Second Facebook Page Highlights Free Form Beauties

https://www.facebook.com/FreeFormArtforKids/ 

Here I highlight Dundee Montessori's Free Form Design curriculum that I often post on this blog.

Look below under Reggio and find them here also. 

They are stunning designs made by children. 

Doily Prints

Estate sale doilies. 

No one wants them. No one buys them. 
I look at them and see potential and fun ahead!
Twenty-five cents each is also a good reason to find a use for these handmade items from times gone by.

Paint them up, flip them over and press them on paper. 
Simple and so pretty!

We thought that the print would transfer easily by rolling with a brayer. We found the children were not strong enough to do that well.

We found the best way to transfer the print was to place newspaper on top and rub hard.

This would make Grandma proud!  Lovely prints bring new life to the old, unloved doily! And we do appreciate the handmade labor of love from women of the past who made these lovely doilies that once brightened their home. 

Fireworks Painting

Pipe cleaner stamps and whips make beautiful 4th of July art work!

This idea was found on Pinterest. 

Paper Towel Apple Trees

So easy!  Twist brown paper towels into a tree. Glue old puzzle pieces for leaves and wood craft tiles for a fence!

Paint in apples and green up the leaves.

Even our youngest kids loved doing this!

Head in Search of a New Body

My simple master for the kids to follow.

Mother's Day Bonanza

Each Mother's Day our students give a clay project as a surprise from our clay program. This year we added a Mother's Day Art Portfolio with art projects from the last few months and examples of writing or other paper work the student has done. The combination makes for an awesome presentation for Mom to open!

A pinched coil is simply wrapped into a spiral.

Press mold leaves 

In the kiln

Flower hands are stapled to the front of a file folder that holds all their papers.

Lucky Mom to view this variety of awesomeness done by their child and to get a keepsake clay rose to have forever!

Copying Drawing Masters

I have three teaching degrees, one being a BFA in Art Education. As a child I loved nothing more than doing coloring books with crayons. It did not stifle my creativity, but instead make me think about color, line and design. I studied how the pictures were drawn and often tried to copy them. So, now with decades of teaching art to my students I never hesitate making masters for them to follow and copy. It allows very young minds to analyze shape, form, structure, space and color. My students are able to reproduce my master at a much higher level of artistic expertise than if they were simply asked to draw a tree with birds in it without a finished work to view first. These children are not yet in kindergarten, yet with the help of a master which I draw at a child's ability level, they are able to create startling finished work.

These drawings were added to their Mother's Day Art Portfolio.

Imagine their mom's delight at these guided drawings!

 

Snowflakes and Butterflies

This mountain landscape is laid out on a very large vinyl floor mat. We are looking straight down to the floor. I cut mountains, a lake, and a moon from construction paper. 

The plastic trees and butterflies were found at an estate sale. 

From Target came the plastic snowflakes and fall leaves. 

Cotton balls, stones and natural objects finish this complex winter scene.

This is creative fun for any age person.

Objects are placed in separate containers when finished and sorted by likeness.

What a vision to see butterflies in the snow!

My Hands Become Whales!

My master at the top clearly shows how my hand tracing becomes happy whales.

I trace the children's hands with a marker and they become busy creating their own ocean scene.