Working with Collage and Paper-Made Projects: October's Stepping Stones

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Paper is a staple material used by art educators of all age levels, and with it comes a multitude of ideas for projects, planning, and exploration.  Depending on the grade levels you teach, there are plenty of ways to use your imagination when creating paper-based projects and collage.

When purchasing paper for your class projects, you have many size options, the most common being 9 x 12 or 12 x 18.  Many art teachers trim down their paper for project sizes or templates, which creates extra paper trimmings. These trimmings are the best to use for collage paper projects.  When I was teaching from a cart, I saved box lids from the copy machine paper and created bins for each color of scrap paper. In using this method, I was able to use every last bit of paper down to the last scrap.  

Paper Storage: If you save multiple colors of paper for projects, brainstorm a way to store them.  You can create boxes for each color (or color combinations), stacked shelves, or bins.  When I traveled, I created a separate cart to hold all the different colored scrap boxes.  Now that I’m in a classroom, I used book holders for my paper scraps that fit nicely into a shelf.

Collage: Project ideas are infinite, and in knowing your students, you can develop a project that sparks their interests while teaching important concepts.  One type of paper project is a collage. A collage is an artwork made by attaching various materials, such as photographs, paper, or fabric onto a backing.  You can create a collage in a landscape, still life, portrait, abstract art, or various images unified together.  One of the concepts I love to teach with collage projects is perspective, enhancing foreground, middleground, and background details.  One example I teach is a pumpkin patch with 3rd grade. In using colored paper and scraps, students learn how to place background details first before adding the middle ground and foreground details.  

Painted Paper: Another way to encourage creativity with collage projects is by making painted paper.  One method is using Geli plates, where students can create monoprints of texture and pattern on paper to use for collage projects.  Geli plates create a monoprint by rolling paint (either tempura or acrylic) onto the plate and removing paint to create an image prior to placing paper on top for the print.  Once you pull the paper off the plate, you have a print you can use for collage projects! You can also use other methods to paint paper, such as marbling, or stamping.

Mosaics: You can create a project that encourages pattern, repetition, and patience by making a paper mosaic.  A mosaic is a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces, which could be stone, tile, glass, or in this case, paper!  Paper mosaic projects can be created by ripping or cutting small pieces of paper and arranging them to create an image. One artist we like to visit with mosaic projects is Alma Woodsey Thomas, a African-American abstract painter.  Alma’s paintings titled “Eclipse” and “Starry Night with Astronaut” are two popular images with our elementary students because they enjoy the colors, patterns, and ideas behind the creation of the paintings. When creating a mosaic project with your students, make sure the size is appropriate for their age level.  In reflection from prior lessons, I notice that younger students can lose interest quickly when they don’t see their progress coming along in a timely fashion.

Paper Sculptures and Origami: You can encourage creating 3-dimensional artworks using paper too!  3-Dimensional art can be achieved using paper and a few folding and gluing techniques!  When imagining paper sculptures, many people think about origami, which is the Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes and figures.  You can also create paper sculpture projects, like spheres with strips of paper, or relief projects with folded or textured paper.  3D paper projects can be started as early as Kindergarten. After my students learn how to create 3D out of paper, they love to make their own pop-up projects on their own!

Handmade Paper: Let’s say you used your paper scraps to the point where they need to be tossed or recycled.  If you have the materials to make handmade paper, consider recycling your scraps by teaching students how to create hand-made paper!  Just by using a blender, strainer, and water bins, you can re-use certain papers to create something new! In the past, I’ve done handmade paper with after school art classes because the process can get messy.

If you run short of paper project ideas for the grade level you teach, don’t hesitate to visit art teacher groups on social media, blogs, or pins on Pinterest!  

Connecting to Nature with Art: June's Stepping Stones

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This month, teachers are closing up their classrooms, or already enjoying the beginning of summer break. If you’re still in session or out of the classroom, June is a wonderful time to begin reconnecting with the natural elements and be re-inspired to design lessons for the next school year. Summer break is my time to recharge, and the best way to do that is by being outdoors and enjoying nature as often as possible. This month’s theme is natural environments and I’d like to focus on how to use nature to reconnect and be inspired for the next school year.

