Kindergarten Cool and Warm Trees

I have an obsession with projects based around trees. I made this project about seven years ago, but this time added in a few more standards/ techniques to make it more beautiful. To introduce the lesson we had a class discussion and viewed paintings by the Hudson River School painters to introduce the idea of landscape painting.
First we began by doing a step by step drawing using lines that they have been working on since the beginning of the school year. Next we discussed cool and warm colors and painted the trees with cool color green. The kindergarten students have already learned how to mix primary and secondary colors so it was easy for them to paint the sky with warm colors.

After the trees were finished the kids rotated the paper and tree drew shadows at the bottom of the page.The class discussed shadows and looked into the science aspect of what and how they are made. Then they were ready to paint shadows in cool colors.

We also added some sunset shadowy clouds, to make it feel more balanced.

Finally they added some pine needles using brushes I made from stiff pipe cleaners and old broken paint brushes.

Some shiny Mod Podge with white paint mixed in and painted over the snow parts to complete the illusion of still snow.

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