As the trees outside lose the last of their colorful leaves, inside the art room colors begin to take on a extra measure of vibrancy. The drying rack is overflowing with projects from 5th grade kinetic pull sculptures to Georgia O’Keeffe first grade leaves and second grade flower oil pastels.  Whether through multi level projects or students wanting to express lots of ideas in one small piece, art in the Elementary class room can get complicated. Getting back to the basic elements like color is vital. Color study is wonderful for showing how beauty and simplicity work hand in hand to express ideas and emotions. The fifth grade is mesmerized by the change in color as their designs spin and blend before their eyes. The first grade watched how the oil pastels blended well together to create a rich vibrant texture for the leaves they colored. The second grade created blended oil pastel flowers with bright contrasting background.