This fun weekly art class is perfect for a full art curriculum for homeschoolers or any young artist seeking art enrichment with a variety of art media! Over six weeks, learners will explore a variety of famous artists such as Frank Stella, Van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence and Rosa Bonheur and learn many new art techniques while creating their own drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures! 
 
      This course is "Level 3" in the series of art classes that I offer, but it is not necessary for a student to have already taken "Level 1 or 2" before participating in this course!  You may enroll in a different level before or after this class to complete a full semester or more of high quality art education. In this Level 3 class, students will complete a non-objective watercolor resist, a paper sculpture, and a realistic self-portrait drawing over the course of 6 weeks. 

    These projects introduce and reinforce art history, vocabulary and artistic skills that form a strong foundation of knowledge for young artists to progress in their creative development. I have designed these lessons in conjunction with my other classes to provide learners with a comprehensive art curriculum from ages 5-13 that is fun, process-oriented, and fosters personal expression and creativity!

     I focus on building skills, self-confidence, and personal artistic expression in all of my classes.  My teaching style is fun, easy going, patient and encouraging and all levels of artistic ability and experience are welcome and celebrated! 

Day 1: Non-Objective Mixed Media Art 1
In our first class, learners will be introduced to the concepts of realistic, abstract and non-objective art and learn about the work of Russian artist, Wassily Kandinsky.  We will begin the process of drawing non-objective artwork using shapes, lines, and colors. We will be working together step by step, but students are encouraged to use their personal creativity in designing their art!

Day 2: Non-Objective Mixed Media Art 2
We will review the concepts from the previous lesson and have a class discussion about the art of Kandinsky and realistic, abstract and non-objective art styles. Then we'll complete our non-objective artwork by adding patterns, textures and watercolor paint. Learners will be introduced to the art of Australian Aborigines and Frida Kahlo and will learn how to use the color wheel to identify primary, secondary and complementary colors. Students will be encouraged to experiment with creative and unique ideas and to share their work with the class if they choose to! 

Day 3: Pop Art French Fry Sculpture
In this class, we will be learning about the amazing sculptures of Pop Artist Claes Oldenburg! Students will view examples of Oldenburg's gigantic food sculptures, discuss what Pop Art really is, and learn the difference between 2-D and 3-D art. We will learn about the process and materials that Oldenburg uses to create his sculptures. We will also briefly explore the work of Andy Warhol and discuss how his work was influenced by events in history at that time.  We will then create our own French fry sculptures from paper. Students will learn step by step how to create all of the shapes needed to make these fun sculptures and how to add unique details to their art.  Students will be encouraged to use their imaginations while creating their art and will have the opportunity to share their artwork and their ideas with the class throughout our lesson!

Day 4:  Self-Portrait 1
We will begin with a brief class discussion about self-portraits and the art of Jacob Lawrence. We will work step by step together as a class to draw our head shape, eyes, nose and mouth, observing our own faces carefully and using teacher tips for how to draw our features realistically. 

Day 5: Self- Portrait 2
We will briefly review the art of Jacob Lawrence and discuss how to draw hair in different styles.  We will then begin adding color to our artwork with crayons and learn how to blend colors to make realistic skin tones and hair colors to capture each learner's unique and special appearance!

Day 6: Self-Portrait 3
We will discuss different ideas for adding a background to our portraits and look at the art of Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Paul Gauguin for inspiration. Students may choose to create a realistic or abstract background that conveys something about themselves.  If time allows, we will also look at the art of Rosa Bonheur and practice drawing an animal portrait.  Students will be encouraged to use their imaginations and to share their artwork and their ideas with the rest of the class! 

Please note: These classes are officially  45 minutes long but may be longer for learners who work very meticulously. I am always happy to stay longer with these learners as they complete their masterpieces!