(Walking a labyrinth is a god way to clear your mind while being outdoors.  Labyrinths can be found at many conservatories, preserves, or wellness centers.)

Connect to Earth by taking care of your physical self. We put forth so much extra effort during the school year that it takes a toll on us physically. If you do not keep up with a daily routine, consider stretching exercises. Spend time going outdoors, observing your surroundings. Do some yoga, meditate, or just sit in the shade to relax. Besides exercise, summertime is also when most of us have time to create. If you don’t have space at home, look for a local art studio to have a space for yourself. Practice new techniques or create new pieces from what materials you love to work with. Consider bringing some clay home to create sculptures for yourself, as well as examples for your classroom.

Connect to Air by exercising your creative thinking and imagination. The element of air represents thinking, designing, and learning. In the summer months, consider taking your professional development courses to increase your knowledge and experiences. Take time to learn something new. Write down any ideas that come to mind, so when you have time to pursue it, you will not forget the lightbulbs that lit up in your brains. Completing professional development will not only help elevate your status where you work, but builds your confidence in what lessons and processes you teach.

Connect to Fire by igniting your passion for the arts. At the end of the school year, many of our candles are burnt on both ends. It’s not just teaching, but all the extra activities that happen around this time of year, such as graduations, recitals, and more. With feeling worn out, we lose our passion for what we love, which for us, is anything having to do with the arts. Use this time to rekindle your passion. Visit a museum or gallery. Be a student and take an art class. Watch a dance or musical performance. Last summer, I discovered fire dancing, which has become popular as outdoor nighttime performances.





Connect to Water by recognizing the emotions and feelings you put into your work. Are you feeling burnt out after a challenging school year? It’s okay, you are not the only one! Sadly, criticism of showing outward emotion is real, so we tell ourselves to bottle our sensitivity inside. If you feel this way, use this summer to release your emotions constructively through your work. The more you do for yourself, the better you’ll be for helping others. This is why it is so important to take time for yourself, even if you’re a parent of kids any age. On the flip side, if you have a special place to visit (like a vacation spot), you may find inspiration for your own artwork or lessons you teach just by being in a place that makes you happy! For example, our family cottage is on a large lake. I love to sit on the picnic bench with a watercolor pad and paint the scene I see before me. Just by sitting and painting the nature around me recharges my batteries and helps me to recharge for the next school year.

Connect to Spirit by being yourself and recognizing where your inspiration comes from. One of the great joys of being on social media as an educator is that we have found so many ways to gather ideas and resources to use for our classrooms and curriculum. Ideas are inspiring and help motivate you to design more authentic projects for your students. Connecting with other art teachers has also been important because we’ve developed a community support system. This summer, when you’re planning for the following school year, design lessons that inspire both you and your students. The more excited you are about the materials you teach, the more students will be inspired as well. Be yourself and your work will be authentic too.

I wish the best of luck for those who are completing their school years, as well as those who continue to teach throughout the summer. You are all amazing educators and deserve the time to take a step and breath. I look forward to the amazing works our students will create in the following school year!

Fitting Sculpture into Your Art Classes: May's Stepping Stones

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Three-dimensional artworks are some of the most fun, yet challenging projects to make in an art class. No matter what material you work with, there are many factors to consider when planning your lessons and creating products that are more than paper or canvas.

For this month’s Stepping Stones, I’d like to focus on planning sculpture projects in your classes. If you are a first year teacher or in a new teaching environment, there are factors to consider when planning your lessons and creating successful projects.

1. Know your space. Not everyone teaches in a permanent art room. Many are on a cart, travel, or share a space with another teacher. If you do not have a space of your own, this is where you get to be a little more creative with planning.

But first, check your space to answer the following questions. Do you have the resources available to work with ceramic or air dry clay? Is there space to work with paper sculptures or papier-mâché projects? Do you have space available to construct a 3D form? Spend some time exploring your space to see if you have the ability to create certain types of sculpture projects.

