This article discusses rock art which was the very first "art." Rock art, such as the images created on the stone surfaces of the caves of Lascaux and Altimira, is the true origin of the canvas, paintbrush, and painting media. For there, within caverns deep in the earth, the first artists mixed animal fat, urine, and saliva with powdered minerals…

Henri Matisse's painting, "Sideboard," opens the door to the author's first-grade students' lesson on still life. This lesson is about the process of designing, the act of making decisions, and the knowledge of one's own preferences. In this article, the author describes how the students made still life with fruit and seashells.

A great start for the semester, this pinwheel project provides a good dose of art history, and a variety of media and techniques. It also teaches students how to clean up and store things properly. Five artists are introduced, each with a different art medium and technique. In this activity, students are expected to: (1) study works by five famous…

For some time, the author has wanted her advanced 11th- and 12th-grade art students to not just create in the classroom, but also at home. When this was not achieved with standard sketchbook assignments, she decided to "spice up" their homework/sketchbook experience by having them create their own artists' journals. She got her idea from a book by…

The sixth-grade art curriculum includes world cultures and the art-history timeline. This lesson was created as the authors were developing relevant projects. They also presented it at an Ohio Art Education Association fall conference as part of their thematic unit, "Art of the Himalayas." As teachers, they were fascinated by the annual…

When he painted a portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II (1552-1612), Giuseppe Arcimboldo used his imagination, and portrayed him as "Vertumnus," the Roman god of vegetation and the seasons. It's fun to find the different fruits, vegetables and flowers he used: pea-pod eyelids, a gourd for the forehead. Court painters of the time usually…

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…

This paper explores the relationship between the natural world and its potential benefits to the art classroom environment. In particular, it considers the following research question: Can natural sound foster creativity? The study investigates the role of natural sound on creative ability in girls' intermediate schools (12 to 15 years) in Jeddah,…

This article presents a multimedia painting lesson based on chickens and their habitats. It describes how the author launched this lesson. Before launching this lesson, the author's third-grade students practice techniques for using tempera paint along with a variety of tools for printmaking. They have knowledge of primary and secondary colors,…

Showcasing the many forms and functions of art helps to articulate the fundamental importance of art education, whether it is to enhance the child or to support society. In illuminating the importance of art education, educators can eloquently argue about its value and contributions through an institutional tunnel, or they can take art education…

Art is all about the process of exploration. The final results are less important than what a child imagines, experiences, and learns along the way. Packed with a year's worth of art projects kids can create out of everyday objects and recycled materials. From buttons to Bubble Wrap and rocks to socks, the author shows how to plan exciting art…

The author noticed that, when painting self-portraits, her students struggled with size relationships between the head, neck, and shoulders. In order to address this without having to deal with facial proportions, she had her second-graders take turns drawing a partner from the back. Students began this project by learning about Mary Cassatt,…

"Proceedings of International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences" includes full papers presented at the International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences (ICSES) which took place on November 11-14, 2021 in Antalya, Turkey. The aim of the conference is to offer opportunities to share ideas, to…

"Proceedings of International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences" includes full papers presented at the International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences (ICSES) which took place on November 11-14, 2021 in Antalya, Turkey. The aim of the conference is to offer opportunities to share ideas, to…

This is a collaborative lesson written by the authors. The lesson pairs two unlikely grade levels together to complete a touching and unique collaborative project. The collaboration aspect of this unit opened up endless possibilities for future collaborations.