https://youtu.be/A7Ph_1y6qBU
At times this video is painfully slow and quiet. I decided to leave this as unedited as possible so you can see how a lesson proceeds from start to end with unexpected changes and challenges. At the end of the video, I share some reflections on the lesson. It seems like most recent watercolor lessons have been flops. This lesson was part of our Winter Themed unit, and for a few reasons, this lesson didn’t go as planned. Working with creativing negative space was too challenging for my 7-year-old, but my 11-year-old managed just fine, though he didn’t enjoy this lesson as much as other lessons. What’s interesting to note is that while I saw this lesson as a ‘failure’, my kids didn’t. My daughter loves the result of her watercolor. I had fully expected to upcycle this project immediately and turn it into handmade paper! We used high quality 140lb. Strathmore watercolor paper, all-natural fiber wide paint brushes and Stockmar watercolor paint in Prussian Blue and Ultramarine Blue. This paper is very expensive, so when we work with it, it’s for guided watercolor lessons. We have less expensive watercolor paper for everyday free expression. My kids do like the guided lessons for two reasons: it feels like school and they like the companionship and attention. While I didn’t show my children’s process as much as other lessons, know that I was looking in on theirs, speaking with them and helping them more than the video shows. Upon reflection, it looks like I’m lost in my own artwork. Because of space restrictions in my filming area, it was not possible to show all three projects at the same time. You can see more of our First Grade lessons and projects for ideas and inspiration.