Thursday, October 1, 2026
WINTER VALUE PAINTINGS
Winter Value Paintings 
Learning Targets
I can...
- Create an original Winter Value Paintings using drawing techniques learned in class
- Use color combinations (neutral, monochromatic, grayscale), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and value (lightness, darkness, tonal, tints, shades) inspired by American Photographer (1902-1984) Ansel Adams
- Use photography techniques (exposure, dynamic, speed, rule of thirds) and design principles (movement, composition, emphasis) based on American Conservation Movement
- Define Tonal (the lightness or darkness of a color or area called value)
Lesson One
Day One, Art Start
1. Young Oaks In Snow (1938) Ansel Adams
2. Read First Edition Trees: Ansel Adams by Ansel Adams
3. Discussion Questions "How does an artist create a feeling of mood and drama without using any color? What words (cold, bright, majestic, silent) come to mind when you look at this snow? Why would capturing the beauty of nature might make people want to protect it? How did Ansel Adams use his art to show love and protection for nature? How does looking at a winter landscape make you feel? How can we arrange our trees so that some look very close to us (foreground) and others look far away (background)? How did limiting your palette to just values (black, white, grey) change how you focused on the textures (trees, snow, bark) in the value painting? In what ways did your painting capture the grand, powerful feeling of nature that Ansel Adams loved?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use ruler, compass, or straightedge to draw the scenery (background, foreground, middle ground) of the Winter Value Paintings
2. Add details (buildings, animals, plants) within the positive space (foreground, trees) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Paintings
3. Use permanent marker to outline the positive space (foreground, trees) and scenery (middle ground, background, foreground) of the Winter Value Paintings
Day Two, Art Start
1. Retrieve Winter Value Paintings for Assigned Tables
2. Oak Tree, Snowstorm (1948) Ansel Adams
3. Discussion Questions "Why might an artist choose to work outside? What mood do you feeling when looking at Ansel Adams' black and white photographs? Why do you think Ansel Adams chose to focus so deeply on nature and national parks? Where do you see the brightest whites and the darkest blacks in the snowy landscapes? How does light change the way the tree trunk looks when it is covered in snow? How can you use brushstrokes to show the texture of rough bark versus soft, fluffy snow? What happens to your horizon line when you want to show a vast, heavy winter sky versus a massive blanket of snow? How does removing color help us notice details like texture, shape, and light that we might normally ignore? Do you think Ansel Adams work was purely about documenting nature, or was he trying to tell a story?"
Lesson Activities
1. Add patterns (swirls, clouds, stripes, stars) to the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Paintings
2. Use color combinations (monochromatic, analogous, neutral) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes
3. Use color combinations (monochromatic, analogous, neutral) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes
Day Three, Art Start
1. Retrieve Winter Value Paintings for Assigned Tables
2. Set Up Studio Area (paintbrushes, tempera paint, water buckets, pencils)
Lesson Activities
1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source, cast light) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes
2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes
3. Add details (animals, buildings, people) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes
Artist Examples
Student Examples
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
IGLOOS WITH NORTHERN LIGHTS
Igloos With Northern Lights
Learning Targets
I can..
