Whistler’s Mother is a masterpiece, but there’s much more to the man behind the art, as these Whistler Art Projects for Kids help us understand!

“You should not say it is not good. You should say you do not like it; and then, you know, you’re perfectly safe.” ~ James Whistler

We’ve all had that one classmate who wasn’t really into lessons but enjoyed drawing little cartoons and doodles in their notebook. Have you ever wondered what they’re doing now? Well, if they’re like James Whistler, they’ve probably gone ahead and created an iconic masterpiece like this one here!

Yes, that’s pretty much how James Abbott McNeill Whistler became an artist. Born in America, he joined the U.S. military as a draftsman, but was so bored by his job that he ended up drawing mermaids and sea serpents on the margins of the maps!

But Whistler’s interest in art started much earlier. By the age of fifteen, he informed his father that this was his chosen path. At the age of 21, he left for Paris to study art, and the rest is history.

It’s hard to put Whistler’s work in a box – he disliked being a part of any specific style of art. He even turned down an invitation by Edgar Degas to exhibit with other Impressionist artists, because he didn’t identify with them.

In fact, Whistler ticked off quite a few people in his time – he often made sarcastic comments or had a snarky repartee during conversations. It’s unsurprising then, that he published a book named “The Gentle Art of Making Enemies“!

Since July is the month of James Whistler’s birth and death anniversaries, we think it’s an opportunity for kids to learn more about this amazing, but unconventional artist – with some interesting Whistler art projects for kids!

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10 James Whistler Art Projects for Kids

1. Fireworks Painting Inspired by James Whistler

James Whistler didn’t think that paintings had to be realistic, he believed that each one needed to have its own unique identity without being too ‘natural’. One of his favorite things to paint was a ‘nocturne’, which refers to a painting of a night scene, having muted colors and a diffused appearance. Other famous artists who painted nocturnes include Frederic Remington and Rembrandt. Learn Play Read gives us an art project featuring a night sky with fireworks.

2. Whistler’s Mother Footprint Art

The Pinterested Parent brings us a fun project featuring a footprint turned into Whistler’s painting – Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1, better known as Whistler’s Mother. Whistler’s mother ended up being an accidental model, when the scheduled one failed to turn up. She was first made to pose standing, but since it was too tiring, he ended up painting her in a sitting pose.

3. Peacock Room-Inspired Art Project

Homeschool Art reminds us of Whistler’s gorgeous masterpiece, the Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room. This is an interior mural done in the Anglo-Japanese style. Whistler was asked to make minor changes, but once he began, his imagination took over and he couldn’t stop redoing the entire wall – that the owner had paid £1,000 for!

4. Paint Your Own Whistler’s Mother

Use these Whistler art projects for kids to make your own masterpiece, as Activity Village shows! While we think of Whistler’s Mother as a masterpiece today, critics during the artist’s time didn’t like it at all. The Royal Academy of Arts in England refused to show it and only agreed after the insistence of English artist Sir William Boxal.

5. James Whistler Art History Worksheet

Today, the original portrait of Whistler’s Mother resides in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, after the French government bought it. In 1934, the United States honored the painting by issuing a postage stamp featuring it. Learn more about the history of the artist with this worksheet from Teachers Pay Teachers.

6. DIY Nocturne Art Project

Rule this Roost brings us an art project that is reminiscent of Whistler’s Nocturne in Black and Gold, the Falling Rocket. When Whistler put the painting up for sale, it was heavily criticized by art critic John Ruskin and Whistler ended up suing him. When asked why he was charging 200 guineas for just two days’ work, Whistler famously replied, “I ask it for the knowledge I have gained in the work of a lifetime.”

7. Whistler’s Mother Grid Drawing

This grid drawing tutorial from Teachers Pay Teachers is a great addition to this list of Whistler art projects for kids, especially considering how important Whistler’s mother was in his life. Whistler had quite a wayward life, which gained some sort of stability and respectability after his mother moved in with him. Whistler owed her a lot, and when she died, he adopted her maiden name McNeill as his middle name.

8. Whistler’s Monograms

Every artist signs his work in his own unique style, and Whistler did it with a monogram he designed for himself. It was a butterfly, which depicted his love for art and beauty. However, the butterfly also had a stinger, which represented the artist’s combative personality! Children’s Art Info encourages us to try replicating Whistler’s monogram, and maybe coming up with one of our own.

9. James Whistler Doodle Art Activity

How would you like to add your own detail to an artist’s masterpiece? Well, Toy Theater gives us that opportunity with this fun doodle activity! It features different scenes from Whistler’s work, to which you can add a doodle of your own. Whistler painted landscapes as well as portraits, although his portrait painting was quite stressful for his subjects! He took a long time and demanded complete immobility, which wasn’t easy!

10. Symphony in White Coloring Page

We love this coloring page from Super Coloring that is based on Whistler’s painting, Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl. This is believed to be Whistler’s first famous work, but was deemed inappropriate then by London’s Royal Academy and the French Academy’s Salon. Many of Whistler’s paintings had musical names, like ‘arrangements’, ‘symphonies’ or ‘harmonies’, inspired by Whistler’s friend Frederick Leyland who was a fan of the famous musician Frédéric Chopin.

Today James Whistler is a household name, and the Whistler’s Mother portrait has been replicated and parodied several times over. You probably remember the scene at the art gallery in the 1997 movie, Bean: The Movie! Whistler was featured on a stamp by the U.S. Post Office in 1940 and his house in Massachusetts has been turned into the Whistler House Museum of Art. We hope these Whistler art projects for kids inspire you to visit there some day!