One Project, Two Project, Three Project, Four...

My Art room has become a sea of tri-fold display boards! Many of the projects have been turned in with great information, creative ideas, and great critiques and opinions! I am so proud of these displays!!! I know that I posted last week that I would try to post pictures of all of the Art Fair projects this week. Sadly, it took me about 5 hours yesterday to grade all of them. Needless to say, I ran out of time before Art Club came in. I will be going in on Monday to take pictures and set up, so look for pictures then!

Thankfully, I had extra space in the Art room to store the displays until the Art Fair so we could continue to work on all of our projects. Now, time for the update!

K4: Students learned about resists. For our project, students used blue gel glue to create the resist. After it dries, students will be painting the entire canvas, including over the top of the glue. The glue sort of protects that canvas not allowing any of the paint to reach it. As the paint dries, it helps the glue to release from the canvas easily allowing for the glue to be peeled off revealing a nice clean white line. Students only created the first step of the artwork (the glue), due to the time it takes for the glue to dry.

K5: Students worked on creating the bowls for their fruit still life. To do that, we created brown painted paper. Students began by painting a thick, even layer of brown tempera paint on their paper. Working quickly, they took a comb and dragged it on their paper through the wet paint making very cool patterns and textures. After their paper dries, we will be drawing the shape of a bowl on the back of their painted paper and will cut it out to attach to their final piece.

1st: After working on sketches last week, students began their final realism drawings this week. It seems sometimes that when we use materials that students do not use often (like colored pencils), they rush through the drawing stage in order to start coloring. I wanted for students to focus on their drawings to create one that is detailed and neat, so that is just what we did...a drawing only day! I have to say, I am glad that we did that because their drawings were fantastic! Hooray!

2nd: Students began a project on Edvard Munch. After learning about his most famous work, "The Scream", students were given the prompt to create a clay sculpture of something that would make them scream. I saw everything from spiders to monsters to sharks. I even had a student create a hot dog...he really doesn't like hot dogs. I wanted students to practice before we began our actual sculptures, so out came the Play Doh!

3rd: Many people thought I was crazy. They say it couldn't be done...

FINGER PAINTING!!!

This summer I was inspired by the painting "Impression, Sunrise" to do a Impressionism inspired finger painting with my 3rd graders. At first, students thought it was weird...I mean, some of them haven't finger painted since K4. After I showed them a few tips and tricks, students jumped in with no hesitation! I must say, I'm so excited to see how these will turn out!

4th: We are still working hard on our vases. Soon, we will begin creating the branches and cherry blossoms that the Ming vases will hold.

5th: In preparation for the construction of our collagraphs, students spent this week carefully drawing and planning out their collagraph. Students considered materials, thinking mainly about what texture the material will print, and listed their thoughts on the back of their matrix. I am already gathering supplies and am ready to begin the construction of our collagraphs!

6th: As explained to the 6th grade students when we began our weather vanes, this will be a project that takes time. Most students began the decoupage process last week. The only downside to this project is once they have finish one side of their weather vane, they cannot go on to the other...it has to dry first. Most students finished the first side of their vane this week and are patiently waiting for it to dry so they can move to the other.

Art Club: We have now finished our photographs and mixed media cities!!! Pictures to come this upcoming week!!!

The 1st-3rd grade members of Art Club were able to practice for our upcoming project. I'm not going to explain it here yet, but it involves clay!!! For our practice activity, I asked students to draw a picture of an animal. After drawing whatever animal they wanted, even the fictional varieties, students were asked to sculpt the animal they drew out of Play Doh! Super fun!!!

So next week, due to the Art Fair, classes will not be able to work on their projects. Most students will be participating in a scavenger hunt and will be answering questions for me about their Art Fair project. I will be posting an update on the K4, K5, and Art Club projects because the Art Fair will be taken down by the time their classes come to the Art room. It will be a small post, but with great updates!