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What Makes Art Good? A Lesson and Explanation of Art Theories

Inside: An explanation of four popular art theories and how each of them defines what makes a work of art good.

Art Theories-What Makes Art Good 700x1000

 

What makes an artwork good?

When it adheres to design principles?
If it looks true to life?
Should it turn our worldview upside down?
Must it fill us with emotions?

The issue of what makes an artwork good has probably been debated since the first splotch of pigment touched a cave wall.  It is nearly impossible to define what art is, so when we start discussing what makes an artwork impressive or worthy or good, we wade into complicated waters. Ask a group of students whether an individual artwork is good or not and you’re likely to get conflicting answers. Ask them what makes an artwork good or not and you’ll get as many answers as students you question.

Many art theories have emerged to encompass the wide variety of ideas and opinions about what art is and what it should do. The search for one art theory to rule them all may be futile, but there are arguments to be made on all sides, and everyone has a favorite.

Art Theory: Formalism

What Makes Art Good? A Lesson and Explanation of Art Theories
Wassily Kandinsky, Squares with Concentric Circles, 1913

 

Formalism dictates that art is good when it effectively uses the elements of art and principles of design. A formalist will concentrate solely on how an artwork looks–color, line, shape, and texture. The story being told and any historical or social context behind the artwork has no bearing on whether it is considered successful. The composition is all that matters. While artists have always used the elements and principles of art, formalism really came into being with modern art and the rise of abstract and expressionist works since those pieces put special emphasis on using line, shape, and color to create a pleasing composition.

Art Theory: Imitationalism / Mimetic

What Makes Art Good? A Lesson and Explanation of Art Theories
Johannes Vermeer, The Milkmaid, 1658

 

The imitationalism or mimetic theory of art claims that artwork is best when it imitates life. We’ve all experienced seeing an artwork from a distance and mistaking it for the real thing, rather than a replica. Those pieces are prized under imitationalism. The most realistic, the better.

In Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, we see the creamy milk pouring from the jug. It’s easy to imagine the splashing sound it makes hitting the bottom of the container. The texture of the baskets and the woman’s clothing look real enough to reach out and touch. The play of light and shadows match what comes through our own windows. We don’t have to make any mental leaps to imagine the scene unfolding right in front of us. Mimetic artworks are instantly recognizable because of their devotion to reality.

Art Theory: Instrumentalism

What Makes Art Good? A Lesson and Explanation of Art Theories
John Heartfield, Have no fear–He’s a Vegetarian, 1936

 

An instrumentalist is not concerned with composition, only context. Through the lens of instrumentalism, the best artworks are those that convey a message or shape how we see the world. Unlike other art theories, instrumentalism says that art is good when it functions as a tool to influence or change society.

The artwork above no doubt drew a visceral reaction the moment you saw it. Did your eyes flick to the title? Were you trying to figure out what the artist was trying to say? Now imagine that you saw this artwork before World War II. As Hitler rose to power, many saw him as a harmless politician, though some knew otherwise. In this piece, Heartfield was using his art as an instrument, sounding an alarm for anyone who thought Hitler was nothing to fear.

Art Theory: Emotionalism

What Makes Art Good? A Lesson and Explanation of Art Theories
Franz Marc, Fate of the Animals, 1913

 

The emotionalism theory places emphasis on the expressive qualities of an artwork. The communication between artwork and viewer is crucial. If the art is able to elicit a feeling from the audience, then the artist has created an excellent piece. Emotionalism is unique among art theories because it is not concerned with how an observer is attracted. Varying components of an artwork can captivate different viewers, but it only matters that the artist was able to evoke a mood or idea, regardless of composition, context, or narrative.

Read more about Fate of the Animals on Art Class Curator.

Art Theories Lesson

To teach about art theories in a quick art and aesthetics lesson, I start out with a warm-up discussion question, what makes art an artwork good? I like this question because it gets students thinking more about what goes into the creation of a work of art and that art is more than just making something look pretty.

Then, I divide the students into groups and each group gets one of the above artworks with the following writing prompts:

  • Make a list of questions you might ask yourself about this art.
  • What makes this artwork good?

After they’ve explored their assigned artwork, we discuss their ideas to the class and I tell them about each of the art theories.

Curated Connections Library Members: Access the PowerPoint and Worksheet for this activity at this link. 

