Afternoon Art Classes for Kids: 2010

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Henri Matisse Cut Outs

In this lesson I will talk about the artist Henri Matisse and discuss is later works. After being diagnosed with cancer he was confined to a wheel chair and for the last 14 years of his life he discovered a liberating way of using his creativity. He left behind the brushes and canvases and used scissors and bright colored paper to create what art historians believe where his most unique and exciting works. Henri considered this part of his life the most happy and fulfilling! This is a fun lesson for the students especially after realizing that a simple idea can indeed become a great work of art!

Aboriginal Dreamings

In this week's lesson I will talk about the Aboriginal culture and how through art they connect to the spiritual world. The students will listen to typical Aboriginal music and I will show them many examples of animal paintings done by the Aboriginals. The students will paint using tempera followed by a sequence of dots. Above art work was done by 6, 8 an 9 year old students

Chameleons are Cool!

In this lesson I will read "Chameleons are Cool", a beautifully illustrated book and then we will draw and color a Chameleon any way we want. Fun!

The Dot

In this lesson I will read "The Dot" and then the students inspired by the story will start an abstract design from one simple dot. Then they will fill in the spaces with different designs. Student always have fun doing abstracts. It's amazing how many things they find inside their drawings.

James McNeill Whistler and the Peacock Room

In this lesson I will discuss the 19th century artist James McNeill Whistler and talk about the "Peacock Room" which is now in the Free Gallery. After viewing images of Whistler decorative paintings of these magnificent birds the student will draw and color a beautiful peacock.

Above drawings are done by students age 6, 7 and 9.

Maynard Dixon's landscapes and One Point Prospective

In this lesson we will first have a short discussion and hands on practice on cool and warm colors and how important it is to know the subtle differences when painting a landscape. I will then introduce one point prospective. A road to the horizon line.

I will discuss the american artist Maynard Dixon and show numerous images of his work, and although he never painted a vanishing road, his landscapes of the American West are the inspiration for our background. I will demonstrate how to draw clouds. No more cotton balls in the skies! They will learn about foreground, middle ground and distant ground and the importance of using color and value to create the illusion of distance.

Above drawings are done by students ages 6 and 9.

Figure in Motion

In this lesson I will teach the students how to draw realistic people and how easy it is. No more stick figures! I want ovals on necks and not circles on shoulders! I will demonstrate the proportions of the human body and head. The students will draw a running figure and use their imagination for the background. Beach, grass field, running after a soccer ball, etc.

Above drawings are done by students age 6 and 9.

Jacques-Laurent Agasse and the Nubian Giraffe

The students will be introduced to Jacques Laurent Agasse one of the most celebrated animal painters at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. Hie famous painting of the Nubian Giraffe that was give to Geroge IV is the focus of the lessons and the subject of our drawing.

I will discuss the different species of giraffes and their habitat and instruct the student how to draw a giraffe on the savannah. . I will demonstrate how to draw trees by using as an example the umbrella thorn acacia and also demonstrate how to draw realistic grass.

Above drawings are done by 6 to 9 year old students.

Llamas in the Andes

In this lesson the students will learn to draw a llama. I will discuss the environment they live in and the importance llamas have to the local economy. I will show images of the landscape llamas live in. The kids love to draw the high peaks of the Andes.

Above drawings are done by students age 6 to 9.

Color Abstract

In this lesson I will introduce color mixing. The students will use tempera colors and create a color wheel using only the primary colors. They then create an abstract design and use colors they create to fill the spaces. They absolutely love this exercise!

Above drawings are done by students age 6 to 10.

Mustang Horse

This lesson is one of my favorites as I have a passion for horses and drew them since I was a child. I will discuss the Mustang horse, feral and not wild. They students will learn about the history and how important the horse was to this country's progress. I will show them numerous images of their habitat as well as different coats the horses have.

