Bling and things

Sorry for the delay on updating the blog. Last week was crazy busy and by the time Monday rolled around I figured I would just do both weeks together.

So, last week we started our unit on Art Nouveau. The Kindergarten and 1st/2nd grade class are creating a picture based off of Gustav Klimt's "Tree of life". I taught them how to create a "V" tree, which allows to the students to create a tree with limbs and branches and not just leaves. You start by drawing an eleven with about 4 finger widths between the lines. The top of the eleven should NOT go past the middle of the page, then you draw a 'v' in the middle of the eleven (this will be the split for the branches). You use one of the lines from the v and one of the lines from the eleven to create the next branch and so on. The branches normally end in points but for this project I had the students end them in swirls, because that is how Klimt has his branches in his picture. The students then added patterns and designs to the inside of the tree and the space around it, just like Klimt: 

Anyway, the students practiced this on plain white paper first and then did their pencil drawing on the gold paper. It was hard for them to see the pencil on the gold because there was absolutely no tooth to the paper, it was shiny and perfect for markers and paint.



This week the students added color by using markers on the gold paper. So far the pictures are turning out very well and the students seem to be having a great time!

These projects will be finished next week. I am very excited to see how they turn out!

The 3/4th grade class and the 5/6th grade class are doing similar projects to each other. The are creating an Art Nouveau inspired portrait collage with cut out heads and arms from magazines. The younger of the 2 grades is using an additive method where they are using markers to make their designs and backgrounds. They started on gold paper and are using black marker. 



The older class is doing a similar project but they are using a subtractive method to create their designs. They are working on scratch board that is black with a gold under it.



These classes will also have next week to finish their projects. I am so proud of the work that they are doing!!

Also, I handed back some of the art that the students have done so far this year. I have also kept some of the pieces for the spring art show, so if your student didn't receive all of the projects back, that means I am considering it for the show. At this time I am still in the process of thinking of ways to allow for more than one 2 dimensional piece to be displayed. I think I am going to be using refrigerator boxes as my boards, which will hopefully give me more room. If you are someone you know is planning on getting a new fridge some time soon, please save the box for me, I would like to have 6-8! Thanks for the support!

Ketchup and Masterpieces

This week was full of catching up for the older grades. I made a joke at the beginning of the 3/4th grade class about it not being the type of catch up that you would put on a hot dog, which made them laugh. During free draw a couple of students actually drew hot dogs with ketchup bottles. It was cute.

The younger grades went on a texture hunt this week. I reminded them that Vincent Van Gogh (the artist we were studying) LOVED playing with textures. We made leaf shapes and filled them with our textures then did a crayon resist with watercolors. The students all seemed to really like this project.

Next week we will be starting on the Art Nouveau movement. The projects for this will take up to 3 weeks. I think that they are going to be great and I am very excited to see how they turn out. The lessons can be found on the lessons page, please feel free to check them out!

For the 3/4 grade class, please remember that your drawing this week is Halloween themed! For the 5/6 grade class, your theme is fall.

Sunflowers and Swirls

I am so proud of my students, this week they all worked so hard to get their projects finished. They all did a fabulous job too. Next week we will finish up the 2 projects that we have been working on before going on to a new unit. The 5/6 grade class will be missing class next week because of a field trip so I thought that this would be the perfect time for the 3/4 class to catch up and the younger grades to do one more Post Impressionism project.
As I stated before, the older grades were finishing up their projects on Van Gogh using oil pastels. They were trying to capture color and movement in their Starry Night inspired landscapes. I LOVE the way this project turned out! Each landscape is so different from the next but all have the elements that were required. ( Movement, parts of a landscape and lots of color) I know that the students are enjoying this project because some of them used their thumb-print sketch and enlarged it as a homework sketch. Here are some examples of our Post Impressionistic landscapes:

The younger grades worked on a sunflower painting inspired by Van Gogh. The Kindergarten group used sponges again and the 1/2 grade used brushes. I was happy to find out the 1/2 grade group LOVES to clean up after art. The were all trying to have the cleanest desks at the end of class time. They all did so well I gave them all stickers.

Unfortunately I didn't get pictures while these two groups were working, instead I was making sure that they all had the paints that they needed! Next week I will feature photos from the younger grades more to even the amount of photos out.

After next week we will be starting on the Art Nouveau movement, followed by the fauvists. I will be updating my bulletin board, lessons list and supplies page to reflect this. 

Also, as of this week the older grades are now going to have thematic homework for their sketch books. This coming week the 3/4th grade class will need to show me 1 full color picture that was thought out. It can  be of whatever they would like to draw. The 5/6 grade class will need to show me 1 fall themed picture in full color.