Abstraction is, in effect, a simplification and reduction of shapes with an absence of detail designed to comprise the essence of the more naturalistic images being depicted. Without even intending to, young children consistently create interesting, and sometimes beautiful, abstract compositions. A child's creations, moreover, will always seem to…

In this article, the author describes 8 Tags, a project that she used with her eighth-grade studio art students to encourage them to come up with original and creative solutions to an assignment. She also wanted to incorporate their knowledge of the elements of art and principles of design. In this project, students were challenged to create an…

In this article, the author describes a papier-mache unit inspired by whimsical animal sculptures created by artisans from the Oaxaca (pronounced Wah-Haw-Ka) region in southern Mexico. While the actual Mexican sculptures are carved from wood, the papier-mache medium is easier to work with and requires fewer tools. Most middle schoolers love…

In this article, the author describes a unit on monsters wherein students were charged with painting an imaginary character and, in so doing, demonstrated mastery of expression, organization of space, control of paint media, and application of the elements of art. Students discovered how color and line could be used to convey expression. The media…

With the United States obesity rate at 34% in adults and 17% in children, and increased inactivity among young people, the authors decided to create an interdisciplinary (art and health) lesson that they hoped would raise student awareness on the subject. In this article, the authors describe how their middle-school students created an artwork of…

In this article, the author describes an art project intended for high-school students to create a three-dimensional design using a Styrofoam. The students were asked to find and take photos of architectural details, such as decorative columns, and use the photograph as inspiration in their drawings. The drawings served as a "blueprint" to help…

In an effort to create a collaborative, grand-scale project that would not only showcase the talent of young artists, but also serve as a reminder that art is a significant part of the human experience, the author asked Cameron VanDyke, a working, professional furniture maker and sculptor, to work with junior-high art classes to collaboratively…

This article describes an art project developed by the author which provides a way to further the children's understanding of Picasso's Cubism style in 3-D. Through this project, upper-elementary students learn a bit about the life and art of Picasso as they gain a firm understanding of the style of art known as Cubism, and apply clay techniques…

Anytime an art teacher mentions clay projects to elementary students, they immediately get excited. The problem is doing a clay project can oftentimes be expensive and time consuming. This article describes an art project that provides an interesting way to apply the concept of crayon resist to ceramics. This project is fun, easy and inexpensive.…

Plasticine clay is a bendable material that is easily manipulated by students of all ages. It is a great material to work with because it does not dry out from day to day, so high-school students can work on an extended project. They do not have to worry about the clay drying and cracking, and the entire work of art does not have to be completed…

The figure has "figured" prominently in the choice of subject matter for many artists throughout history. Whether they may choose to depict it in an abstract or expressive form, most artists are quite capable of realistic portrayals of the human form. And all people know that one of the very first drawings made by young children is a symbol for…

A symbolic dry landscape garden of Eastern origin holds a special fascination for the author's middle-school students, which is why the author chose to create a project exploring this view of nature. A dry landscape garden, or "karesansui," is an arrangement of rocks, worn by nature and surrounded by a "sea" of sand, raked into patterns…

This article presents a lesson that allows students to make bird ornaments using a metal tooling as it can be textured, cut, and colored. In this lesson, students choose a bird and sketch it on a piece of paper. Once the sketches are complete, students copy their pictures on a second piece of paper by taping the sketch over a sheet of blank paper…

This article describes a name design project. The project is one way to teach how repetition makes a composition look harmonious and pleasing without even saying the word, and introduce the concept of "style" that can later be expanded to appreciating different styles of artworks. The main part of the project consists of drawing the chosen design,…

Magic shows represent an authentic children's play turned into an art lesson. School art should accurately represent the unique qualities of children's art, incorporating children's experiences as young artists. An art lesson in school should not look and feel entirely different than art made outside of school. Unlike specialized adult art…