What do you think makes an artwork good?

This post was originally published on June 7, 2018.

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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.

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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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Easy and Fun Kandinsky Art Lesson for Kids

Inside: Explore Sketch 160A by Wassily Kandinsky with your students and have them create an abstract art project in this Kandinsky art lesson!

Hello there! I am excited to announce that Amanda Koonlaba of Party in the Art Room is now a contributing writer here at Art Class Curator. Please enjoy her first post–a Kandinsky art lesson inspired by Kandinsky’s Sketch 160A! Thank you, Amanda, and I look forward to more art learning with you in the months to come! — Cindy

Kandinsky Art Lesson for Kids

Wassily Kandinsky wanted viewers of his work to react both emotionally and spiritually. He used carefully nuanced colors and quizzical lines to evoke this sort of response in the viewer’s soul. Eventually, Kandinsky would begin to work in pure abstraction, but here some elements of the natural world are evident.

This work of art lives at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. I was fortunate to make the ten-hour drive to Houston in the summer of 2017, before the devastating hurricane hit, to visit this wonderful art museum. Of the hundreds of works I was able to view there, this one really stuck with me.

Here is the image I took of the way the work hangs on the wall in the museum. It is relatively small. The dimensions are just 46 1/4 × 52 × 3 3/8 in.

Kandinsky Art Lesson for Kids
Wassily Kandinsky, Sketch 160A, 1912 (Photographed by Amanda Koonlaba | Party in the Art Room)

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

Let’s Take a Look

Kandinsky Art Lesson
Wassily Kandinsky, Sketch 160A, 1912

Any good Kandinsky art lesson should begin with analysis. So, let’s dig in and take a deeper look at this work.

Kandinsky used nuanced colors. These colors are subtle, and if taken individually, perhaps a bit bland. Combined in the work, however, the colors perfectly capture the context of the image. The pastel colors help to illuminate the image while the darker colors provide a sense of depth. The pastel and darker colors work together to make the viewer feel a sense of dread. This work was created on the eve of WWI, a time when worldwide turbulence evoked fears of an apocalypse in the masses. While the lines of the work seem haphazard at first glance, Kandinsky has actually included imagery of the apocalypse here.

Here are some discussion questions to use with students:

  • Describe how this artist uses color.
  • Which colors illuminate the work?
  • Which specific colors are used to give the work depth?
  • Which colors create contrast?
  • How does Kandinsky use white and black in this work?
  • What images do you see?
    • Can you find the horse and rider?
    • Can you find the birds, mountains, and fish?
  • What is the mood/feeling of this artwork? What choices did the artist make to you feel this way?
  • What images of doom do you see?
  • Does any part of the work make you feel more doom than the other parts?
  • Which part of the artwork gives you hope?

Kandinsky Art Lesson

Now that the students have analyzed the work, it is time to create.

Materials:

Step 1: Have students draw 15-20 haphazard lines on their papers with a black oil pastel. Be sure to tell the students that while their lines should appear haphazard, they should be very intentional about what they are drawing. They can include abstracted natural forms as well (like Kandinksy’s bird and fish).

Check out this abstract art lesson for an easy way to talk to students about abstraction!

Kandinsky art lesson

Step 2: Have students add white oil pastels to about 5 areas of the work. They can hatch and crosshatch. The photo below is up close to show the haphazard, yet intentional, way the white was added to the work.

Kandinsky art lesson

Step 3: Have students paint in random sections wherever desired. They can paint loosely with the brush. The paint can go over the oil pastels. They should leave some sections of the off-white tagboard showing. They can use as many colors in as many places on the page as they’d like, but tell them to make some of the colors dark and some brighter.

Kandinsky art lesson

Wrapping Up

When my students finish their own creations, I like to have them analyze each other’s works in a similar manner to how they analyzed the master’s work.

Here are some questions they can ask each other:

  • Which specific colors are used in the work?
  • Why do you think the artist chose those colors?
  • Which colors contrast?
  • How did the artist use white and black in this work?
  • Where can you find symbolism in the work?
  • Which parts of the work make you feel doom or dread?
  • Which parts of the work give you hope?

Let’s Connect

Do you have other ideas for a Kandinsky art lesson? I’d love to hear them. Be sure to comment here with your thoughts. I’ll be checking in.

Also, check out Party in the Art Room where you can find related Kandinsky art lessons to teach other subjects:

Until next time!

Amanda

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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.

Free Resource!

Elements & Principles Printable Pack

The Elements & Principles of Art are the foundation of every artwork, but teaching them can be a bore. Wake your students up and engage them with full color artworks, easy to understand definitions, and thought-provoking higher level thinking questions. This versatile resource can be hung in the classroom or used as an art manipulative.

Download

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

Photo Credits:

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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.

Free Resource!

Elements & Principles Printable Pack

The Elements & Principles of Art are the foundation of every artwork, but teaching them can be a bore. Wake your students up and engage them with full color artworks, easy to understand definitions, and thought-provoking higher level thinking questions. This versatile resource can be hung in the classroom or used as an art manipulative.

Download

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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Abstract Art for Preschoolers

I’m excited to host Erin Buhr from Bambini Travel today. She is here with an awesome guest post about how to introduce abstract art to toddlers and preschoolers with a fun art activity inspired by artist Wassily Kandinsky. Thanks so much, Erin! Everyone be sure to check out her blog for lots more fun and inspiring ideas for early childhood education.

The Art Curator for Kids - Abstract Collaborative Art Invitation - Abstract Art for Preschoolers

We do a lot of art as part of our preschool homeschool. My twins have been painting since they were about 10 months old, and creative invitations are a part of our daily life. Art offers children a wonderful way to view the world and express themselves.

More recently we have been looking at specific artists and this was our first official foray into abstract art.

Looking at Abstract Art with Preschoolers

According to the Tate, abstract art is “artworks that do not attempt a recognizable reality but instead use shapes, colours, forms, and textures to achieve their effect.”

I love looking at abstract art with young children for many reasons:

  • Abstract art takes the pressure of the need to make a picture of something. Abstract art is more about the shapes and colors and the feelings it expresses, not about the accurate portrayal of a subject.
  • Abstract art also encourages discussion about colors, shapes, and lines which are concepts young children are learning.
  • Abstract art is interpreted different by everyone who sees it. The language, conversations, and ideas expressed are rich and interesting.
  • Abstract art is something young children can make.
The Art Curator for Kids - Abstract Collaborative Art Invitation - Abstract Art for Abstract Art for Preschoolers- Child Looking at Art on Tablet

Before we dove into our art activity, we looked at some abstract art. I used my tablet for this so we could all gather around and look. I researched names and works beforehand that I wanted to share with them. We looked at art by Jackson Pollock, Joan Mitchell, Paul Jenkins, and Wassily Kandinsky. We settled on Kandinsky and Geometric Abstraction as our favorite.

Geometric Abstraction is a form of abstract art based on the use of geometric forms.

The geometric abstraction seemed the most interesting to my three year olds. They are interested in shapes right now, and Kandinsky uses a lot of interesting shapes and lines in his artwork that appealed to them.

Wassily Kandinksy, Composition 8, 1923
Wassily Kandinksy, Composition 8, 1923 – Click to view larger.

Wassily Kandinksy, Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles, c. 1913
Wassily Kandinksy, Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles, c. 1913

Abstract Art Activity: Abstract Collaborative Art Invitations

We enjoy the social aspect of big art projects and spent much of January doing various collaborative projects. We did two different invitations to create based on the two pieces of art they chose. The set up and materials however were similar.

Set Up:

Tape a large piece of paper to a surface – table, floor, or wall.
Use a black sharpie to draw shapes and lines. Older children could help with this process using rulers and containers or stencils to trace. I prepared this for my three year olds.

For the invitation based on Composition 8, I drew a variety of shapes and lines on the paper.

The Art Curator for Kids - Abstract Collaborative Art Invitation - Abstract Art for Preschoolers - Line and Shape Drawing

For the invitation based on Circles, I drew boxes across the paper and a circle in one square.

I kept the tablet on hand so they could refer back to it if they wanted. You could also print out versions of the paintings you like.

Provide various art materials. We used markers for the first project and oil pastels for the second. Paint or colored pencils would also be fun to try.