2. Know your storage. After you judge whether or not your space is a decent place to build 3D forms, plan where you wish to keep the student projects stored during the week. If you’re in your own room, plan to keep labeled bins, boxes, or labeled shelves for stored projects. If you’re on a cart, discuss ways you and the homeroom teacher can store bins or projects away from student hands. If you’re in a temporary space, work with your administrator to find places to store artworks when you’re not at the school.

3. Know your budget. While browsing the art-supply catalogs, you may notice that sculpture materials are some of the expensive items in your supply lists. Although it may be challenging to squeeze clay, glazes or tools into your lists, they are essential items to help a student develop their artistic skills.

Moving students from 2D to 3D is a good step to help with their spatial awareness and creative thinking. Sculpture materials may be on the high end of your budget, but find a way to squeeze in what you can. If it’s a struggle to fit sculpture materials into your budget, consider creating a “DonorsChoose” project. A little extra work advocating for materials can really help with supplies for your students!

4. Explore with the materials available. No matter what your budget is, you can find ways to create sculpture projects in your classes. But before you hand students a wire spool and ask them to create a 3D form, practice what you wish to have your students make. Take the time to create the project yourself before sharing it with your students. In doing so, it will help with working out any complications your students may come across when building their own projects.

5. Explore ideas on social media and blogs. Are you stuck on what to make for your sculpture lessons? Trying to find an artist to teach your students? There are multiple blogs and projects shared throughout art groups on social media! Teachers are always sharing pictures of projects, along with lesson details to help other teachers interested in taking the projects on with their own students! Some of the most exciting projects made in my class were inspired by other teachers around the globe! If you find a project you like, be sure to pay it forward and share an idea that you design down the road! We all work together to share amazing ideas with our classes!

6. Start small. One of the mistakes I made as a first year teacher was not budgeting the space I had available when student projects had to dry or be stored during the week. While pushing a cart from room to room, I underestimated the amount of space I had available and ended up creating projects that were too big to store. Whether it’s paper or clay, make the judgment call on what space you have available and test out how big or little to make the sculpture projects. After creating a few clay or paper sculptures, you will become aware of what space you have and how much further you can go.

7. Consider Collaborations. Sculptures do not have to be individual projects, you can also create collaborative projects that can be installations around your schools! A few years back, the teachers worked together to create a recycled sculpture art walk! Each class created a concept, collected the recycled materials, and created life-sized sculptures that were displayed throughout the school.

Have fun exploring with the 3D materials you have! Your students’ imaginations may surprise you!

Celebrating Earth Day in the Art Room: April's Stepping Stones

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Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd, which marks the anniversary of the start of the environmental movement in 1970. On that day, we find ways to take care of and replenish our planet. Earth Day is now the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people every year. There are many ways to recognize Earth Day within your classroom, as well as ways to conserve your materials and give your part in helping the earth. No matter how to try to help the planet, you can be an advocate for Earth Day!

Include recycled projects in your lessons and classroom. There are plenty of project ideas you can find in blogs, Pinterest, and online forums that incorporate recycled materials. Think about what materials are easy to collect yourself, or use materials that have been donated to you. Bottle caps make great murals, and they also make great bug sculptures for Spring projects. If you plan far enough ahead, you can have letters send home to parents asking for materials, such as paper towel tubes, newspaper, unused paper plates, washed out containers, 2-liter bottles, or more! You can also collect recycled materials to use in the art room for water cups, plates, containers, and storage bins. As beautiful as the room could be with color-coded, purchased storage bins, recycled containers will achieve the same purpose.

(Photo from a project posted in Art Ed Guru)

Design gifts that continue to grow in the classroom or at home. There are many projects that can be designed in the art room that can continue to bloom at home! Ceramic projects (pots, cups, or vessels) can hold plants and can grow seeds (chia seeds, grass, etc.). If you do not have access to clay, you can always use milk carton containers to design, or any other vessel that can hold seeds and plants. You can also have students document the growth of a plant from seeds by having them sketch the stages of growth from seedling to full flower, which ties in science.

