Fall Art

The school is all decorated for the fall season.  Check out the 1st grade owl sculptures, 2nd grade tree sculptures, 4th grade leaf collages, and Kindergarten texture collages.

Gnomes Sweet Gnomes

As part of our travel theme, the fourth graders looked at the Travelocity Roaming Gnome for inspiration in making these gnome collages.  The kids were busy working today, cutting, pasting, and gluing their gnomes into their magical forest lands.  Don't these just make you happy?  

Tree Houses

  

2nd graders have started the year with a unit on trees and nature.  A few weeks ago we went outside to do some observation drawings of trees.  We also discussed the difference between realistic and abstract trees and looked at an abstract tree painting by the artist Gustav Klimt. 

 Last week we read the book, In My Treehouse, by Alice Schertle and then created our own tree and treehouse collages. using color stix, tissue paper, and popsicle sticks.  The kids loved this.  I could barely peel them away from their papers when it was time to clean up!

First grade has been making artwork and looking at artwork filled with lines.  All students have sketchbooks, which they made at the beginning of the year, and we've trying to utilize the sketchbooks a lot more than I previously have.  Sketching is a great way for students to train their eyes to look for details, to practice ideas, and to develop their skills.  Recently all the first graders had a chance to look at Picasso's Study of a Young Son and to make an observation drawing of it in their sketchbook.  Below is Picasso's painting followed by some student sketches.  Try sketching at home by finding interesting objects around your house to draw.

A Crazy Hair Day

5th graders have been making line drawings of what they would look like if they were having a crazy hair day.  Check out their beautiful messes!  I love the variety of lines that each student used and how different all the portraits are.  Thanks to  Arts and Activities magazine for this great idea.

Self-portait artwork

I hope everyone had a great first week of school.  Currently, we have several bulletin boards of artwork around the school featuring students' self-portraits.  We actually made these at the end of last year so that we could have some beautiful work on display when everyone came back to school.  Students made monochromatic portraits using shades and tints of one color.  Have you found yourself?  (Special thanks to another awesome art teacher out there who posted this idea on her blog...I can't remember who you are, and I'm sorry about that.  But it's a terrific idea).

Today with the first graders we read I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont.  It's a book about a kid who paints his entire body with crazy patterns and bright colors (much to the horror of his mother!).  The kids love this book with it's rhyming, predictable words and the splashes of color on every page.  The students then drew their self-portraits and splatted paint over top.  Oh what fun!

Image courtesy of www.mudpuddlestoys.com

 

Welcome Back!

Welcome back everyone for the 2012-2013 school year.  I am very excited to have all of you in art class again this year and to be meeting some of you for the first time.  Most of you already know the expectations that I have for art class to ensure a positive, safe environment for everyone.  In case you've forgotten or are new here are my Art Room Guidelines that I expect everyone to follow at all times:

1. Be Kind.
2. Be a good listener.
3. Give your best effort.
4. Take care of supplies.
5. Help with clean up.

Most of the supplies we need for class are things that I already have.  On the supply list, you will notice that I requested all students at our school bring 5 large glue sticks (not blue ones) for art.  These can be dropped off at the art room and do NOT need to be labeled with names.  Also, 2nd graders need to purchase a black piece of foam board from the school bookstore.  The cost is $3.

I have put together a wish list of other materials I need IF you are interested in donating anything.  Here's what I'm looking for:

glue gun sticks for a small or large size glue gun

Crayola Gel markers

Brown or colored paper lunch bags

CLEAN Styrofoam meat and fruit trays

Tin vegetable or fruit cans with the labels removed (make sure there are no sharp edges)

Jean pockets from any size old jeans 

Paper plates

Empty Altoid containers

Check back on the blog frequently because I will be updating it to showcase what we are creating in the art room.  I am looking forward to a great year working together.

Oh, and I couldn't resist posting a few pictures of what I learned over the summer.  I was with my sister in Nairobi, Kenya and some women who live in the slums taught us to make beads and jewelry from recycled magazine paper.  First you cut the paper; then roll the beads; next dip them in varnish and let dry; and finally string them together to make a bracelet or necklace.  Check out our creations: