Here are some links to sites which we think will be helpful and/or interesting. We've only chosen a handful of the myriad available. Some of them have extensive links to other sites and can be good places to begin your searches.

We have also created some slideshows of inspiring geometric and portrait art, to accompany this year's lesson plans.

An extension for the Cool Collage art unit is the inclusion of a self portrait. Here is a lesson provided by dickblick.com that describes facial proportions.

About.com also provides useful descriptions of facial proportions as well as children's body proportions.

British artist Martin Dace has created a flash animation which shows body proportions changing with age, from birth to adult.

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo first started painting by doing self-portraits, painting some fifty-five of them through her life, including her Self Portrait 1929. Her most recognisable facial feature was her pair of long eyebrows.

Here are a couple of sites providing more information about tessellations, including terminology, varieties of tessellations and their mathematics: www.coolmath.com/tesspage1.htm and http://mathforum.org/sum95/suzanne/whattess.html.

Jo Edkins has provided some sample tesselation patterns; as well as online interactive tessellation-making using squares or triangles, and to create a snowflake tessellation and an Escher-style tesselation.

Tesselations have been traditionally employed in the making of patchwork quilts. Here is a catalogue of quilt patterns, such as the feather edged star. Here is an optical illusion Escher-style quilt pattern.

Patchwork quilting is a traditional artform for which the Amish are famous. Here are some Amish quilts, with geometric patterns, including tesselations.

Here are some modern painters whose work contains some geometric design:

Miro... Inverted Personages – 1949

There is a large compilation of images of Miro's art at allposters.com.

Here is a customisable screen saver featuring fifteen other Miro images, which can be used as a slide show: www.screensavershot.com/art15.htm

In explaining her work, Op Art painter Bridget Riley has stated "In my earlier paintings, I wanted the space between the picture plane and the spectator to be active. It was in that space, paradoxically, the painting 'took place'...".

Here is a biography of this artist, with ten of her works, including Movement in Squares, 1961.

Here is a compilation of thirty-two of her artworks: http://nadav.harel.org.il/Bridget_Riley/.

Here is a work of New Zealand artist, Simon Morris - Acrylic on Aluminium, 1994.

Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre  The Southern Arrernte Aboriginal tribal group site whose homelands are situated 100kms south of Alice Springs in Central Australia.  Information on Aboriginal culture with an online shop selling art, crafts, books and music.

Aboriginal Australia - Teaching & Learning for information on Aboriginal culture.  Explores sensitive issues.  Online shop for books, CD's, videos and CD -ROMs.

Aboriginal Culture  A site published by Roebourne School in Western Australia.  Includes audios of Aboriginal music and some Yindjibarndi words.

Aboriginal Flag  Information on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags.

Artforkids  This site is a good jumping off point for information on artistic cultures world-wide.  Includes many lesson plans and teaching resources.

AskAsia Homepage  Offers a wide variety of educational resources for the classroom, including lesson plans, readings, and  resource centre locator. 

Badastronomy.com  A great introduction to the solar system which is, after all, where we get all of our calendars from.

BBC Education Web Guide  is a searchable directory of over 3000 of the best websites for learning, selected and reviewed by subject specialists.

Creative New Zealand (Arts Council)  For information on Maori, Pacific Island art with some historical information.

Curriculum Resources  An Australian site with links to many Education sites - well worth visiting.

Education planet  If you have time to surf the web this page collects resources relevant to children's art  which are available on line.

GettesArtsednet  includes a variety of teaching materials including many art images.

Kidlink.org  A compendium of holidays around the world and what they mean with an easy to use index.

Kids Helping Kids  Unicef site with great ideas for raising self esteem and empowering children to create a peaceful world.

KinderArt  Lesson plans for Kindergarten and Primary age children.

National Library of New Zealand  Includes catalogues of library resources available to teachers.

Pacifika Press Catalogue  Online shopping specialising in Pacific Island literature.

Savina Hopkins is a Melbourne based visual artist who is inspired and influenced by natural history. She has created artwork for Kids Art Work teaching resources, including sample artworks, illustrations and the colourful icons on the calendars.

School Supplies - Online Store  A New Zealand site with a large catalogue of art supplies and some lesson plans.

Schoolhouse - Lesson Plans for Teachers by Encarta Online  Encyclopaedia on line with lesson plans.

Seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/nineplanets  A great introduction to the solar system which is, after all, where we get all of our calendars from.

Social Studies Lesson Plans & Ideas  American site which includes some interesting lessons on human rights issues.

The @rt gallery  Great ideas for 'thinking like an artist' 

The Incredible Art Department  A large site with many lesson plans, information on artists, artistic styles/periods with many links - well worth the browse.

Welcome to Curriculum Corporation of Australia  Interesting site with lesson plans and a good section on indigenous resources.

Webexhibits.org/calendars/s  A great site which gives interesting and informative information on the background of various calendars around the world.