Students studied Monet’s water lily paintings, taking note of his use of light and reflection and his variations on color.  Students also practiced making tints (adding white to a color) and shades (adding black to a color) to add value and depth to their work.  After several studies in different mediums, students created a 3-D water lily pond, mixing paint with recycled and reclaimed objects.

This proud 2nd grader gave her 3-D water lily pond to her Dad for his birthday!

Sample studies by a 5th grader and a 2nd grader

Creating like the Fauves (French for Wild Beasts) and influened by the work of Paul Gaugin, students used bright bold colors, line, and repeating forms to create their own landscapes.

This second grade student apply glue to scraps for her 3-D lily pond.  The kids got “lost” in their lily ponds, having so much fun with the cool colors and reclaimed objects used for additional details.