Gustav Klimt was an Austrian painter whose penchant for bright jewel tones, rich gold leaf, and eye catching patterns made his “Golden Phase” a critical success in the early 20th century. The fifth graders looked at examples of Klimt’s work and studied close-ups of the patterns and colors he used. Each of the students chose an ad from a fashion magazine and used it as the basis for their project. We traced the lines of the figures and then transferred them onto a new piece of paper and cut and glued the head and any other important body parts. The first coat of paint applied was a combination of metallic colors. Once that was dry, we moved on to our jewel tones, and the students dabbed bright areas on either the clothing or the background. Finally, the last layer was detailed with delicate patterns of dots, swirls, and rectangles– all used extensively by Klimt.