Art Class Curator

Hands-on and Minds-curious Art Learning

Connect with Art to Discover Yourself ❤️

The Art & Self Connection Circle is a powerful experience of self-discovery and connection through engaging with powerful and inspiring works of art. In this 12-week self-study version of the program, you will be led through a series of introspective weekly activities that will allow you to get in touch with your most authentic self, uncover your values and priorities, and live into your vision. Learn More & Register
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Introducing The Art Class Curator Podcast

Welcome to Art Class Curator! This podcast is something that’s been in the back of my mind for years and I’m excited that it’s finally happening. Each episode will dive deep into different aspects of teaching art – from passionate art teachers sharing their work to mini-trainings on art appreciation strategies that you can use in your classroom, to conversations about the highs and lows that come with being a teacher.

art podcast

Show Highlights:

  • We’re launching– the Art Class Curator podcast is happening!
  • What the Art Class Curator podcast will be about
  • Hear highlights of a few upcoming interviews
  • The one telling question I ask guests at the end of every episode
  • A personal story of how host Cindy Ingram came into studying and loving art

Which artwork changed your life?

Listen to the episode to find out how this artwork changed my life.

Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932
Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932

Join us each week for a new episode!

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Close Encounters with Art – Art Observation Activities

Inside: Creative and engaging art observation activities that will help students connect with and remember works of art long after class ends.

How can we help our students truly see a work of art? Not just glance at it to make a judgment about whether or not they like it but really experience and connect with it?

Close Encounters with Art-Art Observation Activities 700x1000

Looking at Art

Students that spend an extended amount of time on art observation are more likely to take meaning from it and remember it. This close observation activity is at the core of the Charlotte Mason Picture Study technique and will encourage your students to study and analyze an artwork in a way that will stick with them long after the bell rings.

To start, give students at least five minutes of uninterrupted quiet time to look at an artwork and memorize every detail they can. If they get restless or say they’ve seen all there is to see, direct them back to the art observation and remind them that there is always more to find and commit to memory: colors, shapes, figures, composition, expression, and more.

Close Encounters with Art - Art Observation Activities
Guernica (1937) by Pablo Picasso is an excellent artwork for this close observation activity because of the many details.

Viewing the art this way allows each student to personally connect with the artwork. When you open with a class discussion, their attention is drawn to specific details as they are pointed out by other students but those features are less likely to stay with them since they didn’t recognize them on their own.

When time is up, remove the artwork from view. Now, there are a few options for testing their observation skills.

Here’s a Facebook Live video I did about this activity, and see a summary below.

Ultimate Art Appreciation Teaching Bundle

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Art Observation Activities

Solo Writing: Each student writes everything they remember

Solo Drawing: Each student draws what they remember

Team Competition: Groups of students draw the artwork and compete for the most accurate imitation

Class Discussion: An open dialogue where students work together to remember the artwork. See this post on Charlotte Mason Picture Study for a video of this discussion technique in action.

Whiteboard Drawing: Students describe the artwork and you draw what they remember (Even if they’re wrong!)

Abstract Construction: Choose an abstract artwork with well-defined shapes and colors. During the looking period, pass out scissors and construction paper in the colors of the artwork and students cut the shapes of the artwork from the paper. When you take the artwork away, have them arrange their cut shapes into the composition from memory.

Close Encounters with Art - Art Observation Activities

Whenever their memory is exhausted, compare their work to the original artwork so they can see what they got wrong and what they got right. Students are filled with a unique sense of delight and accomplishment after these memorization activities. The discussions that follow are rich with ideas and interpretations.

These activities are fun! Fun lessons are remembered lessons, and the artworks you explore this way will be carried by your students throughout their life. The more time they spend on art observation, the more enriching the experience will be and the more they’ll enjoy it.

art class guernica
Comparing Guernica with one of my class’s whiteboard drawing replicas.

If you’re interested in teaching Guernica, be sure to check out my lesson and reactions to Guernica in this post which includes a free symbolism worksheet!

The Art Appreciation Printable Worksheet Bundle also has several worksheets for this activity–one for writing and one for drawing.

Art Appreciation Worksheet Bundle

This art worksheets bundle from the Art Class Curator includes 25 ready-to-use art worksheets for use with individual works of art. The worksheets for art in this document are designed to work with lots of different types of artworks, so you can just pick an artwork, print a worksheet, and start the activity. Each has instructions at the top and plenty of space to do the activity.

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How to Teach Abstract Art

Inside: Use this abstract art lesson to teach abstract art to your middle school and high school students. Students draw a bull four ways and look at art by the Bull Series’ by Pablo Picasso and Roy Lichtenstein to learn the process from realistic to abstract art.

How to Teach Abstract Art Lesson - PIN

My kids could do that! How many times have you heard that phrase uttered about some truly complex abstract art?

