December 13

Prompt: December 13

By now you know how much I love art.

Let’s make a painting that’s straight from the heart.

Gather some paper and brushes and paint

And let’s make a painting of winter that’s quaint.

If you need some ideas, consider the time we spent out in nature. Would you like to paint the way that felt to you?

Download the prompts for December 13-16 here as a PDF or here as a Microsoft Word Document.

An image of the Dec. 13 prompt card, printed on cream card stock with a green border and a copper-colored frog wax seal. The card is nestled in a lit Christmas tree.

Materials

Paper, brushes, and paints.

Activity

Invite your kids to paint a winter scene and, if you’d like, do it with them. By making a painting of winter, your kiddos will have to consider how to convey their feelings about the season. It’s a great opportunity for creative introspection and emotional awareness.

December 10

Prompt: December 10

When I think of winter, I think of deep snow,

the moon’s haloed glow,

and a Christmas light show.

If I painted winter, I’d use white and blue,

And some red and green, too.

It would show you the winter I always knew.

Let’s look at how artists paint their winters. What do they choose to show us?

Download the prompts for December 9-12 here as a PDF or here as a Microsoft Word Document.  

An image of the Dec. 10 prompt card, printed on cream card stock with a green border and a copper-colored frog wax seal. The card is nestled in a lit Christmas tree.

Materials

•  Some artist’s renditions of winter. These can be to your taste, but here are a few suggestions:

• Claude Monet’s The Magpie. I like the harmony of this painting with Teasdale’s poem.

• Many of Will Cotton’s paintings are whimsical, candy creations of winter. I particularly love Out of the Woods and Alpine Ruin.

• This list from the BBC has lots of great options.

Claude Monet’s The Magpie, oil on canvas, 1868

Will Cotton’s Alpine Ruin, oil on linen, 2008

Will Cotton’s Out of the Woods, oil on linen, 2020

Activity

Look over the paintings above, or any winter-themed art of your choosing. Ask your kids what they notice. You might want to ask:

• What colors do you notice the most?

• Does your eye go to one particular place in the painting? Why?

• Do you think there’s a most important part of this painting?

• How do you feel when you look at this painting? Does that change the longer you look at it?

• Is this how winter looks to you?

• Close your eyes and describe this painting from memory. Then, open them. What did you remember? What did you forget?