Submitted by: Beth Elzinga, an art educator from Champlain Valley Christian School/North Country Christian Academy in Ferrisburgh, VT.

Objectives

What You Need:

• watercolor paper/good heavy drawing paper
• sponge/water
• watercolor paints in the sunset colors
• black construction paper
• Optional: nativity pattern for each student (it must include the ground).

What You Do:

1. Wet paper down with the sponge and water.

2. Paint entire paper using the sunset colors. Lightest at the bottom to darkest at the top. Because the paper is wet the colors will blend together. Let dry completely.

3. Create a sillhouette by cutting an image out of black construction paper.

   To make this a Christmas theme, take a nativity pattern (I drew my own,but you can find patterns on calendars, clip art, computer, coloring books...etc.), and place on top of the black construction paper. Carefully cut out the pattern and construction paper together.

4. Glue the silhouette on to the sunset painting.

5. I have also used chalk for this project. Either way it is quite striking when completed.