How do you get across to your students the true nature of what abstract art is and where it starts in a way that makes sense to them? Use this abstract art lesson to teach this difficult concept.

How to Teach Abstract Art, Concept of Abstraction, Roy Lichtenstein, Bull VI, 1973
Roy Lichtenstein, Bull VI, 1973

Take a look at this artwork by Roy Lichtenstein. It is non-objective art, which means it doesn’t show an image that most people would recognize. The composition is made up of lines, shapes, and colors arranged into a pleasing composition. Then it gets a little confusing because non-objective art is abstract, but not all abstract art is non-objective.

What would you think if you found out that this print was originally representing a bull?

Do you see it? No, not really.

Now take a look at all of them together. You can see that in each print Lichtenstein simplified the image before it until the bull was no longer recognizable.

How to Teach Abstract Art, Concept of Abstraction, Roy Lichtenstein, Bull Series, 1973 Abstract Art Project
Roy Lichtenstein, Bull Series, 1973

Artlex.com (may it rest in peace ?) defined abstract art as “Imagery which departs from representational accuracy to a variable range of possible degrees, for some reason other than [appearing to be true or real].” Abstract art can have identifiable things in it and still be abstract.

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Abstract Art Lesson

To help illustrate the concept to students, I take inspiration from Lichtenstein’s Bull Series as well as Picasso’s (see the bottom of post). Before ever showing the art to the students, I have them do the following activity.

First, the students draw three or four big rectangles to fill a 9×12 piece of paper (or in their sketchbooks). For my 7th and 8th graders, I have them draw four, and the 6th graders draw only three.

Abstract Art Lessons

In the top rectangle, I ask the students to draw a realistic bull as best as they can. I show them some of the contour lines in the bull, point out how to put some shading in there, and encourage them to draw as many details as they can.

Then, in the bottom rectangle, the students draw a stick figure of a bull–as simple as they can get it.

Abstract Art for Kids

In the middle rectangle(s), I then instruct the students to think of their paper as a journey to the simplified bull. How do you get from a realistic bull to a simple one? Fill in the center rectangles with the steps between. Usually in the second from the bottom box, the bull is basic shapes, and in the second rectangle, it has the correct bull shape but with fewer details.

Pablo Picasso’s Bull Plates for Teaching Abstract Art

After the activity, I then describe to students that we were doing the process of abstraction, define the word, and then show Picasso’s Bull Series in secession from the most realistic bull to the least realistic bull.

[slideshow_deploy id=’14154′]

Here is a link to the Picasso Bull series slideshow so you can view it full-screen in your classroom.

(Yes, they are going to giggle at these a little bit, but just shut it down with some “You are more mature than this” teacher guilt, and you will be fine.)

After looking at Picasso’s bulls, I show Lichtenstein’s series, starting with the most abstract first.

To supplement this abstract art lesson, you may consider having students read this article from Art is Fun. She describes abstract art in an understandable way that would help students make deeper connections with abstract art.

Have your students try out this abstract art lesson and ask them again if their 2-year-old sister could do this. My guess is no. ?

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Art, Horror, and The Sublime: Pablo Picasso’s Guernica

Inside: This Guernica lesson includes a free worksheet for exploring the symbolism in one of Picasso’s most famous artworks. 

On September 11, 2001, the world was glued to their television sets. We witnessed the repeated footage of planes slamming into the two towers and the crashing of the buildings to the ground killing thousands, footage of people jumping from great heights, and terrible views of anguished people covered in dust and ash.

More recently, the city of Aleppo in Syria was underside and videos emerged from citizens and reporters from the ground. I saw a teenage boy holding a dead baby while a women covered in ash wailed and spoke.

On a smaller scale, citizens across the country slow down their cars so as to get a better glimpse at horrific car accidents. Some morbid curiosity in us causes us to want to see these horrors and to not look away.

That’s how I felt recently when finally getting to see in person one of my favorite artworks.

Crying in Front of Art

My friends, family, and students all know that I have been desperate to see Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. It’s been number one on my art bucket list, and I have been plotting for years how to get myself to Spain just to see it. I finally got the chance last week when the amazing travel app Hopper (you need this app seriously, this is not sponsored. You just need the app.) put us at a 24-hour layover in Madrid on the way to Rome.

I said in my bucket list post that I would probably cry like a baby when I got to see this artwork for the first time, but I could never have predicted how I actually reacted to it. I’m going to try to explain my experience here for you as well as share below how I teach about this artwork in my classroom.

I’ve cried in front of artworks before. The Sistine Chapel ceiling and Raphael’s School of Athens wowed me to tears with their history and gravitas, Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene moved me with her stripped, raw expression, and Picasso’s Girl Before a Mirror punched me in the stomach and made me rethink the whole trajectory of my career.

Photo Credit: Sailko

Each artwork gave me tears for different reasons, and I expected Guernica to move me to tears simply because I was seeing something I loved dearly.

