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Kindergarten Still Life: Inspired by Cézanne

Hope Creek Studios
Aug 3
2 min read

Colorful children's artwork of bowls filled with fruit. Vibrant reds, yellows, and greens on brown backgrounds create a lively display.

🎨 Still Life with Cézanne – Kindergarten Style Still life is always a favorite in our kindergarten art room—it’s such a wonderful way to introduce young artists to both observation and composition. As part of our classical education approach, we love connecting them to the great masters, and this time we explored the beautiful still life paintings of Paul Cézanne.

We started with a conversation: What is a still life? What kinds of objects do artists choose? The kids had so much fun spotting fruit, bowls, and everyday items in Cézanne’s paintings. They were especially fascinated by how he used color, brushstrokes, and layering to make something simple feel alive and full of movement.

Our project began with painting the background and separate sheets for apples and bowls. Once those dried, we added texture and detail with oil pastels, experimenting just like Cézanne might have—blending, layering, and trying different kinds of marks.

Then came the exciting part: cutting and assembling our collages! We talked about overlapping and layering to create depth, and students arranged their apples and bowls with real care and creativity. They even added little stems and shadows to finish off their vibrant still life compositions.

Every time we do this lesson, we’re blown away by how thoughtfully our kinders approach it. Their confidence grows with each step—they’re making artistic choices, reflecting on great art, and bringing their own voice to the process.

We think Cézanne would be proud. 🍎🖼️

🍇 Looking to take still life further? We’ve got a full range of still life lessons for middle and high school, too—perfect for exploring composition, value, shading, and even modern takes on the genre. From classical drawing techniques to mixed media interpretations, these projects build on foundational skills while encouraging older students to make bold, thoughtful artistic choices.