#CreateAtHome-Visual Art Enrichment Opportunities
(designed for school closure situations)

Not only are the arts essential for a comprehensive education, creating visual art can reduce stress and promote relaxation in people who are homebound.  Studies have shown that expressing themselves through art can help people with depression, anxiety, and resilience.  These are critical supports for children anytime but especially during the stresses of school closures and the COVID-19 pandemic.

These three lessons were designed to be done at home with commonly found materials.  Each is offered as a video lesson as well as a paper handout for children without internet. Also included are general art materials lessons.  

Photojournalism

Photojournalists document the events around them and this period of school closures is one of those times.  Students are challenged to notice what catches their eye in this new environment and empowered to chronicle this time in history..

Art From Nature

Use nature as the materials to make art like Andy Goldsworthy does.  Andy is a British sculptor who uses rocks, leaves, ice, twig, flowers, and time to create site-specific sculptures.

Art From Anything

No one needs fancy materials to create art.  It can be made from anything you can find.   If you have tea or coffee, you can paint!  If you have recycling items, you can make sculpture!
Google docs can be edited by choosing "File...Make a copy" which creates a duplicate in your Google Drive that you may edit.

2020 Time Capsule

A time capsule is a collection of items to remember a time in history.  
​2020 is going to be remembered in history and you can make your own time capsule out of photos, drawings, writing and videos!  
Make a copy to edit this Google doc.

Rube Goldberg Machine

A Rube Goldberg machine, named after American cartoonist Ruben Goldberg, is a machine intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overly complicated way.  You can make one too!
Be sure to preview the video above as racism of the 1940's is discussed

Visual Art Skills Lessons

Oil Pastels

Oil pastels are a great medium to use. They blend like paint but are not messy.  Video lessons are offered at a variety of levels here.
Oil Pastels 1 Resource Page
Oil Pastels 2 Resource Page
Oil Pastels 3 Resource Page
Oil Pastels 4 Resource Page

Watercolor

Watercolor paints are inexpensive, easy to clean and have a translucency that can't fe found in other paints.
You need watercolor paints & paper to this lesson.

Pencil

This skill lesson includes a value tool to associate a numerical value (0-10) with the value of the shading in the drawing.

Skills Challenges

These video lessons offer challenges to apply your skills using items you probably have around the house.
This challenge uses oil pastels, paper and a leaf.
This challenge uses oil pastels, paper and a pumpkin or squash
A diptych is an artwork made of two parts and this challenge uses paper and oil pastels.