Artwork of the Week: Kew Cacti House

Kew Cacti House by Alicia Galer

oil pastel, acrylic paint, watercolor pencil on paper, 41 x 29 cm, 2013

Bad news. I'm pretty sure my Venus Flytrap is no longer with us. The traps are turning black and dropping off like...well, you know. I even hand fed it a dead bug I found on our windowsill last week. I don't do that for just anyone. I'm thinking I might have to invest in some hard to kill cacti instead. These do look pretty nice. 

Alicia Galer's work is available for purchase through thegardenedit.com and you can see more of her art on her website aliciagaler.com

- Cathleen

In My Classroom: Tooth Fairy Part II

The Tooth Fairies are done! It ended up taking 3 lessons and I still have a handful undone because of absences but most are done and they're now hanging in the hallway. Here are the fruits of my Kindergartener's labor!

My students colored them in with oil pastels, I had to demonstrate how to use oil pastels properly otherwise it can turn into scribble scrabble coloring. After the oil pastels were laid down neatly we painted over with watercolors. I think one of the hardest parts was explaining to the children to color anything they wanted to leave white in with oil pastel. They didn't understand why they had to do this until they painted over with watercolor and then they experienced firsthand the resisting the oil does to the watercolor. 

So what do you think? Do you like the project? 

- Grace