- Create an original Igloos With Northern Lights using drawing techniques learned in class
- Use color combinations (monochromatic, neutral, cool colors), shape variation (geometric, orgnaic, free form), and space (positive, negative) inspired by Inuvialuktun Artist (1925-2001) Agnes Nanogak Goose
- Use architectural concepts (domes, framed structures, arches, vaults) and design principles (composition, proportion, repetition) based on Inuit Graphic Art
- Define Igloo (a dome-shaped temporary winter dwelling made of hard, compressed snow blocks (pukaangajug))
Lesson One
Day One, Art Start
1. Building An Igloo (1973) Agnes Nanogak Goose
2. Read Aurora: A Tale Of The Northern Lights by Mindy Dwyer
3. Discussion Questions "Did you know her drawings from Tales From The Igloo brought historic legends to a global audience, preserving oral history through visual art? Do you notice her stylized representation of hunters, birds, and bears? Did you know Agnes Nanogak Goose was a graphic artist and printmaker from Ulukhaktok? Did you know her dynamic artwork captured the activity and movement of her community? Did you know she completed over 200 prints in her lifetime? What visual techniques (line work, color, composition) did she use to make her figures look active rather than static? How did her style transition from her early drawings introduced in the 1967 Holman Print Collection to her late, large-scale masterpieces like the Mural (1971-1972)? What role did the Ulukhaktok Arts Centre play in translating her original drawings into finished prints? How does her artwork function as a tool for preserving and teaching cultural knowledge to younger generations?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use a ruler, compass, or straightedge to draw the scenery (middle ground, background) of the Igloos With Northern Lights
2. Add objects (animals, grasses, wildlife, rocks, mountains) within the positive space (foreground, igloo) of the Igloos With Northern Lights
3. Use permanent marker to outline the foreground (igloo), middle ground (snow, mountains, valleys), and background (sky, northern lights, background) of the Igloos With Northern Lights
Day Two, Art Start
1. Retrieve Igloos With Northern Lights for Assigned Tables
2. Thunder (1970) Agnes Nanogak Goose
3. Discussion Questions "What did you see in the pictures? What colors did the Northern Lights have? Where do you think you can see the Northern Lights? How was this snow structure constructed? How do these designs demonstrate generations of Inuit knowledge about the land, climate, and Arctic environment? Did you know that First Nations, Inuit, and Metis are distinct people with unique cultures? How do the Inuit use the environment to solve the challenge of winter survival? What history, values, and languages are associated with the craft, techniques, and materials needed to construct an igloo? In multiple scene works like her famous Mural, how do individual smaller scenes- depicting hunting, fishing, or games- weave together to tell a cohesive story about community life? How does her narrative style change when creating standalone art versus illustrating a specific text?"
Lesson Activities
1. Add texture (actual, visual, implied) to the positive space (igloo, foreground), and middle ground (snow, wildlife, mountains, valleys) of the Igloos With Northern Lights
2. Use color combinations (analogous, complementary, neutral) to fill in the positive space (igloo, foreground) of the Igloos With Northern Lights
3. Use color combinations (analogous, complementary, neutral) to fill in the negative space (background) of the Igloos With Northern Lights
Day Three, Art Start
1. Retrieve Igloos With Northern Lights for Assigned Tables
2. Set Up Studio Area (paintbrushes, glue sticks, scissors, stamps, chalk)
Lesson Activities
1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source, cast light) to the positive space (foreground, igloo) of the Igloos With Northern Lights
2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow, shadow) to the negative space (background) of the Igloos With Northern Lights
3. Add details (animals, mountains, rivers, northern lights) within the scenery of the Igloos With Northern Lights
Artist Examples
Student Examples
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
SNOWMEN PORTRAITS
Snowmen Portraits
Learning Targets
I can...
- Create an original Snowmen Portraits using drawing techniques learned in class
- Use color combinations (analogous, complementary, secondary), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and value (lightness, darkness, tints, shades) inspired by American Illustrator (2001-Present) Stephen Gilpin
- Use mathematical concepts (counting, cumulative addition, mental math, grouping) and design principles (movement, repetition, gradation) based on Children's Literature
- Define Portrait (an intentional representation of a living or once living person -or group of people- where the face and its expression are the focus)
Lesson One
Day One, Art Start
1. Seven Snowmen (2013) Stephen Gilpin
2. Read "100 Snowmen" by Jen Arena
3. Discussion Questions "How many snowmen were there by the end of the story? Can you try counting all the way to 100 by tens? At the beginning, did you notice that more snowmen joined in? What started happening to the groups of snowmen about halfway through the book? When looking at the big picture with all the 100 snowmen, can you find a snowman wearing a funny hat? Can you find the ones playing hide-and-seek? Did you notice the snowmen did many winter activities? Can you name three different active things the snowmen did in the snow? Could real snowmen slide down hills, laugh, and play hide-and-seek? Does that make this story fiction (made-up) or nonfiction (real)? If you were one of the snowmen in this book, which group would you want to join? Have you ever built a real snowman? If you could build 100 snowmen in your yard, what would you dress them in?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use cool colors (blue, green, purple) to draw the negative space (background, snow) of the Snowmen Portraits
2. Use warm colors (red orange yellow) to draw the positive space (foreground, middle ground, snowmen) of the Snowmen Portraits
3. Use neutral colors (black, grey, brown, white) to draw the accessories (ugly sweater, scarf, reindeer antlers, hat) in the positive space (snowmen) of the Snowmen Portraits
Day Two, Art Start
1. Retrieve Snowmen Portraits for Assigned Tables
2. 100 Snowmen (2013) Stephen Gilpin
3. Discussion Questions "What do you notice about the snowmen on the cover? Do you think all 100 snowmen will look exactly the same? How could an artist make one snowman look different from another? What do you think makes a snowman look like a snowman? How many different snowman do you think you could create? Can you find a snowman that looks happy, silly, surprised, or serious? What could you add to tell us something about your snowman? If you had to create the 101st snowman, what would it look like? What make your snowman different from your classmates snowmen? Why might an artist choose to repeat the same subject many times? Which classmates snowman has an interesting artistic choice, and what do you notice about it?"
