Visual Art

Make your Universe (3-8)

by Mandy McGee | Anna Teer, Elementary School, Middle School, Single Session, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

What if you were asked what your ideal world would be…and then you had the opportunity to create a visual of it? In Make Your Universe, students will do just that. Students are given the freedom to put together what their ideal world would be and the opportunity to experiment with the art of collage making by using magazine clippings to create a unique art piece. Through this, students both express themselves and gain a better understanding of collage as an art form.

Paint What you “Sea” (1-5)

by Mandy McGee | Anna Teer, Elementary School, Lafayette Parish, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

Color, fluidity, line…and freedom. These all come together in a watercolor creation in Paint What You “Sea.” Over the course of a class period, students will experiment with color and shading through painting images of the ocean. They will be guided in creating fluidity and line with their brushes; through that, they will gain a basic understanding of watercolor painting and experience the freedom that comes with the medium.

Carve it Out (9-12)

by Mandy McGee | Anna Teer, High School, Lafayette Parish, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Vermilion Parish, Visual Art

It’s printmaking! It’s carving! It’s a beginner’s workshop on both! Linocutting, a process by which the artist carves into a flat surface and then inks the “raised” bits to create a mirror image print, is the glue that unites the two techniques. Students in this session will be given design samples and work on carving in a technique used by Picasso, Escher, and many others. At the end of the workshop, students will be able to take home the stamps and prints they created. Here’s to a new skill and a very cool piece of art!

Junk Journaling from Scratch: Mixed Media Storytelling (9-12)

by Mandy McGee | Brianna Autin, High School, Lafayette Parish, Short-Term Residency, Single Session, Visual Art

In this workshop, students will design and construct their own handmade journals using recycled and found materials, then bring those pages to life with collage, writing, drawing, and mixed media techniques. Through a mixture of guided prompts and creative freedom, students will explore personal expression and visual storytelling in a low-pressure, highly tactile format. Students will learn simple book binding techniques, explore artistic journaling as a tool for self-reflection, and discover methods for collaging and repurposing recycled materials.

Short-Term Residency Option:

Day one: The teaching artist will discuss what a junk journal is, show examples, and create the cover/main structure for their journals.

Day two: The teaching artist will begin with a brief demo showing students some ideas for pages and techniques for creating things like pockets. Students will be given a number of prompts to use as jumping off points for their pages.

Day three: Students will warm up by creating a new spread focusing on slightly deeper prompts such as “what my room says about me” or “things I want to remember,” followed by time for reflection and group discussion.

Cool Fish (K-2)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Jan Fontenot, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

Illustrations make great teachers, and that is true in this case. Students will draw referencing images of tropical fish, and create details with line designs and patterns. Then, they will use a watercolor resist technique to complete and enhance the piece. Multiple techniques, multiple chances for visual expression!

Underwater Adventures (K-8)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Jan Fontenot, Middle School, Science, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

Under the sea! This session is an artistic adventure on the ocean floor. Students will learn how to paint an eight legged octopus from a reference image, how to use contrast in their art for layering, and how to incorporate shapes and texture. This class includes a science component: there will be time to discuss some of the unique characteristics of this beloved sea creature.

Draw a Crawfish (K-5)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Jan Fontenot, Louisiana, Science, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

You LOVE to eat them, and now you will love to DRAW them! In this session, students will learn how to draw a crawfish step by step. But this will not just be any crawfish…students will be exposed to Acadiana artist Hannah Gumbo’s drawing style and discover how she takes a drawing and transforms it into lots of different things! So that crawfish is more than just good eating!

Earth’s Night Sky (3-8)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Jan Fontenot, Middle School, Science, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

The stars are your guides…not just in astrology, but in this session that introduces students to artistic tools and concepts. Students will be asked “As you’re standing in a forest and looking up, what do you see?” Students will then utilize a collection of brushes and tools in order to paint and draw their visualization. They will learn shapes, perspective, depth, and position when viewed from a particular point of view as they paint a nighttime scene of stars, a moon, sky and tree tops.

Georgia O’Keeffe’s Flowers (3-12)

by Mandy McGee | Art History, Elementary School, High School, Jan Fontenot, Middle School, Science, Seasons, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

No one saw a flower the way artist Georgia O’Keeffe did. She looked closely, depicted flowers on a large scale, and over the course of seven decades, this modernist painter changed the art world. In this session, students will draw their own flowers, large and up-close. This project enables us to see all parts of the flower and emphasizes warm and cool colors.

Hearts of Clay (K-2)

by Mandy McGee | Elementary School, Holidays, Jan Fontenot, Single Session, St. Landry Parish, Visual Art

Let’s get to the “heart” of the matter! Students will learn to roll clay coil shapes and spirals to form heart shapes with clay. Clay hearts can be made as gifts, ornaments, or just for creative fun! Classes will complete the activity by writing a simple message about the creation to go along with their hearts of clay. Perfect for a world that needs more love!

ADDITIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION RESOURCES