Start of the Year Collaborative Project

Dot Day/ Collaborative Work

I love to start the year with an all school collaborative project.  This year I gave the students two dots.  They had to turn the dots into funny fish faces that expressed a mood/emotion.  We used construction paper, pencils, and construction paper crayons.  You don't need elaborate supplies to create collaborative projects! This display is on a bulletin board by my room that is by an empty classroom.  It will remain to beginning of next year (I've been using the space for the past 4 yrs for these type of projects.)  I also have displays in two other spots in the school.  They will be up for several weeks, but then I'll change them out.  

 

Need Some Winter Bulletin Board Inspiration?

It is that time of year when we start thinking of ideas for new winter themed bulletin board ideas. Here are many of my past boards (I'm currently working on this year's with my students!).  This is a great time to do a school wide collaborative project!  Every year I have my students create a different component for a large collaborative mural.  If I have any left over parts...I usually hang up smaller displays in other parts of the school.  The students are always so excited to try to find the part they created!  The project range from watercolor, collage, marker, colored pencil, crayon...and everything in between!!  You can make this work based on the supplies and space you have available to you at your school!

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1st Week Collaborative Project

At the beginning of every year, I do a collaborative project with the whole school.  This year our theme is GROWING TOGETHER.  I thought leaves would be an appropriate subject matter.  We talked about color families & pattern.  Students used Sharpies to trace their pencil drawings & markers to color.  They were so beautiful & vibrant.  I  displayed them in 7 black frames around the main hall of our school & this large bulletin board in the 3rd-5th grade hall (all students pass it on the way to specials/related arts).  I'm so excited with how it turned out.  The students are loving hunting for their special leaf! (each student made two)  

 

Student Sketches for Yard Sign Monsters

Some of you wanted to see the drawings the students created that inspired the yard sign monsters! 

Small changes may have been made in a few of them, but for the most part they were created as close as possible to the original design! 

Yard Sign Monsters Almost Finished!

 Here is a super fun collaborative project we've been working on since last nine weeks!  It is almost done & I can't wait to share it with you all!!  STAY TUNED! 

Scarecrows At Cheekwood: Nevelson

Cheekwood's annual scarecrow display is now up!!  If you are in the Nashville area...stop by and check them out. I'm hoping it lasts.  We've been getting a lot of rain in Middle TN, and it seems like that might continue for a few days.  Though I painted it, tapped it, glued it, and top coated it with quality product...at the core it is still cardboard! The other one beside mine is my best bud's scarecrow. We decided to be inspired by the same artist (Nevelson), and are playing tug-of-war. 

 Here is what we contributed to the event! 

 

Collaborative “Happy Art” Project K-4th

Every year I have my students create a collaborative art project which will hang in the halls for the entire school year. Because we began the year virtual I had to change things up. I finally found a break in the curriculum where I could do this project with the entire school. We discussed why artist create, select themes, choose colors, and a host of other arty goodness. It really was a good discussion even with my young artists. We then looked at the work of Britto. I found some good videos on YouTube to go along with the lesson. I asked them to choose a word to describe his work. A majority of my students said happy first....then colorful. We talked about how important happy art is during a time like this. They were so excited to create art for the school that would make people smile and bring joy.

Each student created one heart. I told the students that they could put something that makes them smile in the center heart. They then Drew seven lines coming from the heart to the outer edge like the rays of the sun. Each section had to have a different pattern and color story. I emphasize the importance of a large patterns....Because if they created really small ones it would take forever to finish! With kindergarten I used grade levels are used crayons, and all other grades used markers. 

I am currently assembling the hearts to fit within black frames we have for the hallway. Normally I would have students help, but because of Covid I’ve had to take more of a role.

I think these will make people smile and bring joy to all who see them! 

The kids are so excited to see them up in the hall!! 

 

Throw Back Thursday: Chihuly

In 2010, Chihuly was on display at The Frist Museum & Cheekwood here in Nashville.  Our school district had a huge push to share the work of Chihuly with our students.  I was on the team that developed lessons, lead professional development, and created web resources for our teachers to use during this time.  I loved this display of work created by my students.  It was located at the front of our school where everyone entered the building.  What a "WOW" factor!  His work is suppose to be returning to Cheekwood this summer (though I'm not sure what will happen with COVID-19 and such?!?).  Might have to bring back some of these projects.  