Instead I cried for the horrors of the world.

Pablo Picasso’s Guernica

The painting depicts the senseless bombing of the town of Guernica by Hitler in the Spanish Civil War. Pablo Picasso mainly painted things from his life–woman, children, still-life painting, etc. He rarely made political statements or painted stories. When the bombing of Guernica happened, Picasso was forced to take action (check out this amazing zen pencils comic about it here) and used his art to make a statement.

The pain in the painting is palpable in reproductions, but in person, you can’t escape it. It’s huge–11 ft 5 in (3.49 meters) tall and 25 ft 6 in (7.76 meters) wide. When I saw it, I was enveloped in the details of the painting and the pain it represents.

The more I looked, the more I saw the real events unfold in my head. I couldn’t separate the painting from the destruction and loss of life from the bombing. I saw the ash-covered woman from Allepo. I saw the World Trade Centers fall. And I ached for our pain-filled world.

What made the whole experience even worse was looking at the exhibition of Picasso’s sketches and plans for the painting.

The horror in this drawing alone won’t leave my head and will haunt me for years to come.

In the museum, there was a series of photographs that showed the progression of the painting. It was fascinating to me to see how Picasso added and subtracted imagery. Early in the progression, there seemed to be larger and more obvious symbols of hope. The man who in the final painting is sliced in half was made whole with his arm and fist shooting up in protest. These signs of strength and hope were dismantled and fractured to where they ended up almost gone.

What also struck me about the painting is how connected to the artist I felt. Picasso’s paintings to me usually are so perfect and precise. Even though they depict fractured faces and distorted figures, the colors are bold and solid and the lines clean. This painting lived and breathed in its imperfection. You could see the underpainting of previous drafts show through, and the paint drips and spatters added to the emotion of the piece.

I left the museum unable to look at any other art, because I felt vulnerable and full and like I had witnessed a terrible event. As predicted, I did cry in front of the painting, but the cry was an unexpected and stifled sob rather than the “moved to tears” happy cry that I expected.

The experience reminded me of Kant’s idea of The Sublime (which I’ve written about in the past). The sublime can be described as “a greatness beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement, or imitation.” That’s what this artwork was for me. It was sublime in its effectiveness and its subject matter. It’s a terrible and wonderful painting and a paradox of an experience that is hard to describe but one that I will hold with me forever in wonder.

Teaching Guernica

Last semester, my 7th graders and I spent a couple days unpacking this painting. Here are some learning activities you could use to introduce this artwork.

  • Memorization Drawing — I displayed Guernica on the screen and invited my students to study it for many minutes. I told them to memorize every aspect of it. I then traced the outline of the painting on the whiteboard (the whiteboard doubles as my projector space) and then turned off the projector. I asked students to tell me what they remembered about the painting as I drew in what they described. You could also have them work in groups to recreate the painting or have them write what they remember.
  • Drawing — Study Picasso’s sketches, and then have students practice drawings that communicate different emotions.

Download this free worksheet to prepare your students for the painting and its symbols. Picasso said that any symbols did not come from him, but it’s undeniable that symbolism exists in the painting. Have students consider what each element of the painting represents before leading any discussions or activities in this artwork.

Free Worksheet!

Symbolism in Guernica Worksheet

Use this free worksheet to help your students reflect on ‘Guernica’ and its symbols.

Download

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My Art Bucket List

I’ve had the great fortune of seeing a lot of incredibly amazing art in person with my high school/college travels to Europe and my recent travels to NYC, but there are still many artworks that I long to see. Here are the artworks that I haven’t met in person yet but absolutely need to before I die.

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Credit - Steve Evans

Pablo Picasso’s Guernica

Pablo Picasso, Guernica, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937

In my mind, the most important and remarkable artwork ever made. Picasso is a genius, and I know that when I finally see this in person, I will cry like a baby and not be able to leave the museum.

Update! I got to see this artwork! It was devastatingly amazing. Click here to read more about my experience with Guernica. 

Portrait Statue of Shunjobo Chogen, early 13th century, Todaiji, Nara, Japan

Portrait Statue of Shunjobo Chogen, early 13th century, Todaiji, Nara, Japan
Portrait Statue of Shunjobo Chogen, early 13th century, Todaiji, Nara, Japan

This artwork took my breath away when I first saw it in Gardner’s Art through the Ages. It is haunting and simple, and I need to see it. The good news is that I may be going to Japan this year (squeee!) to visit my sister, so it may be a possibility! For some reason, it reminds me of Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene which nearly made me fall to my feet when I saw it in Florence. Read more about this art in my Art Around the World series.

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

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Maori Meetinghouse and Haka

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Around the World - New Zealand - Maori Carving, Whakairo, Haka

I need to see a live haka performance. I love watching them on YouTube, and I need to experience that energy in person. I just saw this incredible video on Facebook today, and it inspired me to write this post. Read more about this art in my Art Around the World series.

Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

One of the Gopuram of Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai
Photo Credit: Nataraja

This temple contains approximately 33,000 sculptures. It’s mind-boggling to imagine it, and I need to see it for myself. Read more about this temple in my Art Around the World series.

Hagia Sophia

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Hagia Sophia - Credit - Arild Vagen
Hagia Sophia, Photo Credit: Arild Vagen

One of my favorite places I have ever visited was the city of Ravenna in Italy which was once the capital of Byzantium. The Byzantine basilicas were out of this world. Hagia Sophia has such an amazing history from being a Christian church to a Muslim mosque. I’d love to see how all of that history can be seen in this one building.

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Hagia Sophia - Credit - Steve Evans
Photo Credit: Steve Evans

Goya’s Third of May

776px-El_Tres_de_Mayo,_by_Francisco_de_Goya,_from_Prado_thin_black_margin
Francisco Goya, Third of May 1808, 1814

I love this painting. I want to stare at it for an hour.

Great Temple of Amun at Karnak

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Aman Karnak

The 134 columns in the Hypostyle Hall in this temple complex are 66 feet high and 12 feet in diameter. I can’t even imagine. Want a great lesson on Ancient Egypt? I’ve got one in The Curated Connections Library!

Lascaux Cave

The Art Curator for Kids - My Art Bucket List - Lascaux - Credit - Jack Versloot
Lascaux Cave Painting Reproductions, Photo Credit: Jack Versloot

I want to stand in the place where artists painted on the wall 17,300 years ago and feel the way the air feels. Check out my video on Paleolithic art for more information.

Henry Fuseli’s The Nightmare

Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781, Detroit Institute of Arts

This so creepy cool. It’s in Detroit, and I get to see it in March this year!

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5 Artworks to Promote Introspection

The Art Curator for Kids - 5 Artworks to Promote Introspection - Journal Art

Welcome back to my Art Round-Up series where I curate groups of paintings around themes for use in your home or classroom. Each post, I will pick 5 artworks that you could start discussing today with your kids. Today’s topic is artwork to promote introspection. These are great artworks to sit down with and use as inspiration to write in your journal.

Also, check out this post on how to look at art with kids for tips on discussion artworks.

Note about the images in this series: Because of copyright law, I cannot include pictures of all the works discussed. Instead, I have included low-quality thumbnails for reference and commentary. For full versions of those works protected under the law, please click the link or picture to find the image.

Recommended Age: All ages can do this in some form.

1. Shen Zhou, Poet on a Mountaintop, c. 1500

curated homeschool art Poet on a Mountaintop by Shen Zhou. c. 1500
Shen Zhou, Poet on a Mountaintop, c. 1500

This is a Chinese brush painting from the Ming dynasty. Artists in this style used only black ink and water as a way to focus on artistic expression in other ways. They used a variety of different types of expressive brushstrokes in a range of values (lights and darks) from white to black. You’ll notice the people are very small in comparison with the surroundings which connects with their Buddhist beliefs that humans are a small part of nature. They created exaggerated landscapes to reinforce this idea.

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

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Journal Prompts: Imagine you are in this place. What do you see, smell, and hear? What would it feel like to be in this place? How would it feel to step out of your day-to-day life and away from the conveniences and technology you use? How might you feel differently about the world after experiencing this place?

2. Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932

Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932 (click to see image larger)
Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932 (click to see image larger)

This is my probably favorite painting, although that is a hard choice (I love all my babies the same). This certainly is the artwork that has had the biggest impact on me. It made me weep for some reason and change the whole course of my life at that moment in time. Picasso believed his paintings should speak for themselves. I will tell you my own personal interpretation of this painting, but you are free to make your own. To me, this is a regular girl on the outside, nondescript.  She looks into the mirror and sees her inner self reflected in turmoil and pain.  It’s twisted and dark with hot orange tears.  The girl in the mirror is shy, but she has a story to tell.  She wants out, but is feeling pulled into herself.  The girl before the mirror is reaching towards the mirror to connect with and soothe the girl on the inside.  She wants to free the girl in the mirror and make her heard.

Journal Prompts: What does this girl see when she looks in the mirror? Is she hiding something from the outside world? If so, what is she hiding? What emotions do you experience in this artwork (either by you or the girl in the painting)? How do you personally relate to/connect with this picture? What do you see when you look in the mirror? How are you different when alone than when you are with others? What does this painting say about the world in which we live?


