Cruisin' Along!

I always think that one project a class does is my favorite...until they turn in the next project!

Recently, my 7th graders finished a watercolor painting project. They really impressed me!! We studied a well-known artist named Winslow Homer. He is known for painting seascapes and sailboats. The students learned about his life, and they looked at some of his paintings. After analyzing different things (like color, shapes, space, and subject matter) they were ready to paint their own sailboats!

Watercolor is actually one of my least favorite mediums to work in. I don't feel like I really know how to use it well. I faced my fears and demostrated 8 different painting techniques. The students loved to watch the different effects that watercolors can make. Not only do the colors mix together beautifully, but you can drip and drop the paint into wonderful blends. Also, if salt is sprinkled on the wet paint, one can get a sparkly look. Another method the students loved was the stained glass effect achieved by sticking plastic wrap to the wet paint. Seemly such simple techinques, but the kids loved it :-)

After experiementing with the paint, the students drew out their sailboat scenes. Some had beautiful sunsets, while others had stormy skies. A few students thought outside of the box and I ended up with one sea monster, one floating ship, and one shipwreck scene!

The students worked hard painting, and I was so proud of them! For being my least favorite medium, it turned out to be my favorite project...that is until the next due date!