Giving a shout out to the great season of Autumn!
I mean look at all the colors splashed among nature!
One project that I created with my second grade students was inspired by the Avenues of Poplars by Vincent Van Gogh. Yes my friends, you can teach one point perspective to young students and not pull out your hair!
As I said, the inspiration was this delightful painting Vincent created in the fall. What he wrote to his brother Theo, “with yellow autumn leaves and the sun casting here and there”, struck a chord in my heart. Vincent is really describing the beauty of Autumn and I wanted that beautiful description to be put down on paper.
This mixed media project uses oil pastels, tempera paints and chalks with painted paper scraps to create an adorable cottage in the woods.
Using 12″ x 18″ construction paper, students create a one point perspective drawing in pencil and add the layering of oil pastels, tempera paint and chalks. Large brushes create the overlapping leaves on the fall trees.
After the trees are created, the path and cottage complete the painting.
We displayed these with the delightful fox project you can find here.
Don’t you just love the colors and textures in these gallery paintings?
Want more detailed directions with a full color lesson plan?
Now available at the shop.

Step by step full-color photo tutorial for the Avenue of Poplars lesson
Background information about Vincent Van Gogh
Van Gogh timeline
Vocabulary and learning objectives
Supplies needed for project
Student gallery
Reproducible coloring sheet for early finishers
Reproducible Artist Statement
I Can statementsNational Standards
“How to Make Painted Paper” Handout
11″ x 17″ poster
These lessons are great for ages 6-10 but any age student can create a beautiful painting with these directions.
Thanks for stopping by and for letting Painted Paper Art be your top destination for art lessons.
Keep on Creating
Laura 🙂
3 Comments
Michelle Gifford
October 6, 2016 at 9:09 pmI am ALWAYS impressed by the quality of work that your students create! And I’m VERY impressed by how many wonderful new project you’ve been posting recently! I can’t wait for Patty’s Summer Workshop to be available this month so I can rewatch the lessons that you taught. They went by too fast, and I’m still trying to figure out your beautiful painting techniques! Thanks for more inspiration to choose from!
Julie Eckhardt
October 26, 2019 at 11:04 amThese are beautiful! How long is the hands on part of this project? I only have an hour with the students. Thanks!
Laura
October 26, 2019 at 8:30 pmI created these with my 2nd grade students in 2-35 minutes sessions, it depends on your students how much they get into the project. 🙂