it's called art projects for kids!
it's funny, because the project was inspired by another one of my favorite artsy fartsy website, deep space sparkle. :)
the title of today's painting is "lady liberty." it's a simple portrait using lines and shapes. there are not a lot of details, so this was easy for all three of my boys (ages 6-11) to create. we did not do self-portraits, as the lesson suggests. instead we based our drawings on the real statue of liberty.
here's what you'll need:
in true teacher fashion i made a power point presentation, but started by letting my kids tell me what they already knew. they knew a lot--most of what i had in my ppt. but this is not a bad thing, because little ben didn't know much, so the big boys got to teach him and use my photos to connect that knowledge to something visual. they were really into it (thank goodness!) i have not actually been to see the statue of liberty, but the internet is a wealth of knowledge and resources. a simple search, some cutting and pasting, and wa-la!
i led the art lesson direct-draw style. next they had to trace the pencil lines with sharpie. then i gave the boys some directions and tips for watercoloring. finally it was time for them to paint. my favorite part!
after our pictures dried we put them in dollar store picture frames. i didn't think about how the paper we used would be bigger than the 8x10 frame, so i had to trim them a bit first. poor lady liberty lost some of her shoulders and neck.
from left to right: taylor, zach, ben
we wrapped these up and gave them to my mom as an early birthday present. i thought they would make for a sweet decoration hanging on the fence at her 4th of july swim party.
if you have kids, this would make for a fun and educational activity at your 4th of july festivities.
have you seen the statue of liberty in person?
