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Children Paint the Masters

This Children Paint the Masters blog was started over 10 years ago to showcase my students art. These collaborative art projects helped raise nearly $100,000 for school-wide programs. I have since built the site to include teaching videos, art lesson plans, individual student artwork, and more.

My Teaching Strategy: Creative project based learning with a focus on art history along with the introduction to different art materials, have been essential components in the development of my teaching strategy. I believe that Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivation is essential in engaging all students in any subject, but it is particularly effective in Visual Art class. I’m constantly educating myself and want to inspire the same spirit of self discovery, creative problem solving, and interest in my students. I am a working artist. I’m always exploring my interests, learning about new creative ways of expression, and discovering emerging artists and their work. All of this I bring to the classroom.

A great teacher should connect and coach children to be expressive, open to artistic challenges, and to be able to cope with failure and to try again. She should inspire interest in trying new materials and techniques, collaboration and respect. To that end I’ve created many curricula in line with multiple grade levels using VAPA California State Standards. https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/vapacontentstds.asp

Peace In Action- Action Art For Peace

Make It Happen!, We Be Arting!

My favorite student project of 2023 was the 800-student collaborative Action Art painting we created for Peace One Day. The school’s art room was transformed into an art factory where students stood and worked in small groups over a large canvas that was laying on the floor. Each group was given a minute to action paint and then the next group would come forward to work. This took place, non-stop for over 3 hours. Our 6th Grade leaders assisted with the process, crowd control, and even gave the instructions to each group. The resulting work is layers thick with latex paint and includes 9 images of famous activists MLK Jr, Harvey Milk, Mahatma Gandhi, Malala Youfsafzai, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Rigoberta Menchu, Wangari Mathaaland Nelson Mandela. What I loved about this project other then it’s scale and the fact that each and every student participated, was the joy of seeing the students using their entire being and bodies to actively do something in the name of Peace. The world is not at peace and it is frustrating to watch. There is a sense of helplessness and inability to do anything about it, but through the creation of this art work we were all in the moment doing what we could to bring Peace and Beauty to this world.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” MLK Jr.

2nd- 6th Student Showcase at the San Diego County Fair!

Art Teachering Experience, Make It Happen!, We Be Arting!

The 2021-2022 school year was incredibly challenging. The measures and policies put in place in order to protect the public during the Covid 19 Pandemic have very much affected the growth mindset, behavior, and social emotional development of Elementary school aged children. Furthermore, protocols put in place by the schools and in the classrooms, have significantly hindered the learning and teaching experience for both students and teachers. This is not a criticism of policy or policy makers, merely a testament to the Action- Consequence Consideration Matrix. However, though this year has been daunting; a year of assessment, adjustment and catch- up, I am very proud of my students (all 800 of them!). I am currently building a Visual Art program at a duel language TK-6 Elementary school, and despite all the hurdles and hardships this year, my students created some amazing art! I was able to enter 49 works of art into the San Diego County Fair – 48 individual works and one collaborative piece created by the entire 6th grade class, all 91 of them! Each student received the honor of having their work on display, but also a ticket to the fair. I look forward to continuing to build this program and seeing my students grow as artists and as humans! Enjoy!

Bilateral Symmetry Bugs 2nd Grade

FISH! 3rd Grade

Crazy Cacti- 3rd Grade

Pet Portraits – 4th Grade

Tribute to Wayne Thiebaud- CAKES! 4th and 5th Grade

Watercolor Desert Landscapes – 5th Grade

I Am… We Are– 6th Grade Collaborative Art

Summer 2020 Covid 19 Isolation Arting Pod

Art Club, We Be Arting!

Last summer I worked with 3 students during the Covid 19 Insolation. My Pod consisted of 3 girls aged 7, 11, and 14. Though, I usually teach in a classroom and to a group of students of a similar age and skill level, this pod consisted of students with significant developmental differences. However, even though I taught the same lesson, I adjusted the criteria for the projects according to each student’s skill set and understanding. All three girls produced amazing art and a substaintial body of work. Here are just a few highlights from our creative time together.

Textile Art

Children Paint the Masters, Children Paint! Textile Art

SDFAS 2016 7th Grade students worked in teams to recreate Henri Matisse’s, Woman in a Purple Coat, in fabric. The image of the original painting was projected onto paper— then traced and segmented, to form a working pattern from which the students could work. Together they cut, fused and assembled each section. On the reverse side, their personal, yet creative effort can be seen in the embroidery of their names and images of their choosing.

SDFAS 2017 7th Grade students worked in teams to recreate Henri Matisse’s, Goldfish in a Bowl, in fabric. The image of the original painting was projected onto paper— then traced and segmented, to form a working pattern from which the students could work. Together in small groups, they cut, fused and assembled each section. On the reverse side, their names have been embroidered on the French flag complete with SDFAS Logo (dry clean only). Fabric 45” x 54”  textile art

SDFAS 2018 7th Grade students worked in teams to recreate Henri Matisse’s, La Musique, in fabric. The image of the original painting was projected onto paper— then traced and segmented, to form a working pattern from which the students could work. Together, but in small groups, they cut, fused and assembled each section. On the reverse side, their names have been embroidered on a Matisse inspired leaf. (dry clean only). Fabric 45” x 54”  Textile art

Chiaroscuro Style!

Art Classic, Art Teachering Experience, Children Paint!, Paint What You SEE!

When I was student teaching for my California Teacher Credential requirement, I worked with 7th and 8th students. One of my favorite projects was teaching the students about the art technique called chiaroscuro. This refers to the use of light and dark to create the illusion of three- dimensional volume on a flat surface. “Chiaroscuro is an Italian term which translates as light-dark, and refers to the balance and pattern of light and shade in a painting or drawing. Chiaroscuro is generally only remarked upon when it is a particularly prominent feature of the work, usually when the artist is using extreme contrasts of light and shade.”

Ideally, I would have 3 dimensional heads from which the students could work, but instead they have a choice of photographs of ancient Greek and Roman heads that I have photo copied. They select a working image, chose a color of paper, they are given vine charcoal, and some white tempera paint – Then they get to art-ing! I’ve created a demo video if you care to learn more about this lesson. The following is the amazing art work of my student teaching kids. I was so proud of their efforts that I created a display in the school library!!!