Fish Tanks/Perspective

 I've been talking about overlapping and showing "space" in your work with my second graders.  We created fish tanks that had a defined corner to create a bottom, side, and back to the tank.  I was not looking for mastery as this is a new concept to them.  I was just introducing the idea. We used watercolor pencils to finish the work.  

YOU ARE GOING TO NOTICE IN SOME OF THE PICTURES THE VERTICAL LINE IS VERY CURVED.  THAT IS BECAUSE THE PAPER CURLED WHEN IT DRIED & I DIDN'T FLATTEN IT OUT BEFORE SNAPPING THE PICTURE! ha ha

Clay With Large Class Sizes

 Class sizes have been an issue this year.  I know that others have it worse, but a large class size is a large class size.  Students do better in smaller classes...FACT!  We have four 2nd grade classes all at 25 students each.  We have four 4th grade classes now(as of a week ago), but my special area team voted to keep the old schedule to avoid having a split planning time(I did not vote to keep the old schedule), and have the three 4th grade classes at 31, 31, and 29 come to specials.  It is a struggle to restructure lessons and manage supplies when classes are large.  Just 5 to 10 more students than "normal" can really through the balance of a class off.  I have managed to do the coil pot lesson with 2nd grade, but there is more of a "rush" on my end of things in prepping for before class & firing.  I also feel like my flying through clay!!! How do you all handle large class sizes?  What are your biggest classes?(I'm coming at this from an elementary perspective.) 

1/2 Hour Class...Painting K-5th

This is what I did during our 2 hr delay day that changed my classes from an hour to a half hour! 

Crazy or Genius....YOU BE THE JUDGE! ! ha ha

Second Grade Abstract Fish

The all school art show is going to use abstract as its theme this year.  So we are starting to create some of those projects so the students can choose from several of their works. 

This week's lesson is inspired by Carole Watanabe. She is a CA based artist that works in fibers and paint.  I found her painting of a fish so beautiful & something that my students would get excited about.  It also allows them to select colors and shapes that they feel are best for their work.

Students are using pencils, construction paper, and construction paper crayons.  We will go into this work again next week using regular crayons to create the background. 

 

Making a Portrait Using Kleki

Have you all tried kleki.com? 

It is so much fun, so easy to use, and free!  A majority of our students use the same type of computer provided by the district.....but some do not.  I wanted to make sure we were all using the same thing so I could give them instructions that worked for EVERYONE! I'm using it with 2nd - 4th grade, and they LOVE IT!!  Here is my asynchronous video for portraits.  

Give it a try...and let me know what you think! 

Dino School Pictures: 2nd Grade

In our ongoing dinosaur unit (in preparation for our dinosaur themed all school art show), second grade created dino school pictures. I may have them go back into them to add a bit more detail, but they're pretty cute after the first class time working on them! 

Collage Dinosaurs: 2nd Grade

After reviewing "all the things" in regard to collage & landscapes....my 2nd graders began creating their dinosaurs "on location".  We did the BIG STUFF on the first day of this project, and then made sure all the details were AMAZING on day two.  

Fossil Dig Wax Resist

I've started my spring art show lessons...and this year we're going with a dinosaur theme!  The kids are loving it....I'm loving it (total dino nerd here).  Second grade is creating dinosaur fossils.  I feel like they are doing really well(though the photographs aren't so great...sorry).  I've provided a sheet of dinosaur bones (photos from museums) as a reference, but tell them they can create any dinosaur skeleton they want.  We discuss how the bones are often discovered a little mixed up/twisted up/ different than a fully put together dinosaur skeleton in a museum.  We use white and gray crayons to fill in our bones, and then brown and black watercolor to paint over the page.  Excited to see the rest of my classes finish this project.

 (we may go back in with black colored pencil to add some stronger lines.)

Inspired by My Practicum Students

I am not an origami person.  I've done "some" in the past, but have never taught an origami lesson to my students because I never felt it was my "thing".  One of my practicum students this semester asked if she could teach an origami lesson.  I told her to have at it, because it was something I never did with them.  I watched her teach the lesson to two second grade classes, and they LOVED it!!!  So I decided I'd go ahead and teach my other second grade classes her lesson.  

I HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!!  Now I'm not saying I'm now some origami master, but I think I might try to include some origami into my curriculum!

Humor in Art: 2nd Grade

I've seen this project EVERYWHERE on line for several years, but I've never tired it before in my classroom.  As we near the end of the school year, I'm wanting to review some skills & keep students interested/engaged....and thought that this lesson would be a great way to do just that!  Also, I think students need to be reminded that art can be FUNNY!  We aren't ways making "beautiful" work of "beautiful" things.  Sometimes art makes us laugh! I think that is also a great idea for this time of the year!! ha ha  I'm proud of the work I'm seeing, and may do this again next year!! 

Check out the results!!!

Pile of Turtles: 2nd Grade Still Life

Last week my students created a still life that was made of several objects that they arranged with their table partner.  This week the students had one stuffed turtle to draw from.  They had to make a minimum of five turtles that overlapped & filled up their page.  We also discussed "value" using different amounts of pressure. Since I was just introducing the concept of value...there was much grace in how they applied the new information!  The turtle was light green & dark green.  So I told the students that they could make the turtle what ever color they wanted as long as they stuck with the lighter value for the body & darker for the shell as it was in the original.

This last one is not finished yet, but it is super cute &

  had a Power Rangers vibe to me?!? ha ha

K-4th Art Show: Secret Garden

I forgot to post pictures from my K-4th Art Show?!?!  I got so busy after the show preparing for the professional development I was leading the following week & matting Mayor's art show work..... It totally slipped my mind! 

 Last year was my most attended art show....with 325 people.  I do a stand-alone show with no other PTO program/music or anything.  I had a feeling this year would not be as well attended (spring sports & so many other after school events the past month).  We did have around 250 people attend though...which I feel isn't too shabby!  

SO HERE IS OUR SHOW...

SECRET GARDEN: GNOMES, FAIRIES, & MORE

The ever important sign in table.

I have my students make THANK YOU cards for guests to take as they leave!

If you do activities & don't have volunteers...you have to make sure you pre-prep the activity so it can be mostly self-sufficient.  I walked by a couple times to "clean" it up a bit. 

I pre-drew this activity center for guests to color in using markers(only washable so you can clean the wall for our fun young artists who color outside the lines...off the page...down the wall!! ha ha)

COOKIE TABLE!! I pre-plate the cookies(cookies are donated by faculty and staff) so that they can be changed out easily through out the night.

Remember the activity centers at the beginning of the post....

Kids & parents enjoy creating together!!!