(Image from the Chocolate Muffin Tree)

Explore the world of earth art. One of the most popular “Earth Art” lesson ideas is inspired by the artist Andy Goldsworthy, who is known for his artworks created from natural elements. Earth art is also known as “Land Art” or Earthworks,” where artists use the natural landscape to create sculptures. Earth art comes directly from the source, such as stones, water, dirt, and tree elements (branches and leaves). Other Earth artists to study would be Robert Smithson, Nancy Holt, and Richard Long. April would be the perfect time to take classes outside to create individual or collaborative earthworks within your school grounds. If you receive permission from administration, you can use any collected leaves, branches, rocks, soil or water. Creating a collaborative Earthwork would be a fun project and a beautiful addition to any school or community!

Create a collaborative outdoor rock garden. A very popular collaborative school-wide project that’s been successful in many schools is the rock garden, inspired by “Kindness Rocks” or the book “Only One You” by Linda Kranz. Rock gardens make a beautiful addition to any school and leaves a lasting memory. The project can include all faculty and students within the school. Although rocks are a natural element of the earth, rock gardens are created with painted images on each rock, along with an acrylic spray coating to keep the colors lasting. If you’re ever interested in creating a rock garden of your own, first bring the idea to your administration, then contact local landscaping companies for possible donations. Many would be more than happy to donate pebbles needed for your garden! Please remember to not collect rocks from state and national parks.

                                        

Teach your students to watch their waste. Do you have students who want to throw the paper away after one little mistake? One of the main rules I share in the beginning of the year is to watch the waste with paper, paint, and other materials used. Students are shown how to turn their papers over if a mistake is made, as well as how to save space with colored construction paper when creating collage projects. The best way to have students watch their own waste is to follow by example. Make sure to remind students to watch what they use, especially when it comes to paint and construction paper

                                         


Recycle! If your school has a recycle program, make use of it! Create a recycle bin and guide students to watch where they place their waste at the end of class. It will help them to remember to recycle throughout the day!

Even with all the consumable materials we use for lessons, we can still teach our students how to be aware of their waste and help take care of our planet. One step at a time!

Preparing for Seattle's NAEA Convention: March's Stepping Stones

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Get ready, because this year’s NAEA convention is taking place in Seattle, Washington from March 22nd-24th! I remember visiting Seattle for NAEA’s convention back in 2011. With living in the midwest, the two-hour time difference had me up and ready at 5am! I enjoyed walking around the city in the early morning, viewing the outdoor sculptures, and watching the set up at Pike’s Place Market. There’s so many hidden gems in Seattle to visit outside of the convention and so much to do while at the center! I’d like to offer some tips in preparing for the national convention and visiting the city of Seattle.

Be prepared for the weather! Seattle has been known for its rainy weather patterns, so keep a close eye on the forecast! Prepare to dress warm and bring a travel umbrella in case of rainfalls in March, but hope for the light cardigan weather. The average weather last March in Seattle was in the 50s, so hope for decent weather this year! The waterfront (which is walking distance to the hotel and convention center) is also the best place for morning strolls.

Don’t forget your walking shoes! Even if you’re not a morning runner, there’s a lot to do within the city! Straight down Pike Street is the Pike Place Market on the waterfront, the a short walk to the left will lead you to the Seattle Art Museum and SAM Gallery. There’s also a beautiful sculpture garden along the waterfront leading up to more galleries, coffee shops, and shopping! You can also make the hike to the Space Needle observation deck and Seattle Center, and if you get tired, you can take the monorail back toward the convention center.

Utilize the NAEA Seattle convention app! Since NAEA created their convention app a few years back, it became a valuable resource for planning sessions to attend (broken down by topics, presenters, and divisions), hands-on workshops to enjoy, connecting with friends, and learning more about super session and guest speakers. The app is available for free for your phones and tablets. You can also use the app to write and store notes while attending presentations, plus handouts can be uploaded for specific sessions.

Make room in your luggage for the vendors! It’s highly recommended not to over pack before you head to the conference! Save some room for those samples and goodies you want to take back to your classroom, generously given by vendors in attendance! The vendors consist of companies that supply your art materials, magazine subscriptions, art fundraisers, books and posters, and much more! You can also order supplies while at the convention to be shipped to your school.

