Impressionist Fingerpainting with Bridge 2nd grade lesson

I have done this fingerpainting project for years to teach Impressionism and Claude Monet.  Recently I saw the taped bridge idea  on Deep Space Sparkle and added it to the lesson.

First, the 2nd graders heard a story about Claude Monet and Impressionism painting. After learning that Monet liked to paint outside, and seeing pictures of his water garden paintings with water lily ponds and Japanese bridges we began our picture with masking tape.

The kids were intrigued with the chance to build a bridge on
their paper using masking tape and scissors.  

             

 

When the bridge was done, 2nd graders drew a landscape around the bridge with permanent markers.  Anything behind the bridge was drawn right over the tape as if the tape was not there.

 

Students were reminded that Claude Monet used more than one color to show reflections in the water, light on the grass, etc.  We use fingerpaint in a special way on this project because fingerpainting is a great experience for the kids but often turns out like mud when they just mix it around.  Instead, they can use three fingers "paintbrushes" with one color on each finger.  We talk about what colors would be together in water, the sky, grass, mountains, etc. They work quickly, letting the finger marks show just as Monet let his brushmarks show.

 

The tape is painted over so that it is not visible when the painting is done.  It is important that no white space be left around the bridge so that when the tape is removed the white bridge is surrounded by color.

 When paint is dry, tape is carefully peeled away to reveal a white bridge in an Impressionist landscape.  The kids love watching their bridge magically appear!