Kindergarten Warm/Cool Cats

We began with literature. Then kinders drew cats. These were filled with rectangles and squares, which were in turn filled with patterns. After sharpie, students painted with warm colors: red, orange, yellow. Of course they learned a song  that I wrote about the warm colors!
Next another song I wrote, about the cool colors; green, blue, and purple. They used a wet on wet technique to paint the night sky. Stars were drawn, painted with warm colors again, cut and glued to the sky. Finally cats were cut and glued on. A lot of great end of year learning and review!

Second Grade end of year Sunglasses

I love to Read the book, Orlando and his little while Friends, at the end of the year. It is about a kid who learns to make friends even for the moment on his summer vacation. Then I have the children draw huge "art" sunglasses. The frames have patterns, and the inside is a drawing of where the children are or want to go this summer. We discuss "quality " coloring with crayons. Here are a few starter projects.
Hopefully the students are equipped tomato friends where ever they travel!

5th Grade String art

5th graders viewed a slide show I created to show the connection of math and art. Then students chose colors of floss to create a string art on a black velvet card.
Here are a few proud finishers.

2nd Graders learn about Hokusai

Second graders loved  learning about the famous Japanese artist Hokusai. His woodcuts are powerful pictures of nature and life in Japan. We studied "The Wave". Students listen to a fictional book about "The Wave", saw a short animated clip about the artist, and translated their learning into art. First they used black chalk to create an underpainting, shading lighter as they moved up the page. Next they were given blue and turquoise tempera to paint a wave. When that dried we used real sea sponges to pounce on sparkly white paint for foam. Brown and white paint was used to paint a small Mt. Fuji off in the distance. Students drew people in a canoe or boat riding the wave, just like in the famous painting!

Bottle Cap Mural

I have been collecting, sorting and saving colored plastic bottle caps for years now. The time has come to create a mural with them. I painted a design that encompassed all of our learning here at Sopris. The 5th grade students used an adhesive, in caulking tools, to attach the lids onto the board.  It was a fun process. Students needed little help from me once they got going. It was hard to decipher the picture up close as we worked, but at a distance, the final piece comes together visually.

First 5th grade students helped prime the board.


Next I drew and painted  the painted artwork onto the primed board.

The fun job of gluing begins!



Early stages with a few caps on.


More gluing! Fun!



Finished!

All School Art Show!

Fines Arts Opening night at Sopris was a lot of fun and well attended. Mr. D had  bel canto choir and piano recitals in his wing. Mrs. Wenzel hosted a book fair. The 4th grade team had a Nature night for families. There were pizzas, snacks and drinks plus family art making in the
cafeteria. PTA helped supply non sugary nutritious snacks. Many children helped as cashiers at the book fair, greeters with maps, and at the family art making night.The halls and library had lots of hanging art and ceramics. Here are some photos of artworks and people.