Why Chagall? I was thirteen and about to start art school when 150 of Chagall’s painting arrived in Turin for an incredible exhibition of the artists’ oeuvre. To this day, I remember the guided tour I joined with my parents and the incredible journey we did through Chagall’s art and life: 19th century Russia, the…
Kandinsky’s Circles Lesson for Kids: Color theory made Fun Here comes another variation on the Kandinsky circles paintings theme. Last time we used polymer clay, while on this post I’d like to share a painting activity using rice paper (Xuan paper) and gouache. The underestimated Xuan paper I have a little confession to make: I…
AKA, how to take one of the least creative bits of art education and make it inspiring. The issue with teaching color theory (most times) While color theory is definitely significant in art practice, the actual argument has arguably more to do with science than with art. This is to say, that color theory classes…
Winter is the perfect season to gather around a book under a cozy blanket as the snow falls outside.
Here is a collection of my favorite winter books for preschoolers and young readers.
Have you seen the rabbit on the moon? Many Chinese believe that you can see a hare on the moon, pounding in a pestle the Elixir of Long life for Chang’E, the Moon Goddess of Immortality.
The legend tells us about Chang’E, the faithful wife of Hou Yi the archer that saved humanity by shooting down all but one of the Ten Suns that were scorching earth and killing crops.
His brave actions were rewarded by The Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wang Mu) with one dose of the Elixir of Long Life she brewed in her heavenly orchard.
What is frottage? From the French frotter, to rub, frottage is an art technique popularized by surrealist artists at the beginning of the 20th century. At it simplest, frottage is done by lying a thin sheet of paper on a textured surface and gently “rubbing” over it with a soft pencil to highlight the embossed texture. …
The Reggio Emilia classroom is designed to inspire relationships: we imagine children moving across different areas, interacting with each other, experimenting with different textures and tools, moving materials into different settings to explore new properties and characteristics.
The Reggio Emilia approach is an innovative teaching philosophy that emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and community. This method was created by Loris Malaguzzi and a group of parents in Reggio Emilia, Italy, after World War II. It is known globally for its focus on children’s learning. [ref] “Three Approaches from Europe: Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia,” Carolyn…