their everyday lives. It also allowed the students to express their personalities. Clotheslines served as an effective basis for their work. She and her class began by discussing how clothes can tell them about a…

Artist Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) created wonderful environments inside boxes using mostly found objects. They were often Surrealistic in nature. Some boxes were designed with glass fronts, and others were meant to be interactive with the viewer, wherein the objects could be handled. With Joseph Cornell in mind, the author introduces an art…

In this article, the author discusses how she combines science lesson with a hands-on art project. She used the wonderfully creative suns shown on the Sunday edition of "The CBS Morning Show" to give the students fodder for thought. She describes how to create an assemblage. An assemblage is like a collage, but it moves past the two-dimensional…

In this article, the author discusses an art project that allows students to use clocks in creating functional artwork and replicating famous works of art. This project is a huge hit with students, parents and staff. After completing this project, students enjoyed duplicating famous artworks in a circular format, and loved turning their art into…

The term "Scribble Stage" highlights how first efforts appear in student independent work. Age does not correlate with "scribble" work as does experience; upper grade students and even adults will often approach new materials and techniques in an experimental manner as a means to become familiar with them. Everyone is a beginner at the things they…