Painting with Middle School Kids

This is what happens when you have two dozen middle schoolers, happy attitudes, and some paint. Terrific art happens!

 

I needed a second small project to have enough to fill our allotted time, so I asked my brother about getting some little wood scraps to make little blocks they could paint to go along with their paintings.  Of course he had wood scraps.  But, he wondered why we wouldn't make something useful.  If we drilled holes in the top, they'd be pencil holders.  If we tacked a thin board on the bottom they'd be book ends.  Brilliant!

**On a funny note, kids asked, "What are book ends?"  Oh, my! I guess they can put their Kindles and iPads between them!!!

Their art made perfect decorations for their music performance at the end.

Original Acrylic Paintings on 16"x 20" Canvases
Their paints are priceless, of course.  If you'd to purchase my example, send me a note.

Nighttime Landscape

Eleven and Twelve year olds really are very cool people to hang out with.  They're still kind of little kids, but they can do so much. 

Every summer I get to do an art project with the middle schoolers at my church.  It reminds me of how much I loved teaching... and how glad I am to do it now one week each year instead of 36 weeks each year.

It was a pleasure to guide these guys through the process. They did a wonderful job with their nighttime landscapes.  

Original Acrylic Paintings on 16"x 20" Wrapped Canvases.

[NFS - Not for sale... these are priceless works of art!]

Egyptian Pyramids & Palms

   

Painting with kids is...

Well... I sure don't want to do it full time, but what fun to get the opportunity to paint with kids once or twice a year. Funny how similar it is to painting with senior adults.  Both the preteen kiddos and the kiddos in their 70s and 80s are a little nervous, want to get it right, and have such a glow on their faces when they realize that their painting looks great.  (I know you can't see their faces in this photo.  You'll just have to trust me that they were glowing.)

*This project was done with the middle schoolers at my church during the time when we thought Covid was about gone and before Delta showed up.

Just for fun click around a little:

Painting Still Life & Nature with Seniors

Painting Floral with Seniors

Painting Sunset Silhouettes with Kids

Painting Night Skies with Kids

Painting Christmas with College Girls

Original Acrylic Painting on 8"x 10 and 16"x 20.

Click Egyptian Pyramids if you'd like to purchase this painting in either 8"x 10 or 16"x 20".  (Priced to sell!)

Animals in Silhouette at Sunset (Kid Project)

If you ever need a great painting project to do with kids, here's a good one.
Last week I did it with 23 5th & 6th graders during our church's Bible school week.  They came to me for 30 minutes for 4 days.  The final products... Well, see for yourself...

Every single one of them was a work of art to be proud of.

Before I put all the supplies away, I had my two sweet great nieces over so that they could each make one.  They're going to be in kindergarten and second grade.  How do you suppose theirs turned out?  Beautiful, of course.

Here are the steps if you're doing it all in one sitting:

• With a 50 cent chip brush, paint the yellow strip then blend the orange on either side of that then blend the red on either side of that. 
• Use a dry brush.
• All strokes horizontal.
• Don't wash the brush in between colors.
• Turn the canvas upside down if it's hard to reach the top.
• Don't forget the sides.
• 

• With the same brush wiped clean (or a new brush if you want), use black to paint the grass.
• Use a dry brush.
• All strokes punched upward or dabbed.
• Go into the red.
• Turn the canvas upside down if the lip of the easel gets in the way, then dab down instead of up.
• Don't forget the sides.
• Use a blow drier to make sure it's dry. (Then go outside and check the chicken coop for eggs, pick tomatoes and cucumbers out of the garden, and give it just a little more time.)

• Mix some white and yellow to paint the sun in the yellow strip.
• A sponge brush is great. (A chip brush will work fine, or a piece of sponge will work fine... just messier.)
• Tape a circle stencil into the yellow strip.
• Just a circle cut out of a piece of cardboard or paper
• Masking tape, painter's tape, clear tape... whatever you have
• Press, press, press the paint on to the area. 
• Do not bounce it on the canvas. 
• Do not stroke it on the canvas. 
• Use plenty of paint.
• Remove the stencil 
• Dry again if your next stencil will touch the wet part.

• With a clean, dry sponge brush (or brush or sponge), paint the animal.
• It's easier if you take the easel away and do this step flat on the table.
• Tape the stencil as above.
• Use a Cricut if you have one to cut the stencils.  If not... good old fashioned scissors will work.
• Take off the stencil and say, "Wow!"

I did it a little differently when I did it with a large group and over four sessions.  

• Day 1
• Yellow and Red
• Day 2
• Orange and Black Grass
• Day 3
• Yellow-White Sun
• Day 4
• Black Animal

Original Acrylic Paintings on 16"x 20" Wrapped Canvas.

Giraffe - For Sale on Etsy - Click Here

Wolf - For Sale on Etsy - Click Here

Moose - For Sale on Etsy - Click Here

Elephant [SOLD]