Pumpkins...and Jungle Animals

Yes, even art teachers still love to carve pumpkins.  I had a pumpkin carving adventure this weekend with my family.  Check out our spooky, glowing creations.

 The third graders have been looking at the artwork of Henri Rousseau.  They drew and painted their own jungle animals and then created collages.  Here are some examples of their work:

Henri Rousseau's Suprised Tiger
Photo courtesy of www.obit-mag.com

Spooky Houses

The 4th graders just finished up their haunted house sculptures.  They used cardboard, popsicle sticks, foam, and other found objects to create these spooky structures.

3rd Grade Abstract Trees

The third graders have been working on a multistep project that has involved markers, watercolors, and lots of patterns.  First we read the book The Great Kapok Tree by Lynn Cherry and discussed the Amazon Rainforest.  We were also able to watch a short video that taught about the animals of the rainforest and why the rainforest is in danger.  Then the students drew several large trees with branches, added plants and animals, and then gave the artwork an abstract look by filling the trees in with patterns.  The results are beautiful...I seriously think I'd like to put some of these in my own house!  (This project was inspired by a lesson in SchoolArts magazine.)

An Explosion of Color!

We have been very busy in the art room, and all are projects recently seem to be exploding with color.  Below are pictures from our hexagon mural.  Most students in the school designed a hexagon with a various theme depending on the grade level.  We then taped up all the hexagons by the gym to create a giant tessellation.  Each hexagon is unique, but it is also an important part of the artwork.  In the same way, each student in our school is different but each plays and important part in working together to make our school an enjoyable place to come each week.  Students, can you find your hexagon?

Art Explorers
Our after school art club is in full swing.  Last week we finished up these beautiful crayon pictures.  (I wish I could claim this idea, but it came from my sister who found the directions on YouTube.)  You simply hot glue the crayons to canvas and then blow dry them to create these firework looking drips.  This project is so much fun that even I had to take a turn and make my own.

Kindergarten Color Mixing
The kindergarteners have been learning about primary colors and how to mix them to create secondary colors.  Today we took the paintings that they made and turned them into textured collages filled with all sorts of interesting objects.

The goodies used for collaging