Provides background information on Grant Wood who was a Regional artist. Includes a list of various activities and a reproduction of Wood's painting "Spring Turning." Explores the characteristics of Wood's art that appear in this painting, such as stylization and the use of landscape views high above normal eye level. (CMK)

Presents an art project where fifth-grade students painted murals of windows in the boys and girls school restrooms. States that they used a technique called "trompe l'oeil" that uses shadows and perspective to achieve realism that tricks the eye. (CMK)

Describes an art lesson for high school students in "Introduction to Art" that focuses on the style of Frank Stella. States that the students chose a theme, such as representational or abstract, and based their "Stella-esque" assemblage on that theme. (CMK)

Presents an art lesson for first-grade students where they painted portraits of their fathers (or the significant male in their lives) for Father's Day. Explains that the students secretly observed their fathers in order to enable them to create the portraits as a surprise. (CMK)

Discusses a fresco assignment taught during a workshop for an art history class where students created their own fresco paintings. Provides background information on the fresco technique and the materials that are used. Describes the process of creating the frescos and lists the needed materials. (CMK)

Describes an art activity that enables beginning art students to practice their skills and techniques using watercolor as a medium. States that the students use paint, paper, and an inexpensive stencil set of the alphabet. Explains that students create a symmetrical design that fills the sheet of paper. (CMK)

Presents a lesson where the students painted water scenes instead of creating traditional landscapes featuring houses, trees, and mountains. States that the students developed their composition and painting skills along with increasing their sense of beauty and imaginations. Discusses the process of creating the waterscapes in detail. (CMK)

Describes an art unit called "Archi-Painting" where high school students in a beginning art class learned about landscapes and some of the world's most important buildings. Explains that the students placed a well-known building into a new environment in their paintings. (CMK)

Presents an art assignment for beginning painting students in which they paint a self-portrait in the style of the German expressionists and intimate the mood through colors. Explains that the students viewed color reproductions of work by German expressionists and aspects of art history related to the German expressionists. (CMK)

Presents a three-dimensional art project for middle-school students in which they create sculptures of plaster cloth and wire. The introduction explains that they learn about Alexander Calder, a master of using wire in art. Discusses how to make the sculptures. (CMK)

Describes an art project where students worked together in teams of two in order to create lightweight, primitive-looking bowls. States that after researching a cultural motif, students decorate each bowl individually using acrylics. Includes a list of supplies and describes the process in detail. (CMK)

Describes a project designed to advertise art history where eighth-grade students painted the classroom door windows throughout their school recreating famous classic paintings from various artists, such as Claude Monet or Vincent van Gogh. Explains that the students learned about different artistic styles and exhibited a great deal of pride in…

Addresses how 18th and 19th century artists made pictures of ancient ruins throughout Europe and the Middle East to sell. Expounds that watercolors, landscapes, and lithographs enabled artists to easily record the sights during their travels. Provides summaries of four artists (John Constable, David Roberts, Frederick Catherwood, and Giovanni…

Discusses two activities based on the paintings of Paul Klee who used simple lines, bright colors, and happy subjects within his artwork. Explains that in the kindergarten activity, the students practice line drawing and looking at tree forms as well as painting; the first grade activity focuses on the abstract cubist style. (CMK)

Discusses an art activity where fourth-grade students created backgrounds using melted paraffin and a variety of paints for their cat batik/collage. Explains that after the students created their backgrounds, they assembled their paper cats for the collage using smaller shapes glued together and wax to add texture for fur. (CMK)