Rizzi Collage: 1st Grade

James Rizzi makes me smile.  He also makes my students smile.  Sometimes art is just 100% fun!  The kids were so amazed that a grown-up would make buildings with faces on it...such bright colors...and all the other eye candy in Rizzi's work.  

We had been looking at & creating cityscapes in the two weeks prior...and I felt this would be a wonderful connection for their collage work. 

This lesson is to get the NO LONGER KINDERGARTENERS/NOW 1ST GRADERS back into collage mode.  Some of the students are still not back into the swing of things, and their work is very much still kindergarten. 

I precut a variety of colors to 6in x 9in...and they select 2 different colors(I call them 3 or 4 tables at a time...because I've got them spread out over a larger table.  The rest of their paper they select from the scrap box.  You need to make sure you have policy/procedures down for scrap box stuff!!!  If not it could be ciaos.  I allow 3 tables to go to the box at a time(about 6 kids).  The other students are working at cutting out their buildings from the 2 pieces of paper they had previously selected.  This way no one is just setting around waiting.    I do not pass out glue till the last 15 min. of class.  I want students to first cut out their pieces and arrange them before gluing so there isn't any "OOPS!" and then they rip pieces off and leave a mess on their work and my tables. 

If you have any questions...let me know in the comment section and I'll try to answer them!

The building on the left TOTALLY cracks me up!!! LOVE!!!!!

This reminds me of Bob & Larry from Veggie Tales! 

Anyone else see it??

More Clay Facades: 4th Grade

As I was grading...I came across some fun paint jobs on the clay facades.  I'm thinking I'll reinvent this project next year....just not thrilled with the majority of them(the ones pictured I do like).    

Inspired by Starbucks

While in Fort Worth...my wife and I were at Starbucks, I noticed their interesting display of buildings on the wall.  They were done on what seemed to be collaged backgrounds.  I like the simple lines and grouping.  I was thinking that could make a fun spring/unspring project.  We all go toward flowers and such when spring time rolls around.  I like flowers...but sometimes you just want to change it up!!!!  (my goal is no Georgia O lessons this spring!)  I thought it would be fun to have student try different watercolor techniques for the background.  This would represent the rainy nature of spring.  Then do a simple line drawing...followed by outlining with black tempera.  The images are my test/samples. 

 I think the kids work would be more fun than mine!! ha ha

Finished Clay Facades: 4th Grade

Paint did bring some of the clay facades to life.  

Experimenting With New Projects: Teacher Examples

I love to try out new ideas...new projects!  I get bored doing the same ol' same ol' !!!!  Having student teachers allows me the chance to experiment....either because my student teacher is bringing new ideas that I'd like to try, during our time ideas get sparked for new projects or new ways to try old projects, or I see something on blogs/Pinterest that I want to see if they'd work in my room.  Here are my latest experiments in the laboratory of Mr. E!!

This was a Pinterest find.  I used acrylic..and then a tempera varnish over top of it to help the paint from getting scratched off.  I warn you...this project is extremely labor intensive!  If you were working with middle/high school...they could do the cutting, but I do not feel that the earlier elementary ages would do the best at cutting the milk jug down.  We're doing this with 2nd grade...and are excited about the end result.  Hopefully worth all the work. The students started this week...so pictures of their work coming soon.

My third graders are creating collagraphs.  As I was observing my student teacher...I started cutting some of the left over cereal boxes.  I thought..."Wonder what it would be like to paint it black(tempera) & then use oil pastels on top?!?!"  Here is the answer.  I really like the look.  We're going to try it...stay tuned.

Our 4th graders have been working on an architecture unit this nine weeks. We went from 2 point perspective...to the clay facades...and now this.  We used St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow as our inspiration.  This project has many components.  If you venture to try this...give yourself two class times.  (TIP: You'll need to have them start the class with their watercolor sky to allow it time to dry.)

In cutting the milk jugs for the mask project...I've been contemplating what I could use the rest of the jug for?!?!  After cutting the back half off...I threw it down on the table on top of a book I was looking at.  I noticed I could easily see through the milk jug , and thought..."hmm...monoprinting?"  I found a section that was flat and cut that out.  After drawing a Koi in Sharpie...I placed the milk jug on top & used water soluble oil pastels to color it..finishing it off with black to define the shape.  I sprayed the paper with water..and then pressed the milk jug onto the surface.   In the picture...bottom left is drawing in sharpie...top middle is the piece of milk jug with oil pastel ...bottom right is the monoprint.  

(TIP: Wash off the milk jug piece when you are finished & you can use it again and again!)

More Clay Buildings Painted: 4th Grade

 So we finished painting our buildings during TCAP week.  The 40 min. classes were just enough to get the job done.  It was hard to get students to really include detail in these pieces.  I think I may have had one student out of all my classes try to use different reds/browns for the bricks on their building.  The rest were just happy to slap any old color down.  I even had a finished example that used different colors for the bricks, curtains in the window, and door/window frames.  Maybe it is the time of the year....they are just done and don't want be challenge to go above and beyond anymore?!?