In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Tom Lichtenheld

Art Project Part 1: Sketching
I encouraged the kids to sketch out their ideas with pencils and erasers. I had lots of pictures of Tom Lichtenheld's art processes from Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Supplies

• pencils, erasers, paper

Storytime

• Sing by Joe Raposo
• Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton
• Ten rules of the birthday wish by Beth Ferry
• Exclamation point by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Art Project Part 2: Colored pencils
The kids color their drawings with colored pencils; there are also activity sheets.

Supplies

• watercolor pencils
• bleeding art tissue paper
• water, paint brushes
• paper (thick/stiff works best)

Resources

• Tom Lichtenheld's website
• Seven Impossible Things

Evaluation

• 8-19-26
• I've only done this once before - it generally works better with older kids. I just read a couple stories (Sing, Shark vs. Train, and This is a moose) and then we used watercolor pencils and bleeding art tissue paper.
• 6-28-19
• Attendance: 21
• Notes: I taped the samples of works in progress to a table for the kids to look at. I forgot to bring over toys for the little ones again. Most attendees stayed until 3 and had a great time.

In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Sarah S. Brannen

Books

• Collaborations with Melissa Stewart - nature journal style
• Monarch and Mourning Cloak
• Summer sleepers
• Feathers
• Seashells
• Toddler-friendly books
• A perfect day
• Bear needs help

Art Project 1: Bleeding art tissue paper

• Bleeding art tissue paper
• Paper (thick, non-absorbent paper works best if you have it)
• Water
• Paintbrushes

This is for toddlers or those who don't want to get messy. They just paint the water over the tissue and it "bleeds" onto the paper. It's sold in packs of all colors, but only the dark pink, blue, and purple actually work though. Little kids mostly just enjoy getting things wet anyways. You can either wait for the paper to dry and brush off the wet tissue paper scraps or peel off the wet ones, dying your fingers colors in the process.

Art Project 2: Liquid watercolors

• Liquid watercolors
• Watercolor paper
• Brushes

This is for older kids - these paints stain. I store them in baby food jars and occasionally they dry out - just add a little water. Every once in a while they go bad though and all you can do then is toss them. Theoretically you could add water and dilute them, but that's a little too complicated for my audience.

I had planned to pass out pencils and notebooks and go outside to sketch things the kids saw, but I had only a couple toddlers to start with and then a few older kids at the end come in to paint and it was hot and humid so I skipped that.

In short, I am Busy: We Explore Artist Julie Paschkis

Best swirly art in the style of Julie Paschkis!

Art Project Part 1: Sketching

The kids start with pencils and drawing paper and I show pictures of Paschkis' sketches for her artwork, especially P. Zonka. I encourage them not to worry about "mistakes" or extra lines.

Supplies

• Pencils and drawing paper

Storytime

During storytime I discuss Paschkis' art process and how the pictures and words are put together. Paschkis is a really easy artist for this because there are a number of interviews with her on  Seven Impossible Things' interview as well as information on her website.

Read-Alouds

• P. Zonka Lays an Egg
• Mooshka, a quilt story
• Zigzag
• Eek! by Julie Larios
• Crick Crack Crow by Janet Lord
• Vivid: Poems and notes about color
• Barking ballad
• Who put the cookies in the cookie jar by George Shannon
• Fat cat by Margaret Read Macdonald
• Magic spell (this is good to show Paschkis' earlier style)

Display books

• Making light bloom by Sandra Nickel
• Kalinka and Grakkle
• Summer birds by Margarita Engle
• Pablo Neruda by Monica Brown

Art Project Part 2: Painting

Older kids can be encouraged to mix their paints and make new colors, using biocolors. Younger children can use the no-spill paint cups. As always, we change brushes between colors so we don't need cups of water.

Supplies

• Tempera paint in no-spill cups
• Biocolor paint and styrofoam or plastic plates for mixing
• Paintbrushes, aprons, sink, paper towels

Evaluation

In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Katherine Tillotson

Art Project Part 1: Collage

Tillotson primarily uses watercolors, but she does include collage techniques especially in It's picture day today!

• Supplies
• Paper scrap tub
• Buttons, sparkles, feathers
• Paper
• Scissors, glue sticks

Storytime

• Books
• It's picture day today by Megan McDonald
• All the water in the world by George Ella Lyon
• Shoe dog by Megan McDonald
• All ears all eyes by Richard Jackson

Art Project Part 2: Liquid watercolors
The watercolors are poured into ice cube trays

• Liquid watercolors
• Aprons, sink, paper towels, tables covered
• Paint brushes, ice cube trays

In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Gianna Marino

 

Using watercolor pencils

Art Project Part 1: Water color pencils

• Supplies
• Paper
• Water color pencils
• Water cups, paintbrushes

Art Project Part 2: Paint

The kids could start a new project or add to their previous one. I let them mix colors on paper plates.

• Supplies
• Paint cups (tempera)
• Paper
• Paper plates, brushes

In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Leo Lionni

Art Project Part 1: Bleeding art tissue

• If you have thick, textured paper or canvas, the kids can color it with crayons before applying the bleeding art tissue.
• Supplies
• Canvas or thick paper
• Crayons (optional)
• bleeding art tissue, paintbrushes, water

Art Project Part 2: Sponge painting

• I have used clean and dry sponges both in squares and cut into fish shapes. I usually put a few colors of paint on platters and they stamp from those.
• Supplies
• Aprons
• Paint (I used biocolor, but fingerpaint works too)
• Sponges cut into shapes
• Platters or paper plates for the sponges

Notes

• Other art projects that can be used are cut paper collage, layering tissue paper, and different methods of stamping and print-making.

