Ted Harrison Christmas Tree Art Project Christmas Art Lesson Winter Landscape

This Ted Harrison Christmas Tree Art Project guides students through a bold holiday landscape inspired by the Canadian artist Ted Harrison: a decorated Christmas tree, colorful snowy landforms, bright mountains and a glowing sky. It suits art teachers, classroom teachers and homeschool families.

Students use oil pastels first to build thick colorful outlines and decorative sky bands, then add watercolor paint or tempera paint cakes for a rich layered look. Along the way they explore line, shape, color, landscape and warm and cool colors, with a warm sky band behind the sun set against cool looping sky colors. The finished pieces make bright December displays and bulletin boards.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• Cover Page
• About the Resource Page with prep and teaching guidance
• 2 Lesson Plan Pages with lesson overview, materials and teacher directions
• National Art Standards Page
• Critical Thinking Questions Page
• Art Project Rubric Page
• Instagram Reflection Page
• Art Reflection Page
• Questions and Wonders Page
• Artist Statement Pages
• Example Artwork Page
• How to Create Harrison Christmas Tree Page with step by step visuals
• Individual step by step drawing and painting pages
• Printable student support pages

MATERIALS

Pencil, eraser, black felt marker, watercolor paint or tempera paint cakes, card stock or thick paper, oil pastels, paint brush and water.

HOW TO USE IT

Use it in art class, homeschool visual art, holiday units, winter landscape lessons, sub plans or festive display projects focused on color and composition. The printable step by step visuals let you guide students through each stage of the drawing and painting.

FAQ

Who is this for?

Art teachers, classroom teachers, substitute teachers and homeschool families.

How long will it take?

Usually 1 to 3 classes, depending on student age and skill level, class behavior, teaching style and the time available in each class.

What format is it?

A non-editable step by step PDF tutorial with printable visual directions, lesson planning pages and student support materials.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS

★★★★ “This lesson is so well put together and it could still be made into a winter scene for students that do not celebrate Christmas.” Ann M.

★★★★ “I love the step by step directions to complete this adorable artwork.” Amber B.

★★★★ “I loved this resource and will use it again with students.” The N.

★★★★ “This is a wonderful resource. Thank you for your hard work!” Hillary P.

★★★★ “This project turned absolutely beautiful! My students enjoyed every minute of making it.” Hillary P.

★★★★ “Great resource!” Marcy S.

★★★★ “Helpful resource, thank you :)” AZteacher49

★★★★ “Love these. They are perfect for my Christmas art classes.” Passionate P.

★★★★ “So much fun, thank you.” Lauren M.

★★★★ “Thanks!” Samantha R.

★★★★ “Great resource!!!” Kaitlyn M.

★★★★ “Wonderful art project for the season! Thank you!” Joanne J.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist and educator who has been featured on NBC LX News and was the featured cover educator in OCO Magazine, October 2025. She creates art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers, homeschool families and art educators. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. Any clip art may be used as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, put it on your blog, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic