Often overshadowed in people's minds by Paris, London is truly an artist's jewel. The art and architecture, history, gardens and museums are inspiring, yes, but there's so much more to this ancient city. The performances, attractions and markets are a boon to the creative soul. London can be surprisingly inexpensive to visit. Gazing at statues,…

Making paper can be good for the planet, as well as an adventure for one's students. The costs of the activity of making the pulp from recycled paper are low and it is very eco-friendly. To begin, the author showed her middle-school students several examples of handmade paper in which outdoor scenes had been developed using an additive technique.…

Creating a painting with texture is easy, although using heavy gel medium or modeling paste may be pricey ways to go about it. High school artists generally like making collages and mixed-media. In this article, the author suggests ways to capitalize on that interest with inexpensive fabric in a painting project.

There's something irresistible about squeezing out lines and shapes with a bottle of glue. It's fun, yes. But, even better: it's tactile. The glue dries slightly raised on the surface, lending itself to several exciting treatments. In this article, the author describes some activities that confirm how a simple art material like glue can be…

An inspiring article in a craft magazine spurred the author to attempt a dimensional collage project with high-schoolers. The magazine piece concerned the embellishing of a vintage handbag. Artists have been altering objects for countless years; art teachers can find many fine examples with which to motivate their students. One example is to use a…

This article describes an art project designed for middle- and high-school students to (1) understand the meaning of the terms composite and photomontage, and be able to use them correctly; (2) select and evaluate a range of subject matter; (3) combine three different photographs to create an attention-grabbing, entertaining work; and (4) mount…

Asking students to manipulate digital photos on the computer is one of the easiest ways the author knows to engage their attention. It's fabulous fun for them and a great teaching tool for educators. In this article, the author presents 10 ways to impress students with image-editing software. These are: (1) filters are fascinating; (2) get a move…

The author and her class used chalk pastels before, in the typical manner with much blending and mixing of color. She felt her high-school class needed to try another technique with no smudging with tissues, no using tortillons (blending stumps), no soft color merging. All too often, young artists blend too many colors together and lose the…

Seventh graders reacted enthusiastically to this watercolor art activity. A blank piece of white drawing paper was soaked in water and then removed to a newspaper-covered table. Students held a brush full of watercolor above the paper and squeezed the bristles. When the droplets hit the surface, they spread beautifully. (RM)

Discusses a short art assignment that stresses basic design principles for students in elementary through secondary education. States that students receive four pieces of paper, use one for background, and the others are cut or torn into different shapes. Explains that the students create compositions using asymmetrical balance. (CMK)

Describes a motivating activity for drawing still-life. States that students did contour drawings with markers and then layers of color tissue were used for enhancement. Students learned to appreciate the accidental variations caused by the materials. Concludes that this lesson increased students' motivation for contour drawing. Identifies…