Clear Starry Night

It was an eerie cold night in October. The moon was full, the stars were out, and crickets could be heard throughout the valley. A chill came upon the midnight traveler as he looked up into the sky. Why had he chosen to go out on this dark night? Why did this night seem different? Suddenly a lurking fog drifted over the valley. This would mean his travels would come to a halt. He must find shelter soon before he became lost. Only time would tell what the rest of the night had in store for him.

I would use examples like this during Language Arts or Reading. Like we were told to do in class, I would have them write stories of their artwork, and describe what was going on. Artist meanings in paintings may be different from person to person. Another option would be to have students create their own "Clear Starry Night" without seeing the actual painting, describing it in a story, then evaluating the actual artist painting-in this case Vincent Van Gogh.