Evaluation

In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Denise Fleming

Art Project Part 1: Decoupage

We did decoupage as the closest thing to making our own paper that I could think of. The kids ripped up tissue paper and "painted" over it with glue.

• Supplies
• Shirt cardboard or cardstock
• Tissue paper in small pieces
• Glue, paintbrushes

Storytime

• Books
• Lunch (flannel board)
• Barnyard Banter (big book)
• In the Tall, Tall Grass
• Mama cat has three kittens
• Five little ducks (sing)

Art Project Part 2: Paint

The kids could start a new project or add to their previous one. I encouraged them to get messy and use lots of thick, textured swirls.

• Supplies
• Fingerpaint
• Shirt cardboard or cardstock
• Glue, paper towels, paper plates

Notes

• When doing this program with an older/smaller group, I tend to do storytime first and then the art in one chunk at the end. We have recently been experimenting with paper making, so that's also an option. We have a blender and two small screened molds. We prepared the "slush" ahead of time and had various materials and colors to add to play around with the paper.

We Explore Artist Herve Tullet

Art Project Part 1: Dot play

Supplies 

• Die cut circles and Os
• Construction paper
• Tape, markers

I encouraged the kids to think of the different ways they could use circles and draw on/around them.

Art Project Part 2: Painting

Supplies

• Fingerpaint
• Paper plates

I let each kid pick 3 colors and gave them a plate with colors and a plate for mixing.

Storytime

The classic Tullet titles are Press Here and Mix it up! There are two more nebulous stories, I have an idea! and Help! We need a title!

In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Ed Emberley

  Program Goals:

• Introduce Ed Emberley and his art
• Encourage gross and fine motor skills (cutting, gluing, printing)

Art Project Part 1: Collage

I had precut shapes and paper to cut up and the kids did cutting and gluing to make pictures.

• Supplies
• Precut shapes (circules, triangles, squares)
• Construction paper (colored) and scraps
• Cardstock (recycled)
• Googly eyes
• Glue, scissors

Storytime

Depending on the age of the kids, we'll talk about different aspects of the art, anything from identifying colors and shapes to asking questions about the author's process and materials. Technically Emberley and his daughter collaborate, but I usually don't talk as much about the art in these books because we're so busy having fun!

• Books
• Go away big green monster (puppet)
• Red Hen (flannelboard)
• Drummer Hoff
• Chicken Little
• If you're a monster and you know it (song)
• I know an old monster (song)

Art Project Part 2: Thumbprints/drawing

If you don't have stamp pads the kids can color their fingers with markers and press them to the paper. Stamp pads are easier. I also have Emberley's thumbprint and other drawing books on display.

• Supplies
• Stamp pads (I got a set of minis from Amazon for about $10)
• Paper, fine-tip gel pens and/or permanent markers
• wet wipes

Evaluation

In short, I am busy: We Explore Favorite Artist Beth Krommes

•   Program Goals
• Introduce Beth Krommes and her art
• Encourage gross and fine motor skills

Art Project Part 1: Scratch art
If I had an older group I would have had them make their own, but during the school year this group is smaller.

Supplies

• scratch art paper
• scratch art tools

Storytime
Depending on the age of the kids, we'll talk about different aspects of the art, anything from identifying colors and shapes to asking questions about the author's process and materials.

Books

• The house in the night by Susan Swanson
• Blue on blue by Dianne White
• Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root
• Butterfly eyes by Joyce Sidman
• Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman

Art Project Part 2: Paint
This was fingerpaint, but they had popsicle sticks to make patterns. Each kid got to pick three colors and two popsicle sticks, one to spread and one to draw patterns.

Supplies

• fingerpaint
• paper
• popsicle sticks
• paper towels

Evaluation

In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Melissa Sweet

Art Project Part 1: Collages

I encourage kids and parents to cut out words as well as pictures to create their collage.

• Supplies
• old magazines/recycled picture books/galleys
• scissors, glue sticks
• Watercolor paper, heavy cardstock, or thin cardboard

Storytime

• Books
• Carmine a little more red
• Easy as pie
• Baabwaa and Wooliam
• Rubia and the three osos

Art Project Part 2: Watercolors

I've used actual paint for this, but you get better (and less messy) watercolors with watercolor pencils if they're available.

• Supplies
• Watercolor pencils OR liquid watercolors
• Water, paint brushes

Evaluation

In short, I am busy: We Explore Artist Eric Carle

Art Project Part 1: Painting

The kids start by painting. The idea is to cover their paper with paint, not necessarily draw specific items. Ideally it should be thinly applied. Once they've finished, they leave them to dry and sit down for storytime, if you are not doing it simultaneously. They can make multiple paintings and if you have a parent or aide available, they should go around and blot the paintings with paper towels to make them dry faster.

Supplies

• Paint (red, blue, green) in spill-proof cups
• White construction paper
• Paint brushes, paper towels, aprons Storytime
• I start with the Very Hungry Caterpillar puppet and book. After this interactive story, we read more Eric Carle books. Depending on the audience, I talk about animal sounds, counting, coloring techniques, imagination, texture, the pictures, etc.

Books

• Very Hungry Caterpillar (puppet program)
• The Very Busy Spider
• 1, 2, 3 To the zoo
• The artist who painted a blue horse
• Hello Red Fox (school age)

Art Project Part 2: Collage
The kids cut up their paintings to make collages. More paper towels may be needed to blot wet paintings and you may need to clean the scissors afterwards.

Supplies

• Cardstock or thin cardboard for the bases
• Scissors
• Glue or glue sticks
• Paper towels

Evaluation