Third grade Clay Taco Fish

Third grade was ever so excited to come into the Art room and see that they were going to make a clay creation today! Clay projects have to be completed in one day, so it must be a quick and rather easy to form one. I found this idea online and it is a winner! From a slab of clay, students drew and cutout a circle. This was folded up like a taco and sealed partially shut using the score and slip method. Then the creativity began. My only requirements were that all pieces had to be attached using score and slip, and it had to have LOTS of fishy texture. Soon we had angler fish, catfish with whiskers, monster fish, sharks, you name it! It will be several weeks before these are completely dried and fired so we can paint on our glaze. Here were a few drying in my pretend aquarium.

Fourth Grade Black on Black Pueblo Pottery

Fourth Graders learned about a clay artist named Maria Martinez who brought the ancient art of black on black pottery back to life in the Pueblo community. The pots are fired without oxygen,which turns the clay black. Then they are polished and carved to create the distinctive look. So many vocabulary words for these young artists, but they were fascinated as they read through the slides.  They sketched designs in their sketchbooks making sure to use geometric patters and curve the design across the pot to give the illusion of roundness.  The next step involved painting 2 papers completely block with tempera paint. The following week students discussed symmetry and how to draw a symmetrical vase or pot. We devised a method of folding paper in half and cutting out a pattern to trace onto the painted black paper. Then the drawing began with metallic colored pencils. We are off to a great start! This inspiration came from the Crayola site years ago.

Fifth Grade St. Basil's Cathedral

Fifth grade  visited Red Square last week as they viewed slides of Russian architecture.  They learned about the colorful St.Basil's Cathedral in Moskow.  They are getting very good at architectural drawing of 3-D forms. Last year they drew Victorian Houses. Their preliminary sketches show some great development. They are having fun inventing patterns for their towers. Thanks to Deep Space Sparkle for the inspiration.

Art to Remember Program Paintings

Each year the art students participate in the Art to Remember Program. The children produce artwork and have the opportunity to purchase items with their artwork printed on them. These include tote bags, cell phone cases, tee shirts, mugs and many others things. The products turn out really nice and colorful. It also raises funds for our Art Program here at Sopris Elementary School. These funds have allowed me to me to purchase some big ticket items that I otherwise would not be able to acquire for the children.
Here are a few samples of paintings that parents will see on brochures coming home in the next few weeks.

These are Kinder and First Grade Paintings. Kinders learned about the artist Paul Klee and his fish paintings, drawing lines with oil pastels, painting warm and cool colors with liquid watercolors. Here are a few Kinders in progress.

First Graders read the book "Giraffes Can't Dance". We discussed friendship and how we all learn skills at different rates, like Gerald Giraffe. They drew a giraffe, discussed geometric and freeform shape and drew these in the neck of the Giraffe. They used rulers to draw straight lines, but not through the giraffe. This way the lines and shapes appear behind the giraffe. Patterns were drawn in every shape with crayons. Finally watercolors were painted over for a crayon resist.

Second and Third graders painted peacocks and zebras.

Again working on line, pattern, warm and cool colors.

Fourth grade learned about value and painted a value scale sky with a moon.

Then they painted a silhouette of a tree and grass. Fifth graders Painted a lovely  Colorado landscape. They learned the little tricks that artists use to show near and far in painting. They learned about the 3 areas of space in a landscape. Their aspens look like the countryside around Glenwood Springs right now as fall approaches.

Getting ready for a new year!

This was a productive summer for me. I created over 30 personal works of art.  My creative bucket is brimming. Now on to kid art. I have a stack of children's books  in my studio as starting points. I am busy making exemplars with art standards  in each.  Here is a foretaste...

Third grade Pig Kahuna

I bought a darling book at our  school book fair last year called "Pig Kahuna". There are more in the series, but this one deals with overcoming our fears.  I read it using a document camera to show it large on the screen. Third graders still love a good story with great illustrations. The first week we drew the pig, called Fergus. The next week they received little puddles of white tempera with a  dot of a color of tempera on the white. These puddles were mixed to make a tint. Fergus was painted with a Hawaiian shirt.  Next students designed a surf board and drew something that they were NOT afraid of anymore. All kinds of ideas were discussed and laughed about as they realized the silly things they were afraid of when they were little. These were painted with watercolors. The last step involved wet on wet painting using cool colors and splashes of white to create an ocean wave for Fergus to surf on.

Monet Ice Creams

First graders saw a short animated video about the famous artist, Claude Monet.  They learned how Monet and others started painting out of doors, instead of in studios. This was made possible through the invention of paint in tubes. They  then drew a bowl piled high with scoops of ice cream. As they drew, they incorporated the many types of lines that we have learned this year.  ( vertical, diagonal, horizontal, zig zag, wavy)  Next they mixed white paint with a color of tempera paint to create a tint.
This reminded  them of Monet's use of light and colors in the sunlight. Finally they added dots of paints for sprinkles. We celebrated Monet  by having a treat of small cups of ice cream and sprinkles!