In response to temporary school closures due to COVID-19, SVMA presents ARTS@Home, special lessons available online for families working and learning from home.
This series of art lessons, prepared by SVMA arts education staff, can provide children with hours of stimulating and fun learning activities—good for students and good for parents and grandparents! Each week SVMA will release new ARTS@Home learning activities.
Get Up! Stand Up!
The art of illustration is especially powerful when paired with inspiring stories. SVMA has compiled this special list of children’s books that celebrate black artists and civil rights heroes, as well as share important messages about inclusion, representation, and acceptance from an arts-oriented perspective. Click on the link above to find these titles online.
Lesson 1: Drawing Half a Portrait, instructs students about symmetry and proportion by cutting a photograph in half and using a pencil and ruler to measure and mark important points around the face. Students will connect the dots and watch their complete faces emerge.
Lesson 2: Shoebox Faces, opens minds to new ideas, materials and methods. Using humble materials such as paper, string and a square box you can create a floating face that Picasso would be proud of!
Lesson 3: No Art Supplies? No Problem!
Here are five creative prompts for children (and adults) who want something creative, fun, and hands-on to do that requires absolutely ZERO art supplies.
Lesson 4: Textured Puppets
Using a simple bag and some papercraft wizardry, you can create a puppet that is full of texture, character, and whimsy.
(created by SVMA teaching artist Diane Egger-Bovet)
Lesson 5: Signs of Spring Art Journal
Create a self-portrait for the cover of your very own art journal. Put the journal together and then explore your surroundings in search of signs of spring!
(created by SVMA teaching artist Cindy Imhoff-Bruininks)
Lesson 6: Mud Painting with Spices
Feel like painting but don’t have any supplies around? Make your own paint with mud, water, and spices. Then turn a twig or stick into a paintbrush with a hammer and start painting!
(created by SVMA teaching artist Diane Egger-Bovet
Lesson 7: Pysanky Hot Air Balloons
Inspired by a fun blend of Ukrainian Easter eggs and hot air balloons, create images that are full of dynamic texture and send messages of love, friendship, and good health.
(created by SVMA teaching artist Cindy Imhoff-Bruininks)
Lesson 8: A Little Bit of Surrealism
Using “mad libs” and creative prompts, students will allow their minds and imaginations to run wild as they combine objects and images, reality and dreams, and create drawings unlike anything ever seen before.
(created by SVMA Education Coordinator Sarah Parker)
Lesson 9: Painting With Scissors Like Matisse
Need some guidance on how to put together a collage? Take inspiration from the artist who invented them and try “Painting with Scissors” like Henri Matisse! Bonus: How to make homemade paste and a Matisse Paper Doll!
(Created by SVMA teaching artist Diane Egger-Bovet)
Lesson 10: A California Poppy Pop-up Card
Need a springtime gift? Take a closer look at a California poppy and then turn it into a beautiful card for someone special.
(Created by SVMA Education Coordinator Sarah Parker)
Watch the YouTube video for visuals!
Lesson 11: The Art of Mindfulness
5 ways to practice mindfulness through art
(no supplies required, for children and adults)
Practicing mindfulness means learning to give your full attention to the present moment. Immersing yourself in these visual tasks can help you turn down worries about the past or future and focus in on something right now that is beautiful, calming, and peaceful. When you’re finished, take a moment to be still and reflect on what you noticed or created. Results are not what matters here.
(Created by SVMA Education Coordinator Sarah Parker)
Lesson 12: Art in a Box after Louise Nevelson
Explore the work of Louise Nevelson, one of the most famous female sculptors of the 20th century. Try your hand at found object sculpture and assemblage using a shallow box and objects you can find around the house or out in nature. Rearrange, experiment, and discover!
Bonus: Tinfoil figures!
(Created by SVMA teaching artist Diane Egger-Bovet)
Lesson 13: Let’s Look at Lines with Diane Egger-Bovet
Spend a little time relaxing and exploring lines. Look at ways to use lines to create both shape and texture, draw patterns in your hand, find lines in a flower, and take a line for a walk. All you need is a pencil and paper!
Lesson 14: Kara Walker: Silhouettes that Say Something
Learn more about the artist Kara Walker and explore the art of silhouette as a way to tell a story or share an important message. Includes a human proportions guide as well as printable shadow puppet templates for all ages.
Lesson 15: Behind the Screen
With this free video lesson students can explore all of the amazing and interesting facets of who we are and what we have to share with the world as we get to know the person “Behind the Screen.” Scroll down to find the Lesson 15 template and print at home.
Make sure to share what you create with us by posting online with #artsathome @sonomavalleymuseum
Lesson 16: Found Word or Collage Poetry
Raid your mailbox, grab your scissors and glue, and come paint some pictures with words. Combine art and poetry, use up recycled materials, and create a Found Word or Collage Poem with our new Art Poetry project for all ages.
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Now that you have a gallery of masterpieces on your walls, learn how to do an art critique at home!
Follow these simple guidelines to encourage discussion.
How to Have a Critique
Find more art-related resources for families spending time at home by clicking through to our ARTS@Home Resource Guide #1
ARTS@Home Resource Guide #2