Combed Paintings

This is the perfect outside art project

Cover the driveway with plastic and use rocks to hold down the paper.

Drag plastic combs through the tempera paint

These can be folded shut and rubbed to get a mirror effect.

Hang them on the fence with clothes pins to dry. 

Copying Makes Artists? YES!

I am a certified art teacher and did years of masters work in art as well as being a studio artist who has sold my work at galleries. At my Montessori school I teach children to draw. Teach it. Part of that teaching is to have children copy my childlike drawings. Yes, copy. We view and copy the shapes that make an image and once they are voiced in how to construct an image they go nuts for drawing on their own having the tools to really look and create. The process is similar to teaching phonics before they can decode any word. Here are some examples of copying to become an artist. None of these children have been in kindergarten yet.
My drawing lessons are often given at a dry erase board as children copy me step by step until the image is created. This is highly effective since we talk about placement, shapes and composition as we go.

A drawing table set up. Once they have confidence to draw they beg to copy from books or draw any image they see.

From book to paper.

Drawing table outcome. Not in kindergarten yet!

Another good example of how children become artists by copying.

Handmade Reading Cards with Paper

Handmade reading cards with labels and useful paper.

Pictures and words cut from a workbook.

I got an X-ray at school today!

Our show and tell letter "X" became a lesson on bones.

On black paper trace the child's arm and hand with a white crayon.

Use Q-tips on Elmer's glue for the bones. 

The parents loved it!

Also, great writing for kids not yet in kindergarten!

My 100th Post!!

Cute Becomes Lesson

How to make cute objects into a lesson. 

I have many cigar box works that hold small objects that go to 

doll houses that one can buy cheaply at a toy store.

I have boxes for a kitchen set, dining furniture, bedroom set, 

ice cream parlor set, etc. 

I turn them into a reading work by adding labels which the students can write as a list or turn it into a drawing lesson by adding my simply drawn master for the kids to copy.

These works are so popular that I bring them out only for the reading children so that they do not cause an uproar with all the children who want to play with the interesting things.

These objects really give reading, writing and drawing a fun and special twist. 

King Tut Unit

Letter "O" Show and Tell Activities

On floor boards the group has a drawing lesson with me on the dry erase board in front. These group lessons really teach children how to follow directions, look at shapes and draw. 

Show and Tell "O" objects are on the rug.

 An advanced writing table work for kids not yet in kindergarten  but who have been with me for years and can write and read.

The writing table had a web page to copy. 

Kids love this type of work.

The younger kids do an "O" collage.

Dr. Seuss Activities

I copy a favorite page for the children to look at as they draw.

Pre-k children copy the master of the Wet Pet.

I teach the group how to draw this very slowly on a dry erase board.