Wiggle Lines

After reading "Lines That Wiggle", by Candace Whitman, each student drew a random line on his/her paper. I collected all the papers and passed them out to different students. Students were encouraged to turn their papers around and figure out WHAT kind of wiggle line they had. Next we added glitter to make the line "pizzazzy" and drew an environment around it. Using our imaginations was the focus of this project.

Winter Class Quilt

Our school district is holding a silent auction to raise money for the Relay for Life event to raise money and awareness for Cancer research. The art department has been asked to make artistic contributions with the students to include in the silent auction. The event is Wednesday, December 18th. YIKES!

My fifth grade class that I see twice a week has started making a snowflake themed tapestry/quilt. It is exciting as I am learning a few new things myself! I will keep posting the progress. Last week we went back to our primary days and cut snowflakes from paper to use as stencils. On Tuesday we battled the wind and a hide-and-seek sun to expose our light sensitive fabric. We are using Blueprints on Fabric (http://www.blueprintsonfabric.com/).  I rinsed them out and ta-dah! I can't wait to start embroidering these tomorrow!

A Feast for the Eyes

In preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, our students made their own placemats that they will use to mark their special spot for The Kids’ Place Thanksgiving Feast! Our art discussion was focused on the ABAB pattern, which reinforces what the students are learning with their classroom teachers. Emphasis was placed on color and shape patterns and how artists use patterns to create interest. The class discussed Native American symbols and had the chance to embellish their place mats with original imagery. Yum!

Another Quilt Finished!

This past summer I spent a week as the resident artist at Kirkwood Camp in the Poconos. The campers worked on several projects to celebrate the "Joy of Creation". Using nature as our inspiration, each camper worked on a 12 inch square over the course of a couple of days.  Today I finally sewed on the sleeve so that it can be hung properly for all to enjoy. A few pictures follow that document the process and remind us of those warm sunny days!

If I was a tree...

Inspired by the work of Tony Demura, students finished the statement: "If I was a tree...". Each student illustrated his/her idea using the media of his/her choice. The students were encouraged to take the perspective of how he/she would feel and see as a tree. Focus was planed on using their imagination and creating a unique image. (This was a project that I saw on http://newcityarts.blogspot.com/)