Berry Boards

The Fifth graders and I finally figured out how to make the art room--smoosh berries! we pressed blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and elderberries onto paper to make a wonderful background for our ink drawings.

Natural Textures

Fourth Graders used a variety of seeds, leaves, petals, kernels and beans to design Texture Tiles. Finding contour lines in the garden helped create spaces and shapes to fill with treasures from the garden. The fourth graders learned about contrast--the challenge was to see how texture, shapes and colors can create contrast when glued next to one another.

This is one of those few times that you will hear me saying "use more glue!"

International Dot Day (week!)

September 15th is International Dot Day! After reading Peter Reynold’s “The Dot”, we decided to celebrate for a few weeks instead! Students spent a few classes working hard cutting and gluing dots and finding “dots” to reuse from the recycling bin (well-washed of course!). These colorful works of art remind us that even the simplest forms can bring the most beauty! Dot-o-licous!  

Not a Square!

After reading Perfect Square by Michael Hall (Author, Illustrator), each Kindergartener had to choose a colored square of previously painted paper. The assignment was to cut and/or rip up the square to create a new image. As the images developed, I went around and asked each artist to talk about his/her art and finish the sentence "I picked [chosen color] because..." . Although the dictation was spoken and then typed by me, I feel strongly that it is an important exercise for the students to begin early to reflect and talk about their artwork. This is a first step in later having the ability to reflect and to write about the process of art-making.

 

Self Portraits

Second Graders learned about James Castle, an artist who overcame his disabilities to create. Although Castle was to be unable to speak, read, or hear, he communicated to the world around him. Driven by his need to make art, Castle used whatever he found in his modest farm house in Idaho to make pictures. Much of his artwork is done on cardboard, old mail, string, and soot from his fireplace. Our students worked with cardboard, fabric, and found objects in the artwork to create a self-portrait. As you can see, Castle was a great inspiration. Students finished the statement: "Art is Important to Me Because..."

Natural Reactions

First and second graders were introduced to the work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser. We looked as the book, Harvesting Dreams to help us understand his work. Hundertwasser believed in the beautification of how he lived and that nature should inspire what humans create. After a brief color study of analogous and complimentary colors, students used paint, oil pastels and painted paper to create a harmonious design.

White Out

First graders studied the work of Louise Nevelson, the "original recycler". After looking at her monochromatic sculptures, each student created an all-white design. The students focused on an object's shape and texture to up-cycle, or repurpose the original use of that object. Some students worked on abstract design, while others illustrated a concrete representation.

Matisse Madness

Using Henri Matisse as an example, students cut out a variety of shapes (some defined and others self-defined) to create a collage. The shapes were glued down to create a collage that allowed students to draw on their knowledge of colors, shapes, and fine-motor skills. Emphasis was placed on creating excitement and movement (aka PIZZAZZ); therefore, the end results have an abstract feeling. The students learned about the importance of the primary colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue.

And all that jazzzz.....

Second graders looked at Wassily Kandinsky’s compositional paintings. The classes discussed the layers that he used to create a mood. His paintings express rhythms and patterns to express energy and movement. As the students listed to Jazz, they created layers of paint, paper and glue that built into a completed work. The class discussed how the similarities between musical and visual compositions. Go ahead and listen!

Animal Tales

We are chasing our Tails! Or is it our Tales? Together, the class folded our paper in to an accordion style book. Each interior page was designed with an animal pattern (real or imagined) using oil pastels or colored pencils The front and back covers were designed with an assortment of materials. this project serves as a nice introduction to book arts, as well as reviews the students' knowledge of patterns.