Monet's Waterlilies

Slideshare Presentation Here:

Read the kids the Smart About Art book about Claude Monet (in art closet). Discuss how nature changes from moment to moment, and how the same thing can look totally different when you look at it in the morning, afternoon, or night; in bright sun, on a cloudy day, or in fog. Monet loved his waterlilies, and painted them over 250 times because he never tired of trying to capture what they looked like.

materials: watercolor pastels, paper, little bowls for water, & brushes

I had the kids fill their whole page with color using the pastels (the more complex their color combinations, the better), and then with water and a brush, turn it into a wash.

After the pictures dry a little (maybe 3 minutes or so), have the kids layer in simple shapes of lily pads, and flowers. You may want to try using OIL pastels for this last part because they may show up better.

(If you opt not to read the Smart About Art book and would like additional biographical information on Claude Monet, here's a great link to a youtube video which is a quick overview of his life. Also here's another link)