Print labels with your address for raffles and giveaways! I describe the vendor area like an art teacher’s toy store: multiple vendor giveaways, mailing list sign-ups, and prizes. Labels make it much easier for you to place a sticker and go instead of spending time hand writing your entire address and phone number from booth to booth.

Plan some time to visit Seattle! There’s plenty to do off site from the convention. You will be close to plenty of attractions, such as the Seattle Art Museum, SAM Gallery, Seattle Center, Museum of Pop Culture, and other various galleries filled with contemporary artworks in various media. The Olympic Sculpture Park is an offshoot of the Seattle Art Museum that features various sculptures spread over a spacious park. There’s also Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour, Gum Wall (near Pike’s Place Market), The Seattle Aquarium, and if you travel further west, the Seattle Japanese Garden, featuring a cherry orchard, water features, and a teahouse.

Make a stop at the information booth! The volunteer committee will be available to help direct you to where you need to go! From local restaurants, workshop locations, cultural attractions, and more, members are around to help you with any assistance you need!

Attend the social media “meet-ups.” If you’re on Twitter (#artsed #pln), Facebook (Art Teachers Group and sub groups), or any other social media outlet, there will be plenty of meet-ups, brunches, and events around the convention. Keep an eye out on your preferred social media network for extra gatherings to meet people face to face!

Follow the #NAEA18 Tagboard.  NAEA's tagboard is the quickest way to gather all the #NAEA18 tags from different sites. Just go to https://tagboard.com/naea18 to view all the posts and follow what's happening!

If this is your first convention, I hope you have a wonderful experience! There’s so much to do and see on and off site, you will leave will a head full of ideas and inspiration for your classroom, curriculum, and art department. The convention is one of the best professional development opportunities available for art teachers! Have fun and be inspired!

Courage with Clay: February's Stepping Stones

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One of the trickiest materials to work with while traveling or working without a room is clay.  Clay materials can take up a bit of space, but it’s one of the most entertaining projects that students become engaged in.  No matter if it’s play dough or ceramic clay, students love to sculpt and mold!  Clay projects can be created in any space you work in.  From the start, it may appear to overwhelm you, but if you plan accordingly, clay projects can be one of your most successful lessons of the school year.

Start with knowing your space.  Do you have a classroom all year round?  You can provide space in your room to work and store materials.  Do you have a kiln in your school?  Even better!  Is there a kiln in the district, but not in your room?  Consider creating clay projects that can handle traveling to another school to be fired.  Do you travel?  Investigate where you can store materials either before the clay is used or while the projects are drying.

Figure out with clay works best.  If you have a kiln in your school or district, you have the ability to use ceramic clay that can be fired and glazed.  If not, consider ordering air-dry clay, which can help in giving your students a similar experience with molding the material.  Even with traveling from room to room, you can manage providing clay lessons for your students.  The key to teaching clay from a cart is to communicate with your co-workers on how to manage the clay with a shared space.

Communicate with other teachers involved.  If you move a cart from room to room, inform your co-workers about your intent to use clay materials.  Your co-worker may have space to help store projects during the week, such as the top of shelves or closets.  When you communicate with the teacher, both of you can collaborate to help students have the experience of working with the materials.  In the past, when I traveled from room to room, I would keep the air-dry clay in a box behind the teacher’s desk in the morning, which made it easier for me to travel without moving around a heavy box.

Research how to disperse the clay.  Since I currently have a room, I find it easier to use the clay cutter to disperse the clay.  When I was traveling, I would split the clay in advance and place it in boxes in the teacher’s classrooms until I visited for my art time.  Managing your clay materials will make it easier for you no matter what situation you teach in.

Protect the table tops.  Whether your classroom tables or students’ desks, figure out how to cover your table space.  I use 12” x 12”canvas clothes for our clay projects, but when I traveled, I needed to use gallon size ziploc bags to protect student desks.  During clean up, it’s always good to have a cleaner recommended by the school district.  Art time in elementary can be limited, but with the mess that clay can make, leave extra time for cleaning the tables.

There are other clay materials that work.  In our district, we introduce ceramic or air-dry clay in 3rd grade and create a clay-based project each year until 8th grade.  For my early elementary grade levels, I still use Crayola model magic for some of the student projects. Our intent is to have the early elementary develop an understanding of form; how 2-dimensional shapes can be made into a 3-dimensional form.  We also want students to learn how to create basic forms before using more advanced clay materials, like ceramic clays.

