Spring is here!

Spring is finally here! And with April started, the end of the year is in sight. I have about a month until the school wide art show! Our theme this year is "Art Around the World". I will post some pics of the show after it's over.

Here is a little of what we have been up to!

5th Grade: Aztec Warriors
My inspiration for this project can be found at Deep Space Sparkle. http://www.deepspacesparkle.com/2011/02/21/aztec-warriors/

 

Students looked at drawings of what historians think Aztecs may have looked like. We talked about profile view. Students used detailed patterns in the Aztecs clothes. This project took about 3 class times. One to draw with pencil, one to trace with permanent marker and start coloring with marker, and one to finish coloring. I rarely let the students put weapons or anything violent in their art, but I did let them have the choice of drawing an old fashioned weapon or something else in the warriors hands since they are supposed to be "marching off to battle" together. This project will go in our Latin America section of the art show!

4th Grade: O'Keeffe Flowers
I learned how to do this lesson at an art teacher's conference. It was originally in the September 2004 issue of Arts and Activities.

Students watched a short bio of O'Keeffe then looked at some of her close up flower paintings. I passed out photographs of flowers and gave the students 2 minutes to do a small sketch of the flower, making sure they zoomed in on it. We did this 4 times total with 4 different flowers. The students chose their favorite and drew it large on 12x12 white paper. We then did a glue line over the pencil. Black oil pastel also works nicely. Next class the students used analogous colors inside their flower, and contrasting colors in the negative space.

 

3rd Grade: Tinga Tanga People

Another art teacher in my district did this project with her students and I loved the patterns and bright colors. Thanks Tracey!

 

Students started by learning about Tinga Tanga, an artist that painted bright African paintings. Now the term Tinga Tanga Art is used for any African paintings done in this style. We started by using warm colors to paint our 9x12" background. Then we used cool colors to paint another 9x12" paper. On top of the three cool colors we used sponges, marker lids, and other objects to stamp shapes utilizing a printmaking technique. Next class we cut rectangles for clothes, and used black paper to cut legs, arms, and heads. Last, we used white crayon to add detail to the limbs and heads.

 

2nd Grade: Sunny Skies

Love the way these brighten up our school's hallways!

 

 

 

We stared by making our background on light blue 12x18" paper. In the first example, students used sponges to give their sky a textured look. In the second example, I had them use cool color swirls to look like wind. I found the students had a hard time handling the mess of sponge painting, so the swirls worked better. For the sun, students first painted the warm colors on 9x12 paper, then used sponges, marker lids and other items to "print" on their paper just like the third graders did for their Tinga Tanga people. Next class time, the students ripped their warm color paper in to about 2x2" sections then glued them collage style in a half circle on the side of their paper. Last we used gold paint to make the sun's rays.

 

1st Grade: Native American Headdress

I simplified this project from the blog That Artist Woman: http://www.thatartistwoman.org/2010/03/first-nation-headresses-art-project.html

 

Students started by tracing a half circle "rainbow" pattern to be the headband. We used Native American symbols to decorate the headband. We glued the headband to the bottom corner of 12x18 brown paper. Next we painted a 12x18 white piece of paper. We discussed what non-objective art is, and how we are just painting colors all over the paper, not trying to create a picture of anything. Next class, we traced feather patterns on the back of our painted paper and cut them out. We glued them next to the headband to look like they were sticking out of it. Last we each chose 3 real feathers to glue on top of the paper feathers. Could also add yarn with beads hanging down from the headband if time allowed!

Kindergarten: Picasso's Posies
This is a project I have done since my first year of teaching. I think I learned it during my student teaching. Thanks Denelle!

Students compared and contrasted Picasso's painting Guernica with his paintings about peace such as the inspiration for this project Hands with Flowers. Students chose from a variety of skin colored paper and traced and cut out their arms and hands. Next we glued them overlapping each other onto 12x18 white paper. Last students used tempera cakes to make stems and flowers behind their hands. Beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



My Creations

I decided to post some of the things I have made. Some are examples for school projects, some are gifts, and some are for me!