The drawing is very challenging but perfect at this stage of their progress. I will discuss again arial prospective and the importance of value in creating the illusion of distance.

The above drawings were done by students age 5 to 10.

Elephant

In this lesson we will learn to draw an Elephant. I will discuss the differences between the African and Asian Elephants and show them numerous images of the African landscape.

After the students draw the elephant I will briefly discuss arial prospective and demonstrate how to correctly draw trees.

Above drawing are from students age 5 to 8.

The Coral Reef

In this lesson the students will learn about the rich life found on the coral reef. I will discuss the importance of the reef and have real samples of coral to show them.

The drawing focus is the Moorish Idols, after we draw a couple they will then fill the page with other elements found on the reef.

Above drawings were done by 5 to 9 year old students.

Henri Rousseau and the Toucan

In this lesson I will discuss the works of the French 19th Century artist Henri Rousseau and introduce them to his wonderful jungle scenes. I will show the students many images from this great artist to help spark their imagination.

We will learn to draw a Toucan in the jungle. Will talk about the rain forest and all the diverse animals and plants that live there.

Our focal point will be the toucan and once they have drawn it then they can choose what other animals and plants they like to add to their composition. I want them to fill the picture as much as possible just like Rousseau's works.

Coloring as always is left to their imagination.

The above drawings were done in class by 7 and 9 year old children.

The Lion

In this first class I will introduce the 5 basic elements of shape and after some warm up exercise the students will draw a lion. Once drawn they will use their imagination in choosing color and any other elements of design they like to add. During class I will discuss the lion, the habitat it lives in and show numerous images.
Above are some drawings from my students. The first one was done by a 6 year old, second by a 8 years old, third is by a 6 year old and last one at the bottom is by a 10 year old. There are just wonderful!

About Me

I have been drawn to art in many forms from a very early age, fortunate to have grown up in an environment that was rich with artistic works from many genres, an experience that imbued me with an appreciation for a wide range of styles and movements. I was born and raised in Italy where my parents filled our Lake Como villa with fantastic classical and contemporary works by important artists ranging from Charles Le Brun, the Court painter to French King Louis XIV, to Lucio Fontana, perhaps the most important of the Italian modernists who developed the Concetto Spaziale in art and sculpture.

In 1986 I graduated from the prestigious Istituto per L’Arte e il Restauro in Florence, one of the worlds premier art restoration and conservation schools, where I majored in Conservation of Paintings and Art History. For the next decade, I was president of Restoration and Conservation Studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I worked with important collectors and Museums to restore and conserve an incredibly diverse collection of masterpieces.

My many years experience, surrounded by beautiful art and the combination of knowledge gained in the conservation field led me to open Boxwood Antiques and Fine Art in Old Town, Alexandria, in 1996. This gallery specialized in artists from the 18^th to 20^th centuries. I also collected and sold many other precious works, including fine 18^th Century English and American silver, Chinese, Japanese and English porcelain, and 18^th and 19^th Century American and English furniture. All of these items have helped me develop an appreciation for the many techniques that I bring to bear when creating lessons for children.

In 2001, to allow more time with my family, I closed the gallery and begun my journey as an artist.

After a few weekly workshops with important American plein air artists I realized that my true passion was painting and that same year I was lucky to be juried into the historic Washington Society of Landscape Painters (WSLP) and the Oil Painters of America (OPA).

My works have shown in several major national exhibitions, including those hosted by the OPA and American Women Artists (AWA). In 2002 I was invited to participate in I the exclusive Carmel Art Festival.

Now my most important focus is my family and children. I have three beautiful children, Liam 6, Sofia 5 and Tristan 4. This keeps me very busy and my time behind the easel is for now limited. In 2010 I decided that it would be wonderful to combine my passion for art and children, so I started teaching small groups of children drawing, painting and art history.

The result has been very rewarding, and the creativity of children never ceases to amaze me. I often find that I learn as much from their open minds and limitless vision as they learn from me!