The Art Curator for Kids - Abstract Collaborative Art Invitation - Abstract Art for Preschoolers - Toddlers Drawing

Activity:

There are no rules or guidelines for creating with this invitation. They joined me in coloring the different shapes. We talked while we worked and I modeled some ideas for them with my drawing and my language. Some of the things said included;

  • “I’m making little circles inside this big circle.”
  • “I’m making this long line bright yellow.”
  • “Hmm.… think I might make half of this shape orange and half of it blue.”
  • “I’m noticing that in the painting this shape has a pattern. I wonder if we could do that.”

Clean Up:

They helped collect and put the art materials back on the shelf.
The pictures are proudly displayed on our art wall.

The Art Curator for Kids - Abstract Collaborative Art Invitation - Abstract Art for Preschoolers - Toddler Scribbles

Skills Practiced:

  • Fine motor and pre-literacy skills while working on gripping writing materials.
  • Social skills as they negotiated how to share the space.
  • Technology skills when they practiced using the tablet to look at different pieces of art.
  • Language skills as they described what they saw in the artwork and discussed with each other their process and ideas.
  • Math concepts as they practiced identifying and forming shapes.

profileErin Buhr blogs at Bambini Travel. She writes about family travel, children’s books, and activities for children ages 0-5. She is an early childhood educator, travel enthusiast, and mama to twin three year olds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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.

More Art Class Curator on Pinterest:

Follow Cindy @ The Art Class Curator’s boards on Pinterest.

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12 Super Fun Collaborative Group Art Projects for Kids

Magic happens when kids work together in group art projects. From paint made with pudding to clay masks to painting with catapults, these collaborative group art projects for kids will be a hit in your home or classroom.

the Art Curator for Kids - 12 Super Fun Collaborative Group Art Projects for Kids

Family Collaborative Process Art by Twodaloo

Super Fun Collaborative Group Art Projects for Kids

Edible paint and cute, little babies. Squee! The activity is awesome, and the kids in her photos are adorable.

Painting with Vegetables by Fantastic Fun and Learning

Super Fun Collaborative Group Art Projects for KidsThis is a collaborative group art project over multiple sessions with a book tie-in and lessons on color. Very cool. I think my kids would love doing this together.

Diwali Rangoli Art from India by Kid World Citizen

Super Fun Collaborative Group Art Projects for Kids

I love this group art project. Colossal culture and color!

Silly Sensory Ball Kids Painting by B-Inspired Mama

Super Fun Collaborative Group Art Projects for Kids

I definitely need to do this with my girls. One of my daughter’s OT goals for her Sensory Processing Disorder is heavy work, and she LOVES art, so this would be a great fit for her.

Catapult Painting by Fun-A-Day

Super Fun Collaborative Art Projects for Kids

This is so good. So good. I can’t take it.

Big Art by You Clever Monkey

Super Fun Collaborative Art Group Projects for Kids

I love this blog, You Clever Monkey. Visit this link and check out Nichole’s blog. She’s awesome!

Collaborative Doodle Drawings from Pickle Bums

Super Fun Collaborative Art Projects for Kids

I love the focus on the faces of these kids. I love this collaborative group art project! Easy and fun.

Circle Painting by Kinders by Deep Space Sparkle

Super Fun Collaborative Art Projects for Kids

There is a reason why Kandinsky projects are all over the internet. They work, they are fun, they are freeing, and the final results are beautiful! If you don’t already visit Deep Space Sparkle for your art lessons, go there now. Right away.

Kimmy Cantrell-Inspired Ceramic Tile Mural by Deep Space Sparkle

Super Fun Collaborative Art Projects for KidsThis is an awesome, but it’s more labor-intensive than the other group art projects. It is well worth the results though!

Masterpiece Mosaics: a Collaborative Art Project for Grades K — 8 by Teach Kids Art

Super Fun Collaborative Art Projects for Kids

What a fun way to study and appreciate works of art!

Wild Art by Here Comes the Girls

Super Fun Collaborative Art Projects for Kids

A fun group art project inspired by earthworks artist Andy Goldsworthy.

Drawing Prompt: Fall Tree by Bambini Travel

Super Fun Collaborative Art Projects for Kids

 

This is a great idea. Adding a little bit of a drawing can really spark creativity for more hesitant little artists. Sometimes a blank piece of paper can be a scary thing!

For more awesome curated art content, check out my boards on Pinterest!
Visit Cindy @ The Art Class Curator’s profile on Pinterest.