Lesson Activities
1. Add line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to the negative space (background, snow) of the Snowmen Portraits
2. Add line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, snowmen) of the Snowmen Portraits
3. Add line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to the accessories (ugly sweater, scarf, hat) in the positive space (snowmen) of the Snowmen Portraits
Day Three, Art Start
1. Retrieve Snowmen Portraits for Assigned Tables
2. Set Up Studio Area (washable markers, erasers, pencils, gel pens)
Lesson Activities
1. Use color combinations (analogous colors, warm colors, cool colors) to paint the negative space (background) of the Snowmen Portraits
2. Use color combinations (analogous colors, warm colors, cool colors) to paint the positive space (foreground, middle ground, snowmen) of the Snowmen Portraits
3. Use value (lightness, darkness, highlights, shadows) to paint the positive space (foreground, middle ground, snowmen) of the Snowmen Portraits
Artist Examples
Student Examples
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
POP UP SNOWBALLS
Pop Up Snowballs
Learning Targets
I can...
- Create an original Pop Up Snowballs using drawing techniques learned in class
- Use shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), form (two-dimensional, three-dimensional), and texture (actual, visual, implied) inspired by American Art Educator (2017-Present) Tracie Kiernan
- Use folding techniques (cutting, folding, interlocking, bonding) and design principles (emphasis, variation, contrast) based on American Art
- Define Mitten (a type of hand covering that encloses the four fingers together in one single compartment and the thumb separately)
Lesson One
Day One, Art Start
1. Mittens Love (2024) Tracie Kiernan
2. Read Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
3. Discussion Questions "How can artists use pattern to decorate ordinary objects? How can overlapping create the illusion of space? How can artists use color and texture to communicate a season? How can simple shapes be transformed into creative artwork? How can artists show that something is soft or hard? What types of patterns do you notice on winter clothing? Can you use colors that make your mitten look warm even though the snowballs look cold? How can artists use patterns to make a mitten unique? How can geometric shapes (circles, ovals, crescents) become snowballs or mittens? How do illustrations use color, pattern, and texture to help tell a winter story? How can we use ideas from a book to create our own original artwork? How can artists show what is happening in a story through one picture?"
