“4 hearts” by Annie Rogers

Skill Level: 2-5

Time Frame: 30 min-1 hr

Goals

• To recognize and emulate the work of artist Jim Dine.
• To take the universal symbol of love and make it unique, personal, and original.

Materials

• Black Cardstock, either 10×10, or 9X12 depending on what size you want to use
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Blue Painter’s Tape
• Oil Pastels

Steps

1. Using a ruler and pencil, divide your paper into squares. The smaller square paper will divide into 4, 5” squares. The larger paper will divide into 12, 3” squares.
2. Use the tape to divide off one (or more, if possible) squares.
3. Use oil pastels to draw one heart in each square. Color the background as well, up an over the tape.
4. Reposition the tape (if necessary) and draw other hearts in other squares. Keep repositioning until you’ve colored all your squares.

“Heart Grid” by Annie Rogers

©2012 Arts For Life

“A” by Annie Rogers

Skill Level: 3-5

Time Frame: 1 hour

Goals

• To use simple materials to create a unique, dynamic, sculptural work of art.
• To learn how to write bubble letters.
• To use acrylic painting techniques to create an original background.

Materials

• Bamboo Skewers, tips cut off
• Cardboard Sheets 9X12
• Pencil
• Awl
• Gesso
• Paintbrushes
• Cups for water
• Hairdryer (if desired)
• Acrylic Paints
• Hot Glue Gun
• Gold or Silver Elasitc cord, or embroidery thread, any color

Preparation

1. Using a ruler, make tick marks on each skewer at each ¼”, ½”, ¾”, and 1”.
2. With teacher scissors, cut the skewers at 1”, then score the pieces on each of the other tick marks.

Steps

1. Begin by drawing your desired letter, bubble-style (I usually suggest the first letter of your name) directly onto the cardboard sheet. Make sure to draw the letter as big as possible, so that it fills up most of the sheet.
2. With a pencil, make a dot at every corner of your letter, then along each line about every 1-2 inches, depending on how much curve your letter has. Use an awl to punch a hole where each of your dots are.
3. Using a large paintbrush, spread gesso all over the front side of the cardboard sheet. Don’t worry about covering over your letter lines—your holes will serve as your guide from now on. You may need to keep wiggling the awl through your holes to make sure they are not being filled with paint. Allow the gesso to dry. (Speed with a hairdryer, if desired)
4. Decide how you would like to design the background for your letter. Use acrylic paint to decorate your cardboard sheet. Again, you may need to wiggle the awl in your holes to keep paint from settling. Allow paint to dry.
5. Stick each of the 1” lengths of skewer into the holes you punched. Once they’ve all been placed, turn your cardboard over and squeeze a dot of hot glue on each one. Allow to dry.
6. Tie one end of your cord onto one of the skewer pegs, at the ¼” groove. Wrap the cord around each of the skewer pegs, tracing the outline of your original letter. Tie off at the last peg. If you are making a letter with hole in the middle (like a P, D, A, etc,) complete the outside of the letter, then the inside.
7. Repeat step 7 at the ½” and the ¾” grooves on your pegs.
8. If desired, squeeze a small dot of hot glue on each of the skewers (or every other one) to hold your cords in place.

Tweak It!

• Do the same with each of letters of your name, then hang together.

©2012 Arts For Life

“Annie” by Annie Rogers

Skill Level: 2-5

Time Frame: 30-45 min

Goals

• To recognize and emulate the painting style of Paul Klee.
• To talk about color schemes and to pick a scheme for your drawing.

