In this lesson students learned about the life and work of Mondrian. We focused on his tree series and how it depicted a very transitional moment in his life as well as his art. We also studied the modern chalk artist, Julian Beever. As an interesting warm-up, students go outside to observe and draw the trees they see using chalk on the sidewalks. The finished product is an illustration of a tree that serves as a self-portrait for each student. The students are prompted to reflect upon and write about transitions in their lives and use this as inspiration for their piece.