US Symbols...and current events!

I know what you're thinking... where are the handprint turkeys and macaroni roosters? Well, we just aren't that kind of art class!
In our art class, your children learned about US Symbols; the American Flag, Liberty Bell and Statue of Liberty. We discussed the Presidential Election coming up in November, incorporated technology by watching an informative video on Brainpopjr.com, and played a memory game on the Activboard.
My second and third graders drew a Statue of Liberty surrounded by fireworks, and used both crayon and watercolor to add color to these fantastic drawings.

 

Kindergarten and first graders made cut paper American flags, (inspired a little by Jasper Johns) and then added a cut paper liberty bell colored with gold metallic crayon and brown construction paper stand. A lot of steps and a lot of work for little hands!

 

 

Doesn't that make you proud to be an American?

 

 

Dali's Bird Legged Elephants

Well, we're out of the gates running with fourth and fifth grade. We started with a two-part lesson inspired by Salvador Dali's Elephants:



 

We watched a hysterical video about Dali;

 

http://www.moma.org/explore/multimedia/audios/1/10#most-recent

 



discussed his life and Surrealism, and drew two very long-legged elephants. The main idea I wanted the students to take from this lesson is that Surrealism takes real things and makes them impossible.

We used marker for the elephants, cut them out, used chalk pastels from the sunset and construction paper for the horizon line.

All in all, very successful and a little creepy...pretty much just like Salvador Dali!

 

 

 

 

 

Audubon's Flamingos

Kindergarten and First grade started off the year warming up their fingers with cutting and gluing. We took a look at John James Audubon's "Flamingo" from his Birds of America series.

 

 

We then cut and glued construction paper by using paper folding and crimping techniques (FINE MOTOR SKILLS-BAM!), talking about shapes (GEOMETRY-BAM!) and created a wonderful, silly-looking and very pink flamingo.

 



Welcome Back!

Welcome back to a wonderful year of learning!

My students came back refreshed and ready to create. Our first lesson was a simple self portrait...with a twist! We made COLLABORATIVE self portraits. The students shared talents with each other and worked together to make a drawing of each other. These should have come home to you last week.

My 2nd and 3rd graders continued with a lesson I've been dying to do for a while now. We looked at Klee's "Golden Fish,"

 

 

 

and started with an oil pastel background concentrating on line. Squiggly lines, zig zag lines, dotted lines were used to decorate around the edges of the paper.

Then, using a Japanese printmaking technique called, Gyotaku, the students painted and printed a rubber fish on the center of the paper.

Oil pastels were then used to enhance the print and finish up the work.

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty cool, huh?

 



 



Talk to your kids about ART!

So, I'm taking a moment to brag about my sweet four-year-old's artwork... As a teacher, I tend to be a little judgemental about his "skills."

I worry that he can't write his name too well, I worry that he still confuses W and L sounds when speaking, but after talking to him about this doozy of a drawing, I'm NOT worried about his creativity!

Talking about art is one of the four main components of Art Education. Being able to talk about how art makes you feel and what the artist is trying to say through his work, makes appreciating art easy!

Take a look.... and here is my son's explaination.

The two main subjects are Black beard (left) and Jack Sparrow (with the green braids on right) fighting with swords. In the background in black marker, you'll see a large ship, anchored by a shark fin, and cave with large orange rocks....On the right side background, you'll see footprints in the sand and gold that fell out of Jack Sparrow's pocket. Yep. That's right. A four year old came up with this.

So my advice?Throw away your coloring books, give your kid a marker and blank piece of paper and have them TALK about what's there. You'll be amazed.

Enjoy your Summer and Make art.

-Natalie



Finishing Up the Year!

David Hockney, Portrait of the Artist

Well Friends, we're officially finishing our last art lesson of the year. Students are working on Modigliani-inspired portraits, making origami butterflies, drawing sheep and completing any unfinshed projects from the year. I have enjoyed teaching this year and can't wait to use my Summer break to re-fuel and come up with some wonderful lessons for next year! Have a wonderful Summer and we'll see ya back in the Fall.

Boom, Boom, POW!

This week my Second and Third graders did a fun Pop Art lesson inspired by Roy Lichtenstein. These amazing primary colored pieces definitely caught the eye of our passers by!

The students enjoyed writing a word that sounds like the noise it makes, and example of Onomonepeia... a big word used in English class.

Brandon, Grade 3

Jason, Grade 3

Even my Fourth and Fifth graders got into the "action" (ha ha...)

Making pop up Word Bubbles also inspired by Lichtenstein.

Darvin, Grade 5

Connor, Grade 5

Anna Kate, Grade 5

Caleb, Grade 5

BIG THANKS to Theresa Miller, for an awesome art lesson!