4th Grade Monet's Bridge...

Using drafting tape create a bridge inspired by Monet's Garden bridge.

Get creative with the drafting tape.

Build a fancy bridge!

Using blues, greens and purples with a sponge brush cover the entire paper by dabbing with the sponge brushes...

Dabbing has a better looking final result then brush strokes but you can test out what every works best for you.

Make sure to cover all the drafting tape leaving no white spots.

When the background paint is dry, slowly peal the drafting tape off.

I mean slooooowly. Let the tape tell you where to put. Do not try and force it or it will rip the paper. I have about 1 in 100 that will just go all out pulling and end up with a torn painting. 

Next you can paint the bridge. In this photo the student is painting the bridge the color we saw of the actually bridge....or at least the color of the one that was colorized in the photo we saw with Monet standing on it! We also looked at a photo one of my many traveling cousins took on her trip to France!

In this photo the student is painting the bridge brown.

The last step is to add Willow branches, bushes, lilly pads, flowers, reflections and clouds.

Students used pastel colors and different shades of greens and blues for this process. 

I have tried using the long Q-Tips and we have also tried finger painting the last step. I think I 

like the look of the finger painting the best.

Tools you will need. When going with the finger printing method I give everyone a paper towel. A white paper towel and not one of the usual industrial brown paper towels the school provides.

Photo by my cousin Anita Deane Purser

Giverny, France home of Claude Monet and his bridge and gardens.

Click HERE for the link to her Houston Chronicle article