Materials

• White Cardstock 9X12
• Ruler
• Pencil with Eraser
• Black Sharpie
• Markers (I used Prismacolor), Oil Pastels, or watercolor paint

Steps

1. Orienting your paper landscape-style, use a ruler to divide it into three 4-inch sections from top to bottom (you will draw two lines.)
2. Beginning in the top left corner, write the first letter of your name. Be sure that the top of the letter touches the top of your paper, and that the bottom of the letter touches the first pencil line.
3. Continue writing the rest of your letters, making sure that each one touches the top of the paper on top, and the pencil line on the bottom.
4. When you have written all the letters of your name, leave a space and write it again, using the same rules. When you reach the right side of your paper, continue writing on the next line with no breaks. Keep doing this until you reach the bottom right hand corner of your paper. (You may not fit your entire name on that last line)
5. Use a black sharpie to trace over all your name lines. DO NOT copy over your guidelines (the first lines you drew.) Use and eraser to erase your guidelines.
6. Choose a color scheme for your drawing. You may choose to use primary colors, secondary colors, complementary colors, warm colors, cool colors, or monochromatic colors (various shades of one color.) Choose four colored markers to go along with that color scheme.
7. You will find that your paper is divided into several different sections by your sharpie lines. Using your four markers, color in each section a different color. Try not to color the same color in two sections that are right beside each other. Continue until your entire paper is colored completely.

Tweak It!

• Use the same steps as above, but instead of using cardstock, use black matte board, and soap to draw your letters. Fill in the spaces with oil pastels, then rinse off the soap.

©2012 Arts For Life

All photos and examples by Sarah Alexander

Skill Level: 2 and up

Time Frame: 30 minutes

Goals

• To learn basic measuring skills when using a ruler.
• To use fine motor skills when folding paper and cutting out small shapes.

Materials

· Patterned paper, origami paper, selection or colored cardstock, and/or white paper that has been decorated with patterns already

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Bone folder
• Scissors
• Glue stick

Directions:

• Choose a piece of patterned paper or decorate a piece of paper yourself to use! I used the 3D “worm technique” papers that I have from showing kids how to get that started.
• Place your paper patterns side down and using your ruler, create a 2.5” square on the corner. Make another 2.5” square to the right and one to the left – so you have an L shaped group of squares.
• On the outer squares – line up your ruler from the bottom left corner to the top right corner and make a line to create 2 triangles. Cross out the outermost triangles. (see photo)

• Cut out the shape that consists of the solid square and the two innermost triangles. Line up your ruler on the pencil lines separating the square from the triangles and make a crease with your bone folder.
• Next, cut out a square of patterned paper just slightly smaller than 2.5” squared. Place that in the square and glue in place.

• Fold the triangles down so one overlaps the other. Glue the top triangle down to the bottom triangle.
• Add eyes, ears, teeth, hair, etc, with cut out cardstock to create your creature.
• Use your creature as a page marker in your favorite book!

©2012 Arts For Life

Example by Sarah Alexander

Skill Level: 2 and up

Time Frame: 30 minutes

Goals

• To learn basic measuring skills when using a ruler.
• To use fine motor skills when folding paper and cutting out small shapes.
• To explore drawing animals on a 2D surface and then turning them in to a 3D object.

Materials

• White cardstock 9”x 11” or 8”x10” sheet pre-cut to 9”x5 ½” or 8”x5” (in half)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Black Sharpie and other markers
• Scissors
• Scotch tape

Directions:

1. Think about creating a collection of animals, or any creatures for that matter, that you could keep in a zoo. What unique animals would you keep in your zoo?
2. Take the pre-cut piece of cardstock paper and lay it down horizontally. Use a ruler to find the middle of the paper and put a small dot near the bottom of the paper. Then, measure out 1 ½” on each side from the dot – making a 3” space. Measure up from the bottom to find the middle – make a dot. You will draw your animals’ legs or bottom half in the middle 3” at the bottom of the page. Then, the face of the animal will fit in the top half – parts of the head or body can expand up to an inch farther on each side of the top half of the paper – like ears, a mane, silly monkey arms, etc. (see the example)
3. Using images of other animals as a guide or your imagination, draw your creature, face on, with a pencil or black marker using the guide above.
4. Color your animal in with markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc.
5. Using your ruler and pencil, make a straight line that extends from the outside edge of the animals face out to the edges of the paper. You will cut away all of the outside white area in the top half.
6. Roll your bottom strip around to the back and tape together so all you see in the front is the colored 3 inches of legs.

Tweak It!

• Make several animals that live in the zoo together.
• Change up the sizes – make some smaller and some larger.
• Make a zoo keeper!

©2012 Arts For Life