'Twas the Week Before Thanksgiving

The halls lately have been filled with the sound of gobble-gobbles. Much of the conversation in the art room has turned from its usual television or music to where students will be traveling and what they will be eating. I cannot wait! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, not only because it is a chance I get to spend with family, but also because it is the week of my birthday!

Before we all get out for the break, I do have an update to share...

K4: Most students finished their Pete the Cat collages this week. When we return from Thanksgiving break, we will begin to explore oil pastels.

K5: This week, students completed their very first critique. I was proud how thoroughly students reflected on their artwork, especially at such a young age! Great job K5! With the completion of this project, we are now ready to start an artwork exploring the world of still life.

1st: After practicing for the last few weeks on self-portraits, students this week were ready to begin their final self-portraits. As I explained several weeks ago, students will be creating four portraits in all, each displaying a different emotion.

2nd: This week, the 2nd grade began working on their Rococo inspired still life paintings. After a short demonstration, students worked on creating their vase using tints and shades to make areas with highlights and shadows.

3rd: Most students finished the decoupage process this week. Students are now on to the detail phase of their project. It was extremely interesting to watch students create their details. Their ideas were marvelous, but this phase also presented quiet a challenge. Students had to draw their images much smaller than what they are accustomed to. Although the challenge was there, students exceed their own expectations! I am so excited about what they will do during their next art class!

4th: This week, students are creating the base of their project. After creating a symmetrical vase using card stock, students colored the entire surface using blue and white oil pastels.

 5th: After creating some fantastic sketches last week, students enlarged and finalized their drawing on 12x18" construction paper this week.

6th: Like the K5, the 6th grade, too, completed their critiques. I appreciate all of the wonderful answers that students shared with me. I really learned a lot by reading their responses!

Art Club: In addition to working on our photos, students also worked on their mixed media cities. Here are some samples of what we have created so far...

As you can probably imagine, I will not be posting next week due to Thanksgiving break. However, as soon as we return in December, I will be sure to update you on all the pre-Christmas happenings!