We finally finished our Butterfly Mosaics before the Easter Break! 🦋 Between snow days & bank holidays they may have taken a little longer to complete than expected, but the children really enjoyed making them and got to experience each step of the mosaic making process for themselves, giving them a real sense of ownership and accomplishment over the piece! They couldn't wait to take them home to show them off 😆 Take a look at my new blog post with detailed outlines of each lesson if you are interested in trying mosaics with your little ones, or older ones for that matter! 😉 https://teachingartfromthestart.wordpress.com/2018/03/27/butterfly-mosaics/

We've being busy making some beautiful butterfly mosaics! A different group of children get to begin their mosaic each day at the Arts & Craft/ Fine Motor table during Aistear. The next step is adding the grout, and finally painting the background! We can't wait until they're finished! 🦋

We started After School Art Lessons a few weeks ago for children from 1st to 6th class. The children are divided into 2 groups based on their class and friends, but I teach the same concepts and skills to both as I don't think developing drawing skills should be limited to specific age groups! The past couple of weeks we focused on developing our line drawing skills using the grid technique, and our blending and shading using soft sketching pencils and graphite pencils. We then combined our newly learned skills to create these fabulous tonal self portraits!

I think Spring has finally sprung judging my the lovely weather the past two days?☀️ Why not try these lovely daffodils with your class if you are studying spring as a thematic unit! 🌼🌼 https://teachingartfromthestart.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/delightful-daffodils/ This is an old blog post but I love this lesson, and love this year's Junior Infants' interpretations and finished pieces!

I had the privilege of teaching my colleagues' lovely 5th & 6th class how to draw and paint 'The Mona Lisa' last month during their Renaissance studies! Definitely a few budding Da Vincis in that classroom - Their class teacher included 😉🖌️ Have a look at more photos and how we developed our drawing skills and painting techniques on my blog! https://teachingartfromthestart.wordpress.com/2018/02/12/mona-lisa-portraits/

Love Heart overload ahead of Valentine's Day Wednesday with this Kandinsky inspired piece 💙💚💛💜❤ The children really enjoyed the painting aspect of this lesson as they had free reign of the colours they chose and mixed (if only Junior Infants were old enough and responsible enough for the cleaning and washing up after a paint lesson 🙃) Add some fabric hearts and back with colourful paper and you're done! Happy Valentine's day followers 😍

It's been 4 years since I was commissioned to make this Monster Mosaic for school! Glad to say it's survived and still hanging in our hall!

Sneak Peak at my next Blog Post 🐧🐧

Hope everyone has survived their first day back! 🙈 If you're looking for a Winter Art Project - I loved doing these Winter Landscapes with my Junior Infants last year! They particularly loved using wet crepe paper to dye their trees. Lots of concepts & skills to be explored in a fun, hands on lesson for the children! https://teachingartfromthestart.wordpress.com/2016/12/14/winter-landscapes/

Looking for some Christmas Art for the last week of school? Why not try these Christmas Silhouettes? I did them with Junior Infants a few years ago but you can adjust elements to make it suitable for any class - you can find the lesson laid out on my blog page! https://teachingartfromthestart.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/christmas-silhouettes/