Check out these Girl Before a Mirror products. Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

3. Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf), c. 28,000 B.C.E – 25,000 B.C.E.

curated homeschool art Willendorf-Venus-1468 photo credit don hitchcock
Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf), c. 28,000 B.C.E – 25,000 B.C.E., Photo Credit: Don Hitchcock

Meet “Venus of Willendorf.” I’m sure you have seen her before. She was made by paleolithic people about 26,000 to 30,000 years ago. Stop a minute and think about how long ago that was. Yeah. Wow. We know very little about her because she was made before writing and before formal history. Her name was given to her much later; we have no reason to believe she is an actual goddess. We can make guesses though. We guess that she is in some way connected to fertility. Why do you reckon we think that? All of the parts of her that are related to childbirth are exaggerated while all of the other parts like feet, hands, and face are small and non-functional. She is only about 4.25 inches tall and is one of many of these types of sculptures found from this time period.

I think she is a good starting point for journaling to put your life and where you are in this moment in perspective. Thinking about the span of your life in the scale 30,000 years makes you more connected with all the people who have lived before you. You can also look at this and think about how drastically different our lives are today and imagine what it would be like to live in another time. Also, what will be left of your life when archaeologists look back on it in thousands of year?

Journal Prompts: What was your first reaction to this sculpture? Why do you think you had the reaction? This was created about 27,000 years ago. How does that make you feel? What does that call to mind? What will be left of your life when archaeologists look back on it in thousands of year? What will they know about you from what you leave behind?


Click here for a great YouTube video from the Khan Academy’s “Smarthistory” series about this sculpture.

4. Candy Chang, Before I Die, 2011+

Candy Chang, Before I Die, 2011
Candy Chang, Before I Die, 2011, (click to see larger)

In 2009, the Candy Chang lost someone very close to her suddenly, and it inspired her to think about life and what is most important to her. In response, she converted an old building in New Orleans to an interactive public art piece by making a big wall into a chalkboard with the phrase “Before I die…” written on it many times with blank lines following. Within days, the wall was filled with inspirational goals and aspirations by the people walking by. It became a place to reflect on goals and connect people together. Now, there are walls all over the world with the same message and a book about the experience.

It's about making space for reflection and contemplation and remembering what really matters most to us as we grow and change. -- Candy Chang, Artist
Journal Prompts: Before I die…


Click here for the artist’s incredibly moving TED Talk about this piece.

Buy the book (Before I Die *Amazon Affiliate link)!

5. Do-Ho Suh, Floor, 1997-2000

Do-Ho Suh, Floor
Do-Ho Suh, Floor, 1997-2000, (click to see larger)

If you were to happen upon this artwork at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, or at the 2001 Venice Biennale where I has the great pleasure of visiting,  you would see a glass floor with many colored dots underneath. As you get closer you notice that hundreds or little plastic action figures of everyday people hold up the weight of you and the glass floor. Walking on top of these people you might think about the power of community–how the individual is small but the collective is powerful. You might think about all the people who support you in your day to day life who go unseen–from the people across the world who make your clothes or the men and women who pick up your weekly trash.

Journal Prompts: How do you rely on other people in your life? What can you accomplish as a group than you couldn’t alone? How important is community in your life?

Here’s a video discussing this artwork. (Side note: Nerdfighters may recognize the person in this video!)

Also, Season 2, episode 1 of art:21 discusses the work of Do-Ho Suh (Here is a link to this episode).

Thanks for reading! Think about one of these artworks in relationship to your life. Please share a personal connection you had with the art in the comments!

This post was originally published on May 28, 2014.

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10 Artworks Perfect for an Art Criticism Lesson

Through my many years of teaching, I’ve accumulated a nice list of artworks that are perfect to discuss with students and teach them how to analyze art. These artworks spark lots of interesting ideas, have easy to notice design choices that contribute to the meaning and always lead to a great art criticism discussion (or a great student-written essay) with the students.

Artworks for Stimulating Discussion

These artworks are great for high school and college students, but many work for elementary and middle as well. You can use your judgment to decide what works best for your students.

The Four Steps of Art Criticism Lesson Plan

I created this list for my lesson on the art criticism steps available for sale. The Four Steps of Art Criticism lesson teaches students how to analyze art through the art criticism steps of description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. This resource includes a lesson outline (pdf), a PowerPoint, a written assignment instructions handout (pdf and editable .doc), a quiz (pdf and editable .doc), and a list of artworks including (but not limited to) the ones below. Buy it now for $14, and use it in your classroom tomorrow!

The Four Steps of Art Criticism Lesson Plan

This lesson covers the four steps of art criticism using artworks. Explore description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation with your students using engaging activities and examples.

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Ten Artworks Perfect for Art Criticism with Students

Most of these are not in the public domain. I have included small thumbnails for your reference. Click the picture to view a larger image.

Marc Chagall, Young Girl in Pursuit, ca. 1927-28

Marc Chagall, Young Girl in Pursuit, ca. 1927-28
Marc Chagall, Young Girl in Pursuit, ca. 1927-28

This one is so simple and straight-forward, but it always sparks the imagination of the students.

