Lacey Reuter | Teaching Artist Portfolio
I am a teaching artist whose work is largely inspired by my students. I offer curricula in a multitude of media to a wide range of ages and abilities. I founded and run Rainbow Parrot Art, through which I have developed and taught more than 300 original art projects over the past 10 years. I also create art education videos on YouTube, where teachers use my lessons to teach thousands of students around the world every day. I want students to experience joy and connection while gaining the skills to express their brilliant ideas.
Selected Student Artwork
Andy Warhol-Inspired Photo Collage
Supersized Sculptures Inspired by Claes Oldenburg
DIY Photo Frames
Neon Tiger Faces, Inspired by Andy Warhol’s Endangered Animals Series
Otter Mansion, 1st Grade Student
Aquarium Illustration, 2nd Grade Student
Paul Klee Letter Art, Grades 1-5
Birthday Cake Towers, Grades 1-5
Chinese Dragons, Grades 1-5
Happy Accident String Painting, Inspired by the Dada Art Movement, Grades 1-5
Kawaii Tacos, Grades 1-3
Architectural Designs, Inspired by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Grades 1-5
Neurographic Art, Grades 1-5
Kandinsky-Inspired Paintings, Grades 1-5
Self-Portrait Photo Collage, Inspired by Andy Warhol, Grades 1-5
Fauvist Landscapes, Inspired by Jean Metzinger, Grades 1-5
Designer Shoes, Grades 1-5
Dream House Escape Car from Bluey, Grades 1-3
Enchanted Forest Set Design, 400+ Students, Grades K-8
Papier-mâché Minions
Fairy Gardens
Starry Night in Acrylic, Adult Art Class
Monet’s Water Lilies in Acrylic, Adult Art Class
Art in Action
Helping a Student with Her Plaster Bird Sculpture
3D Paper Engineering, Grade 7
Clockwise: Expressionist Tape Resist, Ceramic Orca Whales, Fauvist Landscapes, Pop Art Donuts
Architectural Designs, Inspired by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Grades 1-5
Orca Whale Paintings, Grades 1-5
Clockwise: Paul Klee Letter Art, Jackson Pollock-Inspired Splatter Paint, Expressionist Tape Resist, Helping a Student with His Gingerbread House
Weaving with Fabric on Cardboard Looms
Plaster Bird Sculptures
Clockwise: Fauvist Landscapes, Marshmallow Engineering, Sculpting with Rainbow Cookie Dough, Jackson Pollock-Inspired Action Art
Painting Monet’s San Giorgio Maggiore in Acrylic
Happy Accident String Painting, Inspired by the Dada Art Movement
Squeegee Paintings
Abstract Paintings, Inspired by Alma Thomas
Helping Students Create Robert Delaunay-Inspired Cubist Abstracts
Teaching My Family How to Paint Cactuses
Selected Artwork & Teaching Samples
A selection of original sample artworks I created for art lessons I have developed and taught over the past several years.
A selection of YouTube thumbnails from art tutorials on my channel, Rainbow Parrot Art.
One of my students suggested that I create an “Otter Mansion” drawing project, so I did! (Colored pencils and alcohol markers)
I created this whimsical treasure map in order to inspire my students to create their own. (Colored pencils and Sharpie)
Paintings
Danse Macabre, 5' × 5', gouache. This painting was inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns’s 19th-century symphonic poem Danse macabre, which depicts a whimsical nighttime scene in which Death comes to life, plays his violin, and summons the dead to a wild dance. The revelry continues until daybreak, when the rooster crows and the dancers disappear. From background to foreground, the entire painting was created with one continuous line.
Dancing in Nikes, 5' × 7', oil. When I was 19, I had the opportunity to spend a summer painting in Tahiti. I became fascinated by the vibrant local tradition of dance and by the way Polynesian culture seemed to blend traditional and contemporary life so naturally. I created this painting while living at the University of French Polynesia. From background to foreground, this entire painting was created with one continuous line.
Main Panel, Harlem Renaissance Series, 5.5' × 11', oil. I first became interested in the cultural history of Harlem at age 16 while listening to Ella Fitzgerald’s “Take the ‘A’ Train.” I spent the next year and a half reading everything I could find about the Harlem Renaissance and creating this five-panel series as a tribute to the extraordinary cultural movement and its lasting impact on American culture. This main panel celebrates the many forms of art and culture that flourished during the period. The background pays homage to Harlem Renaissance painter Aaron Douglas, incorporating his signature concentric circles and African-inspired silhouettes. From background to foreground, the entire painting was created with one continuous line. The series is currently on long-term loan to The Evergreen State College Tacoma campus. I retain ownership of the work and am not currently represented by a commercial gallery.
Visual Art, Harlem Renaissance Series, 5' × 5.5', oil. This panel depicts several of the leading visual artists active during the Harlem Renaissance and includes some of my favorite quotations from their work and writings. Among those depicted are Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, Palmer Hayden, Archibald Motley Jr., and Laura Wheeler Waring.
Literature, Harlem Renaissance Series, 5' × 5.5', oil. This panel depicts some of the most prominent writers and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance. Among those represented are Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Nella Larsen, and Wallace Thurman.
Theatre Panel, Harlem Renaissance Series, 5' × 5.5', oil. Depicted in this panel are Paul Robeson, Josephine Baker, Charles Gilpin, Florence Mills, and Ethel Waters, among others.
Music Panel, Harlem Renaissance Series, 5' × 5.5', oil. This panel features some of the legendary musicians who were active during the Harlem Renaissance, including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Jelly Roll Morton.