Painted Large Leafs with 3rd Grade

If you have been reading my blog the past year you probably know how much I love elaborate displays. For me, creating displays is where I can make my "own art" even during the crazy times in the school year. It gives me that art making fix if I just can't make time to do anything of my own. You probably also know making trees as part of displays is my FAVORITE. I have a hard time figuring out why I love tree displays and tree art so much because I am NOT an outdoors person. This project is my favorite display so far this year!

I was inspired to do these leaves via Painted Paper and this Pinterest post. I did vary slightly from her project but it was pretty close to the same! When I discovered that Georgia O'Keeffe was the inspiration I was more excited because she is from our state Wisconsin! Somehow, that makes it that much more exciting for students too.

I Can statement: I can create a leaf as large as my paper using a fall color scheme.

Before Day 1: On the last workday of their sunflower project, I introduced to them this worksheet where they practiced each kind of leaf and then drew their most successful on the back of the sheet as large as possible.

Day 1: First thing when they came in, I showed them the same YouTube video I showed my first graders when they did their scarecrow. This time more relevant since they are making leaves.

We then looked at Georgia O'Keeffe's Autumn Leaves, Lake George painting and talked a little more about O'Keeffe herself and some of her other works. We then looked at her leaves again and talked about the color scheme she used and what color scheme was.

I grabbed some paint chips from Lowe's the week before that were fall colors and showed them how the colors sometimes even have names about fall!

Then the painting began! Covering an entire sheet of 12x18 in a fall color scheme of paint. It was so fun to watch them paint without worry :)

Day 2: I did a demo of how to draw a leaf that takes up the entire piece of paper. I made sure to remind them to draw it on the BACK on their painting to keep it pencil free. Before they went on their own they got their leaf sheets back to look at and see which one they were most successful with. After the first student cut theirs out I used theirs as an example of how to add the black paint for the outline and veins.

I loved that even my students with special needs could make such beautiful pieces almost exactly the same way right along side their classmates. They may stand out a little more but it is work all their own!

McDill Elementary...

Jefferson Elementary...

VERY small 3rd grade here and some are missing for Art shows