Most of the year, I am known as Ms. Lenka, KinderQuest homestudy teacher at the Nevada City School of the Arts in Nevada City, CA. I was 2006 Teacher who Makes a Difference at NCSA and 2006 Teacher of the Year for the Twin Ridges School district. The Nevada City School of the Arts (NCSA) is a public charter school serving K-8th grade students. We teach the core academic areas as well as thematic learning through the arts. In KinderQuest, we use the arts as a journey of discovery of the self and the world. Over the course of the year, we learn watercolor washes, texture, background & foreground, collage, and much much more.

This clown fish painting is one of my NCSA creations from when I taught second grade. This finished product only shows a small amount of the learning involved in the process.

In addition to the creative process, we also discussed The Great Barrier Reef, symbiotic relationships, color in nature and why some animals have bright colors, conservation and threats to the reef, and adaptations for survival! Lively discussions!

Lessons embedded in the clown fish painting Color theory- that warm colors come forward and cool colors recede into the background. The effect of thick and thin lines, and how black affects a scene. By using thicker lines, the picture gains emphasis in certain areas. White pops out when surrounded by color. Drawing by recognizing other shapes within the fish- ovals, triangles, and curved lines. Watercolor techniques- including the surface tension of water. If you fill an area with water, then add two colors (like orange and yellow), they flow into one another and fill the space. Don't touch the water's surface, though, because colors will bleed everywhere! Moving around the canvas to paint next to dry areas so the colors do not bleed into one another.

You can see KinderQuest student art by visiting our Art Gallery.