Lesson Activities
1. Choose 12" X 15" Painting Paper
2. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to draw the positive space (foreground, middle ground, mittens) of the Pop Up Snowballs
3. Use patterns (stripes, houndstooth, herringbone, plaid, floral, check) to add designs to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, mittens) of the Pop Up Snowballs
Day Two, Art Start
1. Retrieve Pop Up Snowballs for Assigned Tables
2. Christmas Mittens (2022) Tracie Kiernan
3. Discussion Questions "What are mittens? How many of you have ever worn mittens? How many of you have ever lost a mitten? How did you feel? What are mittens east to lose? Why do you think this story is called Snowballs? What is the difference between a glove and a mitten? Why do you think a mitten keeps your hands warmer than a glove? Do the mittens you made match? If we make a pair of mittens, how do we make sure they look like they belong together? What kinds of lines are you using to decorate your mitten- straight, zigzag, wavy, or dotted? What kind of repeating pattern can you make with these colors? What is your favorite part of your design? If you made another mitten, what would you change or add next time?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use color combinations (analogous, warm/cool colors, complementary) to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, mittens) of the Pop Up Snowballs
2. Use color combinations (analogous, warm/cool colors, complementary) to fill in the negative space (background) of the Pop Up Snowballs
3. Use neutral colors (black, brown, grey, white) to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, snowball) of the Pop Up Snowballs
Day Three, Art Start
1. Retrieve Pop Up Snowballs for Assigned Tables
2. Set Up Studio Area (paintbrushes, tempera paint, water bucket, glitter)
Lesson Activities
1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source, cast light) to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, mittens) of the Pop Up Snowballs
2. Add shadows (cast shadow, shadows, reflective shadow) to fill in the negative space (background) of the Pop Up Snowballs
3.Use texture (glitter, shimmer, metallic) to add details (snowflakes, glitter, wind) to the negative space (background) of the Pop Up Snowballs
Artist Examples
Student Examples
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
SANTA FLYING PASS MOON
Santa Flying Pass Moon
Learning Targets
I can...
- Create an original Santa Flying Pass Moon using drawing techniques learned in class
- Use cool colors (blue green purple), value (lightness darkness highlights shadows), and space (positive negative) inspired by American Artist (1916-2001) Howard Finster
- Use painting techniques (blending, dry brush, wet on wet, splatter painting) and design principles (composition, proportion, gradation) based on Naive Art
- Define Silhouette (an image in a single color that shows only the outline of a solid shape of a persona, object, or scene)
Lesson One
Day One, Art Start
1. Santa Claus (1983) Howard Finster
2. Read The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
3. Discussion Questions "Did you know the illustrations of Santa Claus show him with a warm face, iconic red suit, and prominent wedding ring? How did commercial art of Santa Claus influence the modern vision of Santa Claus now? Did you know Santa Claus was displayed on photographs, artwork, posters, postcards, greeting cards, song sheets, wrapping paper, and telegrams? How do you think the reindeer fly? What kind of technology does Santa Claus use at the North Pole to make toys? What colors did artists use for Santa Claus? Why do you think they choose those colors? What is Santa Claus wearing? Does it look like a typical Santa Claus suit?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use line types (thick, thin) to draw the foreground (forest, building, Santa Claus), middle ground (night sky), and background (moon, night sky, snow) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
2. Use monochromatic colors (light blue, dark blue) to fill in the background (moon, night sky, snow) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
3. Use neutral colors (black, grey, white, brown) to fill in the foreground (forest, building, Santa Claus) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
Day Two, Art Start
1. Retrieve Santa Flying Pass Moon for Assigned Tables
2. Santa Claus (1985) Howard Finster
3. Discussion Questions "What do we know about the artist after viewing this artwork? What do you think the artist was trying to say in this artwork? What is the meaning or message? How did the artist use line, shape, and color to contribute to the mood or meaning? What would it feel like to be in this painting? Do you want to see this artwork again? What was Howard Finster's motivation for painting secular figures like Santa Claus? How does the Santa figure fit within Finster's overarching mission? How did his childhood memories of Christmas influence his artwork? Why is the provenance of the particular piece? How is the handwritten text incorporated into his Santa Claus pieceS? How does his Santa Claus compare to his depictions of other pop culture figures? How does this piece compare to other Santa artworks by Howard Finster in terms of style, theme, and detail?"
Lesson Activities
1. Use a ruler, compass, or straightedge to draw the foreground (Santa Claus, buildings, forest) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
2. Add details (animals, moon, stars, snowmen, presents) to the middle ground (night sky) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
3. Use black tempera paint to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, buildings, forest, Santa Claus) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
Day Three, Art Start
1. Retrieve Santa Flying Pass Moon for Assigned Tables
2. Set Up Studio Area (paint brushes, white tempera paint, water buckets)
Lesson Activities
1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) within the foreground (Santa Claus, buildings, forest) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow, shadows) within the middle ground (night sky) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
3. Add details (animal, moon, stars, snowmen, elves, presents) within the negative space (background) of the Santa Flying Pass Moon
Artist Examples
Student Examples
Posts
