Painted Poems: Create an Art Portfolio (Part 1)

Combine art and poetry by compiling your very own journal of paintings, sketches and poems. It is not necessary to take any prior art classes in my Painting Poetry series. You can continue adding to your journal by taking part 2 of this 4-week course, or by enrolling in any of my painting poetry classes (A.A. Milne, Edgar Allen Poe, Lewis Carroll, etc.)! 

During this course, we will meet weekly to discuss a poem, its writer and any pertinent background information. Students will be given the opportunity to share any thoughts or opinions on the poem, and may be called upon to share their ideas, either verbally or in the chat. We will then paint an image or scene; I will demonstrate my painting during class, but your learner may choose to paint something different! Our paintings will focus on being inspired by the poem, so it is possible that every student's painting will be unique. At the end of this course, your student will have a portfolio of beautiful paintings and well-known works of literature!

During this 4-week course, students will consider the following poems: 

- [I wandered lonely as a cloud] (William Wordsworth) 
- maggie and milly and molly and may (e.e. cummings) 
- Hope is the Thing with Feathers (Emily Dickinson)  
- Dream Variations (Langston Hughes) 
- Extra credit: Choose a poem or write your own and share by posting it in the classroom

Students can continue to add to their portfolio on their own, using these paintings and poems as inspiration to even attempt writing their own poems and taking their notebooks "in the field". 

This course is a great way to introduce young learners to poetry and fine arts. Students who have taken classes in my Painting Poetry series may be familiar with the process of reading a poem and painting a scene inspired by the poem. This course is a longer series that will allow each student to progress alongside fellow classmates every week and to complete a portfolio of art!