Questions to Ask: How does this artwork make you feel? What choices does the artist make to make you feel that? Who is this woman? Why is there a woman in her hair? What is the meaning of this artwork?

Salvador Dalí, Persistence of Memory, 1931

Salvador Dalí, Persistence of Memory, 1931
Salvador Dalí, Persistence of Memory, 1931

Everyone knows this one. I read some study one time that said Salvador Dalí was the most recognized artist name among people interviewed on the street. I found that to be fascinating. From the melting clocks to the sleeping head, to the ants crawling all over the pocket watch, to is that a snake coming out of his nose?, this one has a lot for students to unpack.

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This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

Join the List

John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1963

John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1997
John Feodorov, Animal Spirit Channeling Device for the Contemporary Shaman, 1997

I wrote more about this one on the post: 5 Artworks to Intrigue your High Schooler.

Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939

Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939

This one is also on 5 Artworks to Intrigue your High Schooler. Read more there. 🙂

Edvard Munch, Separation, 1896

Edvard Munch, Separation, 1896
Edvard Munch, Separation, 1896

Students love coming up with stories about this one. He is having a heart attack, and the woman is an angel taking him away. The woman is the ghost of his wife who has passed. And more, lots of great stories. The artist’s use of line, color, and contrast adds meaning to the student’s interpretations.

Luis Felipe Noé, Cerrado por brujería [Closed by Sorcery], 1963

Luis Felipe Noé, Cerrado por brujería [Closed by Sorcery], 1963
Luis Felipe Noé, Cerrado por brujería [Closed by Sorcery], 1963


This is one of my all time top artworks to discuss with students. I usually show it on the first day of class in my community college art appreciation class. I wrote a whole post about it here.

Pablo Picasso, Girl before a Mirror, 1932

Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932
Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932

This painting made me weep when I saw it the first time. It’s stunning in person. Read more about it on 5 Artworks that Promote Introspection. This is a great one to have students write about at the beginning of class.

Lawrence Beall Smith, Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them, 1942

Lawrence Beall Smith, Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them, 1942
Lawrence Beall Smith, Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them, 1942

I love connecting history and art. I include this piece of propaganda art on one of my tests for students to write about. You would be surprised how many students don’t recognize the swastika. In addition to discussing the power images have on our feelings and decision, the historical significance of the image is an important discussion to have with the students.

George Tooker, The Subway, 1950

George Tooker, The Subway, 1950
George Tooker, The Subway, 1950

Creepy, suspicious men and multiple perspectives make this one a fun one to talk about with students. The lone, solitary woman with the concerned expression makes us think, and why is she holding her stomach? Lots to talk about.

Kara Walker, Darkytown Rebellion, 2001

Kara Walker, Darkytown Rebellion, 2001
Kara Walker, Darkytown Rebellion, 2001

This one has some sensitive subject matter. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this for a college class, but only you can decide if it works for your students. I actually got in an argument with one of my friends in front of one of Kara Walker’s artworks like this one. I love art that sparks opinion and discussion. I don’t shy away from big topics in my classroom. Art opens up important dialogues, so I think it is important to let those happen in the classroom. After students look and figure out what is going on through art criticism, we discuss the element of the projection and how the viewer can become a part of the art by standing in between the light and the wall. It leads to some interesting thoughts.

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Artworks that Use Shape

I’m continuing the Elements and Principles of Art series today with a post that includes example artworks that use shape.

I will add to this list when I find more, so this is a good one to pin or bookmark! The horizontal images do not contain all of the examples.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack


This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Shape in Art Examples

The Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Show Shape1

Example Artworks that Use Shape, General

The Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Show Shape2Artworks with Geometric Shape

The Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Show Shape3Artworks with Organic or Free-Form Shape

The Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Show Shape4Shapes Made by Negative Space

Shapes that Guide your Eye Around the Picture

The Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Show Shape5Shapes Used to Organize Picture (Pyramidal Configuration, etc.)

What did I miss? What are your favorite artworks to teach shape? Let me know in the comments!

Remember I will add to this, so don’t forget to pin this post by clicking on the picture below.

The Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Use Shape

Do you have a great example to teach shape? Share it with me in the comments, and I will add it to the list!

Elements and Principles Teaching Bundle

This extraordinary bundle includes the best resources for teaching each of the elements and principles—37 worksheets/handouts, 15 lessons (with accompanying PowerPoints and Handouts), 3 ready-to-go art analysis activities, 3 art analysis videos, and 13 elements and principle PDF articles.

Buy Now

There you have it! The best shape in art examples for your elements and principles of art lessons. Want more elements and principles of art teacher resources? Check out the below posts.