Collaborative Winter Bulletin Board 2019

A couple weeks ago I posted my past winter bulletin boards. I've been back to work for about two weeks, and was able to cobbble together a collaborative board in the midst of grading all the art work that was created during the month and a week I was out on medical leave.

The sky was created by three different classes. Two classes created the checkerboards with marker. They then sprayed them with water to "soften" the pattern. The next day students in another class used bubble wrap and white tempera and stamped the paper. 

I had one group of third graders create the checkerboard border using rulers and silver crayons. I try to give my students as many opportunities as possible to use rulers because it seems that they get few chances to do so in their classroom.  

I had a good bit of the painted paper & checkerboard border the kids made left...so I re-did the PTO board as well.  They were thrilled!

Here is a closer shot!

Some classes created snowmen in action. Love this coco stand! 

Well..can you tell what is going on here?! It is pretty funny! This 4th grader has a wicked humor! 

A little twisted! 

INTERNATIONAL DOT DAY "ISH"

International Dot Day is Sept 15th "ish"....but since it falls on a Sunday this year....today was our target day for finishing our large collaborative project. I decided we'd try to do something a little different with our project.  In the past we've done flat 2-D dot projects...which were awesome, but were very similar to the rest of the world's dot projects. I wanted to create something "different".  So using a foam structure as our base....the fun began!  Students(K-4th) each created a monochromatic "dot".  We talked about value...using pressure to create lights & darks... and we talked about patterns & designs.  That is a whole lot of info/skills in a single dot!! With the help of my amazing practicum students....we hot clued wire on the back of the dots.  I wanted to be able position the dots & have them at different lengths.  I had some students help with placing dots & determining which colors we were in need (observation & counting of dots yet to be placed)

This is in the front of our school as you walk in!!  Everyone will get to see & admire the dots!!
I love watching the kids try to find theirs!!

I'll try to get more close-ups next week!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR DOT DAY?

Who is participating in Dot Day?!? 

My students really enjoyed doing a collaborative project around The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, and that they were creating something for it along with thousands of other children from around the world!! When I told them we were going to do it again this year...they were all in!!  

Here is a sneak peek ...stay tuned for the final project next Friday!!  

1st Week K-4th Collaborative Project

Every year I try to kick the first week off with a large collaborative project......something that will get the kids excited about art...and something that will have great visual impact in the school!

  Some years I paint....some years not.  This year I decided to use marker. I pre-cut the circles in different colors.  Each child created a "face" (Person, Animal, Monster, Alien) and were limited to two colors and black for outlining.  I had some students help re-outline some that were not very solid or those that were not finished by class end.  I also had students help arrange and glue the circles together for display.  I was thrilled with the results....however....there was a problem!!!

My inspiration for this project came from fabric I saw at IKEA in Memphis,TN.  I snapped a picture of it, but did not have the name of the design or artist.  I thought...no problem!  GOOGLE!!!  Well, much to my surprise...Google doesn't know everything.  I also tried uploading it to Pinterest to see if it would populate other images of the fabric/design.  NOPE!  Finally, this week I Tweeted IKEA USA, IKEA Canada, and IKEA UK and asked if they could help me out.  IKEA Canada was the only ones who responded(THANK YOU!!!).  They were able to give me the name of the art work (ALIEN CROWD) and that it came from Graham & Brown. I then Googled that information and came to a design firm website.....AND I FOUND THE ORIGINAL ARTIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

His name is Kev Munday...and his work is AMAZING!!  You have got to check him out!

https://www.kevmunday.co.uk/

So armed with that information...I found his Twitter account and Tweeted him a message & picture of the kids artwork.  AND HE RESPONDED!!!!!!!!!!!!  My students were beside themselves!!! 

CHECK OUT MORE PICTURES OF THEIR WORK BELOW!!!!!  

Collaborative Community: 1st Grade

1st grade kicked off the new nine weeks with a collaborative project where students created a "....ville".  They broke up into small groups and discussed what they felt where important parts of a town.  They each were responsible for creating a house, a business/place of worship/school..etc. ...and with any left over paper they could make trees/clouds/shrubs/cars. They cut them out, and then the students helped plan where the different elements would go.  

The kids loved it...and they turned out great.  

Ok...could they be any cuter planning together?!?!

 LOVE THEM!!