It’s okay to use Playdough.  At the kindergarten level, I introduce using playdough and the students love it!  It helps them become familiar with clay materials, plus they giggle and laugh with everything they make!  There are simple clay tools that help with fine motor development, such as rollers, scissors, and press molds for rolling, pressing, cutting, and molding.  At the end of the class, the clay can be put away for another class to use.  

Plan how you’ll design and finish the pieces. If you have the materials and space provided, take it the next step!  If you have a kiln, there are plenty of glazes available to use to decorate your fired clay projects!  If you do not have access to a kiln, consider having students use acrylic paints to finish their projects.  Acrylic leaves a bright color coating, plus you can add a clear coat to protect the paint.  

No matter what space you have or what your teaching situation is, you can always make room for clay projects!  Have courage and plan time to get creative with clay!

Expressing Culture and Identity in Art: January's Stepping Stones

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One of the best qualities of our society is our immense blend of multiple cultures.  Today, we can easily do a DNA search to find our ancestral background and see just how many different regions of our planet make up our genetic markers.  We also have families who immigrate from their native homelands for brighter opportunities, travel to explore different perspectives, and study abroad to expand their learning.  This helps to build empathy and open-mindedness for a more positive future.

It is important to recognize multiple cultures in your classroom because your students come from many different backgrounds.  You may have refugees, first generation families, or children from mixed heritage.  Your students will all be different with individual stories, faiths, cultures, and identities.  As an educator, you are responsible in helping students feel safe and accepted in our diverse society.

Discussing culturalism can be a sensitive topic, but it is important because it is a part of our identities.  From elementary through higher education, students want to convey their individualism through the arts.  Our art classes are one of the best outlets for students to express themselves.  It is up to us, as their teachers and role models, to facilitate the learning environment for our students.  There are a few approaches you can take to help build diverse relationships in your classroom.  

Create lessons that are inspired by the variety of your students’ cultures and backgrounds. Students love to learn about artists that they can relate to.  For example, if you have a larger population of Hispanic students, create a lesson inspired by Mexican Folk Art or known artists from the region.  If you have Arabic students, create lessons inspired by Middle Eastern geometric designs or architecture.  From experience, students respond very well when learning about art and artists that reflect a part of their own background.

When available, leave room for students to express their culture and identity in their artworks.  This does not need to happen in each and every lesson you teach, but if given the chance, students love to add images and patterns that represent a bit about themselves, from their favorite toy, comic, colors, symbols, and familiar imagery from their culture.  This helps give students more personal ownership of their pieces and more pride in themselves.  

Tread lightly with holidays.  Holiday projects can very fun, but, there are cultures and religions that do not recognize the same holidays that we do.  For instance, I have families that cannot work with Halloween, while others recognize Samhain.  I work around the holiday themes by focusing on the seasons instead.  Many projects give room for students to add holiday details on their own terms.  For example, I do a perspective pumpkin patch with 3rd grade, but it’s their choice if they want to add faces, ghosts, or bats in their artworks.  You can also work with winter trees, but it leaves room for students to add decorations if they wish.

Keep an open mind when using symbolism.   Sometimes, students may express their identity and culture with the use of symbols.  Many cultures have unique symbols that we may not be familiar with because they are not part of our own heritage.  I had an experience in my 4th grade class when students were painting their clay boxes.  One student who was of Hindu faith added a symbol for prosperity in their traditions.  The class, unaware of the original meaning, had questioned the symbol, which encouraged a conversation about using symbols in proper context.  Through the exposure of a different culture, my students have a better understanding of the diversity around them.

Ask, don’t always assume.  In some cases, you may have an experience where students are using symbols or imagery in their artworks that you may or may not be familiar with.  Some common misunderstood symbols are the hamsa, dharma wheel, pentacle, lotus, ankh, yin yang, and Nordic runes.  Many of these symbols represent a student’s culture or faith, but can easily be taken out of context.  If you see a student using symbolism within their artworks, ask questions about the purpose of the imagery in their artwork before assuming they may be sneaking in a hidden message.  

