This giant, bright colored Easter egg was painted using a soft camel hair brush dipped in watercolor paint. First the student used a black marker to draw her whimsical butterfly, fish and flowers. Then she painted in her picture with bright, festive colors. I have discovered that very young students produce marvelous watercolor paintings but grow apprehensive about the resulting finished product as they age. This is because the younger an art student is, the less inhibited they are about "how" their artwork looks. Their inhibitions are the unfortunate result of growing old, I'm afraid...
watercolor painted egg
Supply List:
giant sheet of white construction paper
watercolor set
a soft camel hair brush among several other sizes to try
one black permanent ink marker
pictures of fish, birds and flowers to work from
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Cut white butcher paper or construction paper into large egg shapes. The teacher may wish to do this step in advance or not depending upon the age of the students.
Give the student black permanent ink markers to draw with. You may want to cover their tables with newsprint for this step and also give them aprons. Some young students get a little enthusiastic about using these markers where they shouldn't so keep an eye on the process to avoid disasters!
Teachers can hand pictures of what students can draw on their eggs around the room too. Things like insects, birds, symbols of Easter etc...
After drawing with permanent pens, collect these.
Now give each student a watercolor set and a small jar of water plus several kinds of paint brushes to fill in all of the white areas.
This giant Easter Egg sponge painting requires young students to use unconventional tools in the act of painting. Sponges are easy for little hands to manipulate and these hold all kinds of sticky, messy paints made from inexpensive mixtures that kindergarten teachers can quickly shake together without investing large sums of cash in a art project. Small children do not generally produce art that will be kept forever by anyone other than their parents so, it is important to use materials that may be expendable but also fun to work with. The key to developing student performance in art is repetition and inexpensive materials ensure that the activity is repeated frequently.
Supply List:
one large sheet of pastel colored construction paper
tempera paints mixed in pastel colors
simple sponges cut into geometric shapes
cover tables with paper wherever this activity takes place
give young students aprons to where
each student should have at least several trays of paint to dip sponges in while they work
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Precut large egg shapes from pastel shades of construction paper.
Mix tempera paints for students in advance
Set up large tables for young ones to work at. Cover the surfaces with newsprint; perhaps, even the floors. Put paint trays within reach of painting activity.
Children my dip sponges into the paints and print the shapes on their paper Easter eggs.
Encourage them to fill the areas, make patterns, and try different paint colors!
This giant Easter Egg was crafted using a popular wax resist method. Young students learn to color with firm pressure onto drawing paper before painting a watery solution of colored paint over the surface of their wax colors. The paint will then leave traces of painted paper wherever the crayons have not been applied. The use of this method is very popular in grade school because it shows students how they can use several art materials in one lesson and also develops their eye-hand coordination.
Supply List:
one large sheet of white construction paper
bold crayon colors
a water color tray
scissors to cut out the egg with
Step-by-Step Instructions:
On a large sheet of white construction paper, scribble with brilliant colored crayons. Encourage young students to press firmly on the paper as they work.
Once the paper has been worked on thoroughly, show them how to dip a brush into darker versions of those same crayon colors. Wash the surfaces with watercolor and see their crayon scribbles turn into gems!
Cut out the nicest areas into large Easter egg shapes.
Rosemåling, or rosemaling, Norwegian for "decorative painting", (applied decoration or embellishment, decorative, decorated (rosut, rosute, rosete, rosa) and "å måle, å male" to paint) is the name of a form of decorative folk art that originated in the rural valleys of Norway. Some art historians interpret "rose" as a reference to the rose flower, although the floral elements are often so stylized that no specific flower is identifiable and not used at all in some designs. Rosemåling is a style of decorative painting on wood that uses stylized flower ornamentation, scrollwork, lining and geometric elements, often in flowing patterns. Landscape and architectural elements are also common. Many other decorative painting techniques were used such as glazing, spattering, marbelizing, manipulating the paint with the fingers or other objects, etc.
Rosemaling is also common in Sweden (Swedish: rosmålning) where it is also, incorrectly, called kurbitsmålning or simply kurbits, where kurbits refers to depictions of Cucurbita. As with the Norwegian counterpart it was most popular from the latter half of the 18th century and until the 1860s.
Rosemåling in Norway originated in the low-land areas of eastern Norway particularly in the Telemark and Hallingdal, but also in Numedal and Setesdal and in other valleys in Vest-Agder, Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane and Rogaland. It came into existence around 1750, when Baroque and Rococo, artistic styles of the upper class, were introduced into Norway's rural culture.
Rosemåling designs use C and S strokes and feature scroll and flowing lines, floral designs, and both subtle and vibrant colors. Script lettering, scenes, animal and human figures may also be included. Artists who specialized in rosemåling often came from poorer classes in the countryside. They would travel from county to county painting churches, homes and furnishings for a commission of either money or merely room and board. Thus rosemåling was carried over the mountains and toward Norway's western coast. Once farther away from the influence of the painters' guild, these artists tried new ideas and motifs. Rosemåling became widespread as amateur artists in rural areas often imitated this folk art. Soon strong regional styles developed and today the three main styles are Telemark, Hallingdal and Rogaland, named after the regions in which each originated.
Rosemaling is, in a sense, the two-dimensional counterpart of acanthus carving, since it is clear that the C and S curves in rosemaling take their inspiration from the acanthus carvings of Baroque and Rococo art and the acanthus carvings in the rural churches (e.g., the altar reredoses and pulpits) and homes (e.g., cupboards) were painted in the same bright colors as used in rosemaling. While in the cities these acanthus carvings were generally gilt, the rural artisans did not have ready access to gold leaf as their urban counterparts and so painted their carvings in the bright colors popular in rural communities (e.g., Norwegian rural dress, Cf. bunad). Like rosemaling, acanthus carving has had a cultural revival in recent times as both a means of interior design (e.g., on furniture, picture frames, door and window frames, etc.) and as a personal hobby, although most modern day acanthus carving is left unpainted and unvarnished.
Rosemåling Types Are Named After Regions/Counties in Norway:
Aust Agner
Gudbrandsdal
Hallingdal
Numendal
Rogaland
Oppdal
Trondelog
Tellemark
Valdres
One of the anecdotes told about the Nazi occupation of Norway (1940–1945) is that at a time when the public display of the Norwegian flag or the State Coat of Arms could bring imprisonment or even death, the Norwegians discovered that they could display the 'H' overlapping the '7' of the royal cypher of their exiled king, Haakon VII, at the center of a rosemaling design without the German occupation forces seeing anything but a colorful peasant design. Christmas cards with the royal cypher at the center of a rosemaling design were especially popular and many have survived and their history documented.
Norwegian immigrants brought the art of rosemaling to the United States since many of the immigrants came from parts of Norway where rosemaling was well established. They often carried their belongings in beautifully painted trunks. Some of the immigrants were Rosemaling painters. This generation, however, contributed little to the development of American rosemaling in the 20th century, because rosemaling began to go out of style starting in 1860.
Rosemaling experienced its revival in America in the 20th century. Norwegian-Americans became interested in the rosemaling decorated possessions of their ancestors. American rosemaling began to develop and flourish. The revival of Rosemaling in the United States is often credited to Per Lysne who was born in Norway and trained in Rosemaling. He came to America in the early 20th Century and was employed as a wagon painter in Stoughton, Wisconsin. When business slowed during the Great Depression, he began Rosemaling again. Today Norwegian rosemaling is taught in many areas of the USA. Rosemaling associations sponsor classes and competitions.