The Art Curator for Kids -Example Artworks that Show Space - The Elements and Principles of Art Series-300The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks that Show Line - The Elements and Principles of Art - 300The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks that Show Emphasis - The Elements and Principles of Art SeriesElements and Principles of Art - Artworks that Show Proportion in art and ScaleThe Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Show Shape - 300The Art Curator for Kids - Why I Hate the Elements and Principles But Teach Them Anyway - 300The Art Curator for Kids - How Artists Depict Space - Masterpiece Monday - John Sloan , South Beach Bathers, 1907-1908, Art Lessons for Kids - Elements of Art Lessons

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The Ultimate Collection of Color in Art: Examples and Definitions

It’s time again for an Elements and Principles of Art post! This post includes good examples of color in art, divided into categories. This list of examples of color in art contains the following elements of color: warm and cool colors in art, primary color art, complementary colors in art, analogous colors examples, neutral colors in art, and color intensity in art.

Want to check out my color wheel lesson on Color in Art? Click here to purchase the color in art and color wheel lesson.

Download the Free Elements and Principles Printable Pack


This pack of printables was designed to work in a variety of ways in your classroom when teaching the elements and principles of art. You can print and hang in your classroom as posters/anchor charts or you can cut each element and principle of art in its own individual card to use as a lesson manipulative.

Examples of Color in Art

The Art Curator for Kids - Color in Art Examples - Primary Color Art

Primary Color Art

The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. The primary colors are the basis for all other colors. You cannot do anything to mix blue, yellow, or red. They just exist.

Complementary Colors in Art

Complementary colors in art are opposite each other on the color wheel. They create a lot of contrast in art. Look around in the world, and you will be surprised how often complementary colors are used. What are the sets of complementary colors? The basic complementary color pairings are red and green, purple and yellow, and orange and blue.

The Art Curator for Kids - example of color in art - Complementary Colors in Art - Green and Red

Complementary Colors in Art – Red and Green

Complementary Colors in Art - Blue and Orange

Complementary Colors in Art – Blue and Orange

artist who use colour - Complementary Colors in Art - Purple and Yellow

Complementary Colors in Art – Purple and Yellow

The Art Curator for Kids - elements of color in art - Analogous Colors ExamplesAnalogous Colors Examples

Analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel. They create unity in art because they are made of the same colors. Example sets of analogous colors are blue, blue-green, and green or orange, red-orange, and red.

Warm and Cool Colors in Art

Warm colors are the colors red, orange, and yellow. They are bright and pop out. They create energy and excitement in an artwork. Blue and green are cool colors. These cool colors create a calming energy in an artwork. Violet/purple can be both warm and cool depending on how much red or how much blue is in the violet.

The Art Curator for Kids - Color in Art Examples - Warm Colors in Art

Warm Colors in Art

The Art Curator for Kids - famous artists that use colour - Cool Colors in ArtCool Colors in Art

The Art Curator for Kids - Color in Art Examples - Neutral Colors in ArtNeutral Colors in Art

Neutral colors are created by using white and black or are created by mixing sets of complementary colors together to make varying shades of brown. Examples of neutrals include gray, brown, tan, white, black, etc.

Color Intensity in Art

Intensity refers to how saturated a color is. It is the brightness or the dullness of a color. Colors with high intensity are bright, and colors with low intensity are dull.

The Art Curator for Kids - elements of art colour - Color Intensity in Art: High Intensity

Color Intensity in Art: High Intensity

Color Intensity in Art: Low Intensity examples

Color Intensity in Art: Low Intensity

Do you have a great example to teach color in art? Share it with me in the comments, and I will add it to the list!

Elements and Principles Teaching Bundle

This extraordinary bundle includes the best resources for teaching each of the elements and principles—37 worksheets/handouts, 15 lessons (with accompanying PowerPoints and Handouts), 3 ready-to-go art analysis activities, 3 art analysis videos, and 13 elements and principle PDF articles.

Buy Now


For more elements of art examples and principles of design examples, visit the following resources.



The Art Curator for Kids -Example Artworks that Show Space - The Elements and Principles of Art Series-300The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks that Show Line - The Elements and Principles of Art - 300The Art Curator for Kids - Example Artworks that Show Emphasis - The Elements and Principles of Art SeriesElements and Principles of Art - Artworks that Show Proportion in art and ScaleThe Art Curator for Kids - Elements and Principles of Art Series - Artworks that Show Shape - 300The Art Curator for Kids - Why I Hate the Elements and Principles But Teach Them Anyway - 300The Art Curator for Kids - How Artists Depict Space - Masterpiece Monday - John Sloan , South Beach Bathers, 1907-1908, Art Lessons for Kids - Elements of Art Lessons

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The Lives of the Artists: Can we separate art and artist?

The Art Curator for Kids - The Lives of the Artists - Can we separate the art from the artists? Should we?
I used to have a coworker who HATED Picasso. He was a womanizer she said, but I argued that it doesn’t matter. Picasso is a genius who changed art in so many incredible ways.