Back in the swing

Hope everyone had enjoyable holidays and are back in the swing of things at school! We are busy here at "The Branch"  (Prairie Branch Elementary) producing all sorts of fun things. :-) Here is a sample of what we have been up to!

5th Grade: Adinkra Cloth

 

This is a printmaking project that we did, along with the description I hung beside the projects. We make the stamps with foam; the students use dull pencils to imprint the symbols on the foam. I have a slide with the actual Adinkra symbols and their meanings on it that I show the kids, and they copy two that they like. The border of the paper is one larger stamp of geometric lines and shapes, and the two smaller stamps in the middle are the Adinkra symbols. The students roll out the ink on foam trays, then roll it on their stamps, then stamp them on their paper. It is important the students don't use too much ink at a time, because it will fill in their indentations, then the symbols will be covered up when they stamp. This project took us about three class times. I would definitely have them make their stamps the first day, then the next two times have them stamp. If everyone had their own brayer, it is possible they could get their whole paper printed in one 45 min. class if they already had their stamps made and they worked hard! :-)

4th Grade: Klimt Tree at Night

 

 

 

I got my inspration for this project on Pinterest from a painting by klbaileyart.com. This project focuses on tints and shades. I gave them a foam tray to mix colors on. They went from pure white on the moon, to tints, to the hue blue, to shades of blue. This took one or two class times. The last class we looked at Klimt's Tree of Life and painted the silhouette of a tree with black. I had them do this part step by step with me since there are no erasers when painting! The also had the option to add a "creature" in their tree.

3rd Grade: Bright Lights and Big City

 

 

Third grade also learned about tints and shades with a simplified version. I did not give them foam trays to mix on, instead I had them mix their tints and shades on their paper inside the buildings. We drew the buildings and painted them in one class, then added the yellow sky, windows, and street stripes in the next class. I did the mixing step by step with them on my document camera since this was their first exposure to tints and shades. The middle building is the hue, then they should get lighter as the go right and darker as they go left. As you can see, one student got creative and mixed the blue and yellow to create grass instead of a road! :-)

 

2nd Grade: Snowmen at Night

 

 

This project is done with chalk pastel. It took one class time to read the book and do the pencil drawing, then another to color their picture with chalk pastel. Each student was to draw their snowman doing something. Love the DJ snowman!

1st Grade: Friendly Snowman

 

 

 

Students learned about 3/4 perspective when looking at the face for this project. I had them trace a circle for the snowman's head then draw a half circle on another paper for the body. We started by drawing one of the snowman's eyes right in the middle of the head. They drew another eye near the edge, and we continued with the nose off to the side and mouth looking like it curved around the face. Students were to draw their snowmen and women with at least three articles of winter clothing. We used oil pastel to color these creations!

 

 

1st Grade: Chinese New Year Wreaths

 

 

 

 

 

To start, we read a short book about the Chinese new year. We then learned that 2013 is the Year of the Snake. Students traced a 1/2 circle on folded paper and cut it our to make a ring. I taught them how to fold the tissue paper squares over the eraser of a pencil to make them 3D. We glued the tissue around the ring. I also printed a snake for them to color and add to their wreath. These students chose to do color wheel order on their wreaths!

 

Kindergarten: Sneaky Snowflakes

 

 

 

 

Students watched a Brain Pop Jr. about winter. We then folded a square paper into 4 sections. Students used white oil pastel to make secret snowflakes in each quadrant. I did this on the board with them as a draw-a-long. I explained that it would be hard to see their drawings, but we would be doing something with paint later that would make them POP out. After we drew the snowflakes, I handed out watercolors. We discussed what cool colors are. The students used cool colors to cover their paper in a watercolor wash, and the oil in the pastels resisted the water to make them pop out. Sneaky! I went around with a spray bottle to make sure their paintings were staying wet. Last I went around and sprinkled salt on their paintings to give it a crystal effect.

 

Hope some of these projects have inspired you with your students or kids! :-)