Art Enrichment for Everyone
During this time of online learning and remote education, it is so important to keep our students engaged in creative endeavors. As Dr. James Kaufman says, "creative activities can help you reduce stress, handle trauma, and improve your mood—all of which are particularly helpful at the current moment."
Here is a list of some opportunities that you may want to check out and/or pass onto your students. These sites would be a great resource for students to visit for additional enrichment! Enrichment is great for ALL of us!
- Chris Van Doodles - Maine Author/Illustrator Chris Van Dusen shares drawing tutorials of some of his characters. How fun! Draw Mercy Watson, Eugenia Lincoln, Mrs. Watson, Mr. Watson, and more! Check out his YouTube Channel for all his drawing tutorials. All you need is paper and a pencil!
- Draw Everyday with JJK - Jarrett J. Krosoczka is offering drawing tutorials of some of his characters and other popular characters in the media. So grab your pencil, paper, and a sharpie and settle in with JJK.
- Bob Ross' Youtube Channel - Here's a favorite of mine...good ole Bob Ross. If there was ever a time when "happy accidents" are needed, it is definitely now! I have done some of these tutorials with students and we never had the exact colors that he lists but we still had great outcomes. In his own words, “Talent is a pursued interest. Anything that you're willing to practice, you can do.” So start practicing with Bob today.
- Nikon Photography Classes - Nikon is offering free photography classes until April 30th, these classes are normally $10-$50 dollars each. These classes are taught by professional photographers and cover the fundamentals of photography, so Nikon cameras are not needed.
- Kripalu Coloring Book - Kripalu was one of my mother's favorite places, it is a serene and peaceful yoga retreat center. In true Kripalu fashion, they have created a coloring book that allows you to center, relax, and practice mindfulness. I personally love the mandalas that are included.
- Ballard Institute Puppetry Workshops - Every Wednesday and Friday at 2pm you can visit Ballard Institute's Facebook page to participate in a puppetry workshop. Workshops vary from sock puppets to shadow puppets to rod puppets and more!
- Dav Pilkey at Home - Dav Pilkey is one of my nephew's favorites. Check out Dav Pilkey's collaboration with Scholastic. This is an 8 week program that can run at anytime, new content is loaded every Friday.
- Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems - Need I say more? Over three weeks, Mo Willems created 15 episodes of Lunchtime Doodles. The replays are just as good as the real thing. Share your doodles on social media with the #MoLunchDoodles. Thank You Mo!
- 100 Art Therapy Exercises - I love this list because it addresses some social and emotional needs while offering creative exploration. This is a great list of artistic prompts that anyone would enjoy.
- Pandemic Animals Coloring Pages - I love the messages of these coloring pages done by Ricardo Levins Morales and Cory Teshera-Levye. Turn on some music, take out the colored pencils, and escape.
- Make Zines - As an Austin Kleon fan, I have to add this great creative approach that can be tied to anything and about anything. Zines are small self-published booklets that are circulated usually by photocopies. Austin Kleon has created over 30 zines just during COVID-19. Here is a tutorial on how to create your own!
And a BONUS...because there is just too much awesomeness to share! - Valerie Wallace, a local artist and art teacher, is offering daily tutorials at 1pm on her Facebook page. You can also watch the replays on her YouTube Channel.
Be creative...and focus on the process, not the product! Even "bad" art means we are moving our hands and trying something new. Masterpieces were never created on the first try!!
Wishing you all the best!
Ruth
P.S. If you enjoyed this list, you may also enjoy my FREE workbook, Six Strategies to Reach Your Gifted Learner. Click here to download it now!
