3rd Grade Owls!

I have been looking for the perfect project to teach 3rd graders about neutral colors, and this is it!  We have also been focusing on texture this year, and everyone was excited to try a new painting technique to create visual texture - painting with small brushstrokes.  These owls have a lot of personality, and are just so cute!  I happen to love owls myself; my family has been collecting them for years, so I have quite a supply of models.  Whoooo doesn't love owls???

Beautiful Birch Trees

 This is one of my favorite projects!  2nd graders were required to choose either warm or cool colors for the sunset background of their paintings.  We looked at some real birch tree bark, and some photos as well, to get an idea of the shape and pattern of these particular trees.  Students worked very hard to control the watercolors and keep color from flowing into their trees.  Many color mixing discoveries were made, and fun was had by all!

Lion Power!

3rd graders used oil pastels to create the texture in these lions.  The focus was on shape, texture, and color; students were able to choose their own color combinations, to wonderful effect!  We had an in- depth discussion about the color wheel, to determine which colors would mix most effectively for the mane.  Many of the finished drawings reflect the emotion of the lion.  Bravo, 3rd graders!

First Grade Line Designs

 After an introduction to the line family (horizontal Harry and vertical Vicky) students created a line design, and then added geometric shapes.  They looked at the work of Mondrian for inspiration, and had great fun creating layers of shapes from small to large.

3rd Grade Salty Watercolors

3rd graders learned the secret to creating texture in watercolor paintings - salt!  They first traced real leaves, looking closely at the shape and veining.  After outlining the leaf shapes in oil pastel, students painted the leaves in realistic colors, and then used the wet-on-wet technique to create the flowing colors in the background. The "salt fairy" (that's me!) circulated around the room and added salt to background areas while they were wet.  The contrast of warm and cool colors really makes the leaves pop!

More 4th Musical Collages!

My classes finish a project at different times, due to vacation days, assemblies, etc.  This group was a bit behind, but I felt compelled to post more of these collages, because they are so inventive!

5th Grade Engraved Landscapes

 Since landscapes can be tricky to create, 5th graders did some embossing and engraving on metal to make the process fun.  They were required to include a foreground, middle ground. and background in their landscapes, and add at least 3 patterns.  The metal was colored with sharpies, and students learned how to blend colors together, which is only possible due to the slow drying time of sharpie on the metal.  These are shiny and beautiful!

1st Grade Pizza Chefs!

 First graders are introduced to the elements of art at the beginning of the year, and complete one project that focuses on each specific element.  This project is all about the art element of shape, and required students to draw, cut and glue all of their toppings using geometric shapes.  I was very impressed with the enthusiasm these kiddos displayed for this project; most added all of the toppings, even though they probably wouldn't eat some of them!

4th Grade Musical Collages

This is a new project for 4th grade; I have been experimenting in the past few years with different ways to teach negative space, which is a tricky concept.  Students cut out half of a guitar, and then used the "scrap" to match up and create a whole guitar shape.  The scrap contains the negative space. Kids could choose a traditional guitar shape, or could  invent new ones, and I was pleased to see everything from animals to ice cream cones!  Collage is a challenge as well, because all the details are cut and glued - no drawing!   We looked at Matisse collages for inspiration.  Check back, as there are more to come!

2nd Graders Love Gustav Klimt!

 2nd graders used a variety of tools and materials to create these Klimt inspired trees.  Gold and silver paint, along with real leaves, were used to print the background for the tree drawings.  After examining The Tree of Life, students practiced drawing an abstract tree, and then drew their final copy using silver crayons.  Hole punchers and gold paper were used to create the leaves, and students had a great time adding sequins to the trunks of their trees.  The results are shimmering, and just beautiful!

Welcome back, Tesago kids!

I hope everyone had a fantastic summer!  I visited the Clark Art Museum in August, and got to see an incredible Van Gogh exhibit.  Here I am in a giant Van Gogh painting!

I hope you are all ready for a fun, creative year in art.  Here we go!

Shen's 2015 Art Show!

Congratulations to all of the creative, talented students who were chosen for the art show this year! If you were not able to attend, here is Tesago's wonderful work.  Enjoy!