Chihuly Revisited

Last year using the Crayola Art Education Grant, I was able to purchase the resources and materials to do a lesson with 3rd and 4th grade on Dale Chihuly. The transparent seashell paintings were so beautiful that I had to do that lesson again. I showed portions of the video that related to stained glass and transparency to the students. They we sketched seashells from my collection and each student traced their best onto clear acetate with a black sharpie. We used marker and white acrylic paint on the back to create these beautiful shells.

I am lucky enough to have a gorgeous display case which is accessible from my room. This was after the first class. The case is now filled with dozens of shells. This helps students understand art as an installation and as a collaborative process.

Unit plans for this lesson are available here.