Project Corner: Free Art Projects
During this challenging time while art classes are limited, we want to make sure that you have a creative outlet. We hope you enjoy these free projects created by some of our instructors for you to do in the comfort of your home. Each project has step-by-step instructions and provides a basic guide that allows you to customize and practice over and over again.
If you are a teacher or have a project or lesson you would like to share please contact us. We would love to hear from you.
Free Art Projects
- Summer Garden
- Mixed Media Painting
- Instructor: Beth Sotherden
- FREE Class
Learn how to paint and turn doodles into a colorful summer garden. Download her instructions and materials list for a step-by-step process. Explore, experiment and create your own unique summer garden. Enjoy!
Beth Sotherden is a popular art instructor at the Salmon River Fine Arts Center and loves sharing her ideas and techniques with other artists. Beth enjoys working in and experimenting with a variety of mediums, materials and processes. Her work is best described as intuitive painting, where she says the expression “becomes a dance and conversation between myself and the painting.”
- Koi Fish
- Mixed Media Painting
- Instructor: Lindsey Rowland
- FREE Class
Learn how to create this lovely koi fish by Lyndsey Rowland. You can download her instructions and materials list and tune into her You Tube Video to see her step-by-step process. If you don’t want to paint a koi fish, no problem! Use her instructions to paint whatever you want. Enjoy!
Lyndsey Rowland is an art teacher at Hannibal High School and a working artist. Her expertise is in painting, specifically portraits of pets dressed in funny outfits. She also enjoys art journaling where she can be more free with her work using different media and techniques. To view her personal work, visit her artist page on Facebook, “Lyndsey Galasso."
- Draw a Finch
- Instructor: Ann Buchau
- FREE Class
Learn how to create a pencil drawing of a finch using materials you most likely have around your home. Simply download the instructions and materials list, gather your materials, and draw this little bird that is prevalent at feeders and in forests. To get started, watch this video of the artist creating this drawing.
Ann Buchau is a multi-disciplined artist, instructor and current board president of the Salmon River Fine Arts Center. With degrees in studio art and advertising design, as well as being a certified yoga instructor, she enjoys sharing her knowledge in a variety of mediums including drawing, watercolor, acrylics, printmaking, and ceramics while weaving in an element of mindfulness.
- Watercolor Solar Painting
- Instructor: Robert Jones
- FREE Class
When we have abundant sunshine, learn how to create solar paintings by Robert Jones. You can download his solar watercolor instructions (pdf) for a list of equipment and materials, and to see his step-by-step directions. Next, download his solar watercolor painting process (pdf) to see the process in detail. And for inspiration, download his awesome solar watercolor paintings examples (pdf).
Robert Jones is a retired technology education teacher from the Hannibal School District. He began watercolor painting after retirement and was challenged by his first class. He was hooked! He recently developed a passion for solar watercolor painting, which he also teaches. Jones said, "This solar watercolor technique for me has helped to capture the beauty and complexity in our natural world! The results can be planned but many times the results are unexpected. Through this process my objective is to stimulate the imaginations of viewers and think about and appreciate our natural environment."
- Ice Suncatcher
- Instructor: Erica Hildebrand
- FREE Class
Instructions for Ice Suncatcher
Here is a fun winter family art project for you to enjoy and make together. It is considered temporary art, that is art created to enjoy for a moment, a season or some other defined time. This beautiful ice suncatcher is sustainable art created from readily available materials you can collect in your yard and home, such as plants, sand, berries, and water.
The project sheet was created by Erica Hildebrand and sent to us from her home in England where her husband is currently stationed in the Navy. Erica is a photographer (Erica Sallie Photography) and has fond memories of coming to the art center as a little girl when it first opened over 25 years ago. We want to thank Erica for sending us this wonderful project as well as her Facebook friend member Monique Ritter for bringing this to our attention. We hope that you and your family enjoy creating this beautiful temporary art. If you add some bird seed to your art, perhaps some of our wildlife friends will enjoy your art too!