pOp ArT FoOd SCulpTuReS

Fourth graders can't wait for the time when they get to make food sculptures.  We discuss what it means to be a Pop Artist and look at the work of Claes Oldenburg.  They love seeing his huge upside down ice cream cone on the roof (Eistute) and Spoonbridge with Cherry.  The students first choose a food that they want to re-create and using past clay building techniques decide how they will build their food.  Once the food is made it is fired in the kiln, then painted.  The students work on how they want to present their food and have a hand in taking it to the library and setting it on display. 

Happy Winter!

We haven't had much snow in Massachusetts, but that didn't stop first grade from making snowmen.  First graders learned new vocabulary such as sphere, cube, cone, and sculpture as we discussed the element of art, form.  The students formed their clay pieces and attached them using the score and slip method.  Once the snowmen came out of the kiln they were painted and twig arms glued in place.  A coat of Mod Podge was applied along with glitter that sparkles like snow in the sun.  The students choose a scarf for their snowman to keep him, or her warm. In these photographs the snowmen are displayed with paper bag tree sculptures.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Third grade created Chinese New Year dragon heads to celebrate the New Year.  We read about the Chinese culture and watched a bit of a Chinese New Year parade on the SmartBoard.  We talked about symmetry and how to create symmetry within their artwork.  I play a CD that has traditional and contemporary Chinese music to inspire the students as they are creating.  Once the heads are completed we have a parade through the K/1 hallway.  The students not only have a great time creating their dragon heads, but gain an appreciation of another culture and how they celebrate their holiday.

Who's Shoe?

Fifth graders created line drawings of their shoe.  They worked on blind contour and contour studies in their sketchbooks as a warm-up.  The students first drew their shoe in pencil and then traced over in Sharpie.  We discussed the use of pen and ink techniques such as hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling to add value to areas of their drawing.  The students wanted to add color to their shoe, but I didn't want that to interfere with their drawing.  I saw on another art blog where students had created rubbings from the bottom of their shoe and thought this was a perfect way for my students to add color to their work.  I think the results were great!

Art Lessons for Kids

I just joined a "lesson hop" and posted a link from Art with Mrs. Hurley....check it out by clicking here.

The Great Pumpkin!

Third graders did an outstanding job in their first experience drawing with glue and working with chalk pastel.  We looked at the work of Rembrandt and discussed how he was a master at value and a "special effects" artist through his use of chiaroscuro.  The students decided on a tall pumpkin or wide pumpkin; some wanted to put more than one pumpkin in their drawing, some wanted jack-o-lanterns.  Once their pencil drawing was finished they carefully traced over the pencil line with white glue.  After the glue dried they got to work on exploring value using chalk pastels.  We discussed how they could add white to the orange pastel to lighten it or mix yellow with it to brighten it.  The students were given a "sun chip" to remind them where their light source was coming from.  Once the pumpkin was finished they worked on the background.  The variety of skies are beautiful--sunrise, sunset, evening sky.  The bulletin board with their artwork is quite a crowd-pleaser!

A Bug's Life

 

Not your normal landscape..... Fourth graders created landscapes from a different point of view....a "bug's eye" view!  After some discussion on scale and proportion, fourth graders set out to create a world seen through a bug's eye. Students drew in pencil and Sharpie marker, and added color with crayon and watercolor.  Next year, I think I will have them title their artwork.  I can only imagine what they will come up with!