Invite parents and artists from different cultures to come and talk with your students.  Some of the best cultural resources may lie within your own community!  There are many artists residing in home towns that are more than happy to come and talk with your classes and share their works of art.  In the past, I’ve invited parents to share art and imagery from their family’s homeland, and students have responded very well to having community members come in to talk with them!

The best way we can celebrate diversity is by giving our students the space to express themselves in positive ways.  Let’s give them the opportunity to shine!

Mixed Media Mania: December's Stepping Stones

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Mixed Media Mania

Creating artworks with multiple materials are some of the most memorable projects a student can treasure.  There’s so much experimentation in the process, and opportunities to integrate other ideas within the project creation.  Mixed media is defined as an artwork created with more than one medium.  Common mixed media projects are altered books, artist trading cards, collage (assemblage), quilt art, and inter-media.  Many mixed media techniques are experimented in the upper grade levels, but can also be used as early as Pre-Kindergarten.

When I think of mixed media, I think of STEAM because there is a great opportunity to tie in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the finished artworks.  When coming up with a mixed media project, there are a few things to keep in mind when designing and executing the lesson.  I must confess that some of the tips to be shared were learned by experimentation.

Browse your materials.  Some of the most common mixed media projects require the simplest of materials, such as crayons to watercolor, or Mod Podge for assemblage.  Take the time to go through your collected materials and research what art medium can work with others.  I recommend browsing art education blogs with lesson ideas or visiting websites of art supply companies that list multiple mixed media lesson plans.

Experiment with what you have.  If you have a wonderful idea using multiple materials for your students’ finished products, know what works together and what doesn’t.  This is where it’s always best to create your finished example before executing the lesson.  It’s good to learn first hand what materials can be water resistant or bleed colors when wet.  Document what steps are involved in the process.  Are you incorporating technology?  Do you plan on having students create beginning designs of their products before executing the final piece?  Are there precise measurements involved?  Practicing these steps and performing your experimentation will help you execute the lesson with better ease.

Explore multiple techniques.  Assemblage and resist are two of my go-to techniques with younger grade levels.  My younger students are always interested in the magic of crayons or oil pastels resisting watercolors or tempura paint.  It is also fun to assemble multiple images or drawings and add more elements, such as paint, gel markers, or even air-dry clay for 3-dimensional pieces.  My older students enjoy altering materials, like playing with torn paper, adding images in collage, or painting over found objects.

Know there will be successes and failures.  In my 11 years in education, I have had a few lessons that have been tossed out or heavily modified.  One of my most memorable examples was when I started my “stained glass” tissue paper project with 6^th grade.  I wanted to create a glass effect using tissue paper on clear vellum, and applied black glue to trace the images, which made the glass designs stand out.  When I first started the project, I learned that regular glue was not the glue to use to apply the tissue paper. After many projects dried, the vellum and the tissue paper peeled apart.  I also learned that with using the black glue, projects needed to be dried flat and not on the drying racks, or else they would leak.  I learned that Mod Podge did the trick and created a shiny effect with the tissue paper.  If you start a project off from scratch, you will find out what works after playing with new materials with your students.

Organize the chaos.  Working with multiple materials can be fun and exciting, but when you work with different media (especially when you’re on a cart), you need to keep a stricter eye on the creativity in the room, especially is you have limited amounts of items to use.  I always need to keep this in mind when using feathers, beads, pipe cleaners, or other embellishment materials.  Students want to cake their projects with every bead available, but when the last class is ready to start their project, you end up running out.  Make sure to divide the materials available with all your classes.  There are some projects where I encourage students to pick up their own embellishments, which makes the product more exciting and personal for the maker.  Also, when working with an abundance of materials, allow for additional clean-up time with younger grade levels. 

Enjoy your students’ amazing products!  When the artworks are completed, have the students reflect on their process!  You can achieve this through artist statements or critiques.  You can also have the students talk about the steps used in creating their artworks.  In an open critique, ask them how they felt about the process and finished product. 

Enjoy your mixed media projects with your students!  The are some of the best artworks to make with your students!