Gold tempura paint + Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life painting + an awesome class of interested, excited students = magical paintings! 
This was for my Art Club with a combo of grades 2-5th. This group is especially open eared when I give instruction on how to paint, and painting techniques that will make their skills improve. Like I explained to them that by dipping your brush in black, then in water, then painting with a watery black, they will find that "zen" with the brush - a fluidity. The brush will not have resistance when stroked, and if it feels resistance, add more water. They trusted me, and they trust themselves! (Tangent)
Anyways, I think the gold really got them glued to the project. I guided them by starting with a basic contour of a wavy tree trunk and had them experiment with spirals. They then outlined all gold lines with black, added organic shapes with white paint and adorned with oil pastels (I provided a limited palette of pastels).
It was interesting how the students interpreted Klimt's painting: "it looks windy", "it looks like patterns on a quilt"...Right on target.
Check them out:
