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Here are Winslow Homer art projects for kids that help us understand the famous American artist, Winslow Homer, and his amazing work!

“There is no such thing as talent. What they call talent is nothing but the capacity for doing continuous work in the right way.”

When we speak of famous works of prominent artists, we often see beautiful paintings of flowers, landscapes, or cultural icons. However, today, we’ve got something different here below – it is a painting of two infantry soldiers, and at first look, there doesn’t seem to be anything remarkable about it. But take a minute and look closer at the picture here.

Now, you notice some more details. The soldiers seem to be relaxed and not doing anything in particular, but then you notice a band playing in the distance – the soldiers are listening to it. They don’t seem particularly excited or happy – they’re probably thinking of their families back home. There are also a few things scattered around – plates, pots, and other sundry items, indicating this is where the soldiers live for now. 

See how a painting put forth a full story, in a few colors and some brush strokes? That’s the magic of the work of American artist Winslow Homer! This painting is called ‘Home, Sweet Home’, which represents the song that is apparently being played in the painting, as well as the indication that this is how a soldier’s home looks like during the war.

10 Winslow Homer Art Projects for Kids

1. Winslow Homer-Inspired Art

Homer’s work reflected his current circumstances, whether it was war, being at home, or his favorite, living by the sea. He lived in lighthouses, visited fishing villages, and observed how fishermen and women worked. Deep Space Sparkle tries to capture this love for the sea with some multimedia art projects including chalk paint, markers and watercolors.

2. Winslow Homer-Inspired Seascape

Homer’s works are quite simple, and many have clean outlines demarcating specific parts of the painting. Often each part represents something different as well. Let’s get some practice with those clean lines and dark contrasts with this seascape painting from United Art And Ed.

3. Sailboat Collage

Homer was taught in his childhood by his mother, and later attended classes at the National Academy of Design. For the large part though, he was self-taught and experimented by himself. Let’s do some experimenting too, by creating a Homer-inspired art piece using collage, as shown in Mary Making.

4. Winslow Homer Origami Boats

How about inserting some Origami into art? Well, Art gone Loco shows us how to do it! Many of Homer’s early works reflect simple rural life, and many of these were created when he stayed at Homer House, his uncle’s mansion in Belmont, Massachusetts. The house is now a tourist spot, and you can take a tour of the place if you like. 

5. Winslow Homer Cardboard Art

Homer painted war scenes during the years he was a soldier, but he also painted the other side, showing how women and children were affected by the war. Homer often painted from nostalgia, taking us back to a simpler time. You can do that too, by creating art based on your memories, or simply follow this tutorial by Artolazzi!

6. Winslow Homer Watercolors

If you’d like to get some in-depth descriptions of Homer’s works and explore more of them, this book by Helen A. Cooper is perfect! The book doesn’t just feature some gorgeous illustrations, but delves deep into Homer’s painting techniques, like sponging, scraping, and blotting.

7. Winslow Homer Seascape Painting

Homer’s love for the sea began when he started traveling, particularly when he went to a little fishing village in Cullercoats, England. He loved the diffused light over the sea and learned how to paint it beautifully using watercolors. Try out your own version of a seascape painting with this project from Art for Small Hands.

8. Clipper Ships inspired by Winslow Homer

Homer wasn’t too successful financially, particularly during his early years as an artist – people thought his art was too complicated! However, Homer was often helped by his rich brother Charles, and by the time he reached his sixties, he began earning well from his work. Well, you can try your hand at painting some clipper ships from Deep Space Sparkle, and try selling them too!

9. Winslow Homer Watercolor Seascape Collage

Winslow Homer wasn’t one to enjoy life in the spotlight – he preferred being alone. He stayed indoors most of the time, leading to people calling him ‘a hermit with a brush’, or a ‘Yankee Robinson Crusoe, cloistered on his art island’. Well, this project from Art with Mrs. Nguyen is easy and fun to do on your own or with friends!

10. Winslow Homer Coloring Page

This coloring page from The Color is based on one of Homer’s famous paintings, ‘The Fog Warning’. Another painting, ‘Breezing Up’, became the inspiration for a 1962 commemorative stamp honoring the artist. The US Postal Service released another stamp in 2010, based on his painting ‘Boys in a Pasture’.

These Winslow Homer art projects for kids help us get an idea of how much Homer loved the sea and everything to do with it. Before starting any of these, it’s a good idea to look at the original artwork that inspired the project and learn more about what it shows and how it’s painted. Perhaps it’ll also encourage you to think about what your muse might be!