Combine art and poetry by compiling your very own journal of paintings, sketches and poems. This is a self-paced version of my Painting Poetry series, a course that I have offered on Outschool since 2017! 

During this course, a pre-recorded video will be posted weekly to discuss a poem, its writer and any pertinent background information. In the video, I will also demonstrate my painting and offer ideas, suggestions and various techniques, but your learner may choose to paint whatever they like to represent the poem of the week. They will be encouraged to copy the poem as well, which will result in their very own journal of poetry and art. 

After watching the video and completing their own paintings, students are asked to share it by posting a picture in the classroom. They will also be asked to reflect on the poem and answer 3 questions about the subject. The questions can be printed out and submitted as an attachment, or students can type out their answers and attach the photo of their painting to the comment. The questions are simple and reflective; there are no wrong answers, and the focus will be on how the poem made them feel, what they liked or disliked about it, and what their perspective is on the subject. They are also encouraged to find another poem by the same poet and recommend it for fellow students to read!

During this 5-week course, students will consider the following poems and poets: 

- [I wandered lonely as a cloud] (William Wordsworth) 
- maggie and milly and molly and may (e.e. cummings) 
- The Raven (Edgar Allen Poe - abridged)
- Dream Variations (Langston Hughes) 
- The Road Not Taken (Robert Frost)

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 self-paced version that will allow each student to progress alongside fellow classmates every week and to begin a portfolio of art!