As spring hit the SIS campus, the flowers around school went crazy!  It was absolutely gorgeous and with a few weeks left of the year, I decided to take advantage by having my students take macro photos and paint flowers in an expressionist style.

We started with a coat of bright pink paint on canvas and then built up under layers of contour lines using yellow, orange, and red.  Then we came back in with purple and green on top and finished up with white highlights and lots of dry brushing.

It was a tough project for many kids.  The idea of an open composition and close observation were a bit out of their comfort zone.  I frequently had to remind them to actually look at the picture they took instead of just painting what they thought the flower looked like!  In the end though, the bright colors and various layers of paint created some really beautiful renditions of spring on campus!

Want more details?  This student provides a great rundown of all the steps involved in the painting.