ARTitude Painting Workshop Examples

Here are the types of examples a student might accomplish in a three hour painting workshop! They are all acrylic. The method is teaching the students to work their painting in layers, and not looking at a painting as though it is a flat paint by numbers project.

I create a new painting for each workshop, mostly because it is fun for me to create the example:) But I also create the example so that I know how to teach it. I love how giving students some boundaries help students stay focused so that they can explore their own unique take on a subject matter. It can be overwhelming for young minds to sit down and have to start something from scratch.

The students mix their own paints and draw their own piece, but are following an example, so every single painting is really an individual masterpiece.

During the painting process we discuss composition, variation, rhythm, balance and technique.

Fifth Grader

First Grader

Fifth Graders

Second Grader

Fifth Grader

Third Grader

Fourth Grader

Session Three Art Camp

Four of my students and their week of creativity

Each art camp session bodes new and exciting creations. This past week I had a wonderful group of artists not only visually but verbally as well. When a glue stick ran out, one student said we should have a gluneral for it. Of course this idea stuck and so when a marker ran out we gave it a markuneral.

I know I've written before the glory of watching students explore who they are through their art, but every day I work with kids I'm reminded of it. Every child is different. How they see color, shape, design is different. Never is it right or wrong, it just is what it is and no one can help but be successful every day when they have that attitude.

So, enjoy this sampling of children's projects. One week and so much brightness and life!


Watercolor Pencils - 6th Grader

Marker and water - 1st Grader

Marker and water - 4th Grader

Acrylic Paint - 3rd Grader

Acrylic and Crayon - 2nd Grader



Watercolor and Salt Collage - 3rd Grader

Watercolor and Crayon and Glue - 6th Grader

Acrylic Paint - 4th Grader

Watercolor and Crayon - 1st Grader

ARTitude Kids Workshop

I ran my first ARTitude Kids workshop this past weekend. Seven kids ranging from the ages of seven to ten came to my house to complete one painting. With that age gap I was concerned I'd created a piece too difficult to mimic.


My goal was to have the kids think about texture, color transition, moving the eye through a composition, and layering colors.

Leah - 5th Grader

Half way through the project, as I was walking around to help my students I thought, crap, this project was too hard. The kids weren't getting it. I had them squinting to see  if there were enough dark colors and contrasting light colors, many of them couldn't see that there weren't. Some of them wanted to stop at that point, and it was my job to show them there is more to a painting than the top layer.

I began to grab the kids brushes and show them how and where to add the color. I wanted the kids to create something their parents would be psyched about hanging in their house. I know, unnecessary pressure to place on the kids. 


With thirty minutes left of the class, I breathed a sigh of relief, the kids were layering their colors. Their paintings were their interpretations of my example, and they were all unique and beautiful.

Nicholas - 3rd Grader

It was a reminder of what I go through as an artist every time I do a painting. Half-way through my paintings I hate what I'm working on. I think I suck. I wonder if the painting should be thrown away and I should start over. I keep going, because I can't stand walking away from an unfinished piece. The areas I can improve and expand upon begin to stick out. I keep going and before I know it, I fall in love with my painting, glad I stuck with it.

It is that extra push that turns an average piece of art into something really wonderful, in my opinion. It's like baking, if it is under-cooked it's messy, if it's over-cooked it's ruined.

Anyway, I am very proud of my students. They didn't give up, and wow did they come up with some incredible pieces.