This was my first time working with an older group of students. In the past I have worked with campers, as an art teacher, ranging from kindergarten to seventh grade. I was a bit intimidated by the high school class because most students did not want to be in class, and there were thirty-three students.

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The lesson their teacher planned for them was to paint a still life of an apple. My teaching included preparing them for that lesson by having them first draw a still life with crayon. I chose crayon because it is a very accessible material and really great for blending and layering. A lot of people don't know that. I made the connection to crayons also being waxy in consistency, similar to the skin of the apples they were drawing.  I think the students really gained a lot from this exercise, including being able to layer the colors and  create dimension. 

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On the second day, I went over brush care and use. Students were asked to paint a pattern using 10 different colors. This exercise encouraged students to mix colors and become more comfortable blending with paint.