1st grade Heather Galler folk art landscapes and pattern lesson

Students learned about the folk  and contemporary artist Heather Galler. I found this idea on http://paintedpaperintheartroom.blogspot.com, Heather Galler has a great slide show on You tube. They loved her bright colors and the music that was set to the slide show. We discussed how she used patterns in her paintings and the difference between landscapes, portraits and still life's. We looked around the room and on our friends clothes for patterns as well as viewing patterns in nature.
We then set to work! We drew a ground line and then proceeded to take a ruler and divide our land into sections. On each section we drew patterns. The next step was to draw buildings, trees, bushes etc.

                                        

We then outlined everything in a fine tip permanent marker and colored the buildings and patterns with construction paper crayons. 

                                             

                                                                                                                    

               

When everything was colored we painted watercolors over the whole thing. This lesson took about three, 50 minute class periods. 

                                        

                                  

                                        

                                            

I believe this was one of their favorite lessons!

                                                 

They are always so proud of their work! Thanks Heather Galler for the inspiration!