The Art Curator for Kids - The Lives of the Artists - Pablo Picasso

On the same note, one of my close friends hates Georgia O’Keeffe because she took a class about her in college and didn’t like O’Keeffe because of what she learned about the artist’s life and personality. I argued again that O’Keeffe’s work in person was breathtaking. Who cares if she made choices in her life that you don’t agree with?

The Art Curator for Kids - The Lives of the Artists - Georgia O'Keeffe

Last week, I posted a list of my favorite books and movies about artists for both kids and adults. In the post, I talk about how learning about the artist can add another dimension to connecting with their work. I love watching videos of artist’s work and seeing a fingerprint or a spontaneous brushstroke that shows the movement of the artists hand through space. These things connect me to the person on the other side and help me feel like a part of this world.

But, I think there is a fine line here that I can’t seem to place myself on either side of. I do love connecting with the artist, but what happens when the artist is a jerk or someone who abandoned their kids or even Hitler who was a struggling artist himself?

The Art Curator for Kids - The Lives of the Artists - Adolf Hitler

Can we still love and appreciate and be moved by art made by unsavory characters?

I personally think that art should speak for itself and stand alone. I believe we shouldn’t just the picture by the personality of the person who made it. I rarely bring in elements of the artist’s life unless it somehow relates to the art we are studying (like the death from tuberculosis of Munch’s mother and sister contributing to the sadness in his art or the rape of Artemisia Gentileschi contributing to her strong female characters and chosen subject matter).

The Art Curator for Kids - The Lives of the Artists - Edvard Munch

On the other hand, I also would never seriously show Hitler’s art or discuss it outside of the horrific context surrounding it or an aesthetics discussion like this one.

It’s a personal choice I guess. Where you draw the line may be different from where I draw the line.

What do you think? Can we separate art from artist? Should we? What does this mean for our teaching? Let me know in the comments or on this post on Facebook.

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Best Artist Books and Movies for Kids and Adults

Although I don’t think it is necessary to study the lives of individual artist to enjoy and connect with their artwork, hearing stories about artists can make their art come alive in new and exciting ways.

Several months ago, I received a message from a reader. This is what she said.

My number one struggle in teaching art to my kids is making artists come alive. I really want them to grasp art from cave drawings to modern art. To help them understand that there is a person behind each piece that has lived through struggles and joys. I want them to understand that art is an expression of the soul creating it.

~Tee from Wisteria and Worms

I love her statement here, because art is about people and connecting with people. When you are moved by a work of art, you are moved because of the person behind that artwork and what they were thinking and feeling. I believe art becomes more powerful when you recognize that truth.

I will never forget reading The Agony and the Ecstasy about Michelangelo. I read it before I studied abroad in Italy in college. After reading that book, I felt like I intimately knew both Michelangelo and where he lived, Florence, Italy. Going to Florence after reading that book was a magical experience for me.

Here are my favorite biographical novels, movies, and children’s books for both kids AND adults!

Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books about Artists for Kids

The Art Curator for Kids - Children's Books about the Lives of the Artists - Artist Books for Kids

Laurence Anholt’s Books about Artists For Children

This is a great series of books where artists and children meet.

Movies and Books about Artists for Adults

The Art Curator for Kids - Artist Biographies for Adults, Books and Movies - Michelangelo, van Gogh, Vasari, Artemisia Gentileschi, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock

Books about Artists

Other Books about Artists

Tracy Chevalier and Susan Vreeland write good books surrounding artists but the historical accuracy isn’t as good, so I didn’t put them in the above list. I also really want to read The Private Lives of the Impressionists, but since I haven’t read it, I didn’t put in on the list. 🙂

Movies

 

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A Year of Art Appreciation for Kids: 52 Artworks your Child Should Know

I have compiled for you a massive list of artworks for you to look at with your kids this year. I picked one artwork for each week of the year, and I tried to pick the best of the best. If you haven’t been showing art to your kids, this is a great list to start with! Just sit down and talk about a new artwork each week for a few minutes.

Please note, this post includes Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

How to Talk about Art with Your Kids

Here are some posts from Art Class Curator for tips at looking at art with your kids.

Art Appreciation for Kids

Instead of dividing by week, I divided by time period. Regrettably, this list does not include non-western art or contemporary art. For more awesome non-western art, check out my Art Around the World series. Each entry below includes a link to find the picture.

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - Ancient to Classical Art

Ancient to Classical Art

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - Medieval to Renaissance Art

Medieval and Renaissance Art



the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - 17th-18th Century Art

17th-18th Century Art

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - 19th Century Art

19th-Century Art

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - Modern Art

Modern and Contemporary Art

the Art Curator for Kids - Art Appreciation for Kids - American

American Art

Whew! This is quite a list. It was hard to choose, and I know I left out some great artworks. Keep reading on Art Class Curator to learn more about teaching art to kids.

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