The Start of Ugly Dolls: 4th Grade

Last year was the first time I tried having my 4th graders create "ugly" dolls.  I had used burlap, but this year switched to felt.  It is a little harder to sew through with the plastic needles, but doable & more attractive.  

Day one I have students draw what the want their finished doll to look like, create a pattern for the main basic shape, cut the felt out, and begin sewing.  Yep..busy jammed packed hour!!!!!!!  Can't wait to see how they end up!  Stay tuned!!  

Painted Monsters: Kindergarten

Today I read Glad Monster/Sad Monster to my kindergarten students. Fun book with super cute illustrations.  I then had my students create 12x18 monsters.  They were asked to use simple patterns.  The main focus of the lesson was the techniques of watercolor..and most did a great job!

Pumpkin Color Blending: 1st Grade

Sometimes I get a wild hair to push my younger students!  I really wanted to encourage them to think of objects as having more than one color.  Instead of grabbing just an orange to color a pumpkin...think about what colors could be used to make a pumpkin have more impact.  So I had them pull all their yellow - red colors out of their crayon box.  I showed them how to blend one color into another as not to get a stripe effect.   I think for 1st graders...they did an AMAZING job!! 

An Art Teacher Lost

Last week we lost an art teacher who taught at Nashville School of the Arts.  An amazing soul...the poster child of an eclectic art teacher....with an encourage word always on her lips.  We were not extremely close, but over the years enjoyed running into each other at our different functions.  I had just seen her a couple days before she died at the TAEA conference...and she quickly asked me how my babies were & how my wife was doing.  Ms. Laurie Poole...you will be missed!!!!

Here are my thoughts after the memorial service last night:

A life well lived is not about the awards & praise....but the impact one has on those who cross their path along the way. Legacy is so much more important than limelight.  - Mr. E

Kindergarten Fall Collages

Our kindergarten students this year are AMAZING!!!!!!!  I'm seeing some amazing stuff, and really am excited to work with them over the next 5 yrs!  I love their fearless attempts at creating leaves!!!  I showed them a number of ways to draw leaves before we got started, and asked them to at least try a few of them.  Not only did they attempt a number of different types of leaves...they successfully cut them out!  That is not an easy skill for the 5 yr old hands!!!  I loved how a few of their shapes & color choices reminded me of IKEA fabric! ha ha  

iPAD & ACCESSORIES: FINALLY!

So you may remember my EdBacker campaign...or maybe not?!?  I was blessed to have my campaign fulfilled in less than 3 weeks!!  However, because of my school district...things were delayed a bit for several reasons.  One of which being our 2 week fall break!  All that being said....I now have my iPad & accessories!  I LOVE IT!!!!!!  I've got much to learn, but I'll be sure to share as I do!!  We have a PD day coming up in Feb for iPad's in the art room....and I'm going to try to get into that!!!!  

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART

OF ART WITH MR. E & UPGRADE IN THE ART ROOM!!!!

 Gretchen Borders

Janet Turner- McDonald

Keith Sherry

Chrystal Starbird

Emily Kajihara

Laura Maxwell

Margaret Hayes

Marion McIntyre

Bethany Johnson

James Myers

Grace Pfeiffer

Shanna and Hugh Piatt

Clay Masks: 3rd Grade

I do a clay "mask" project with my 3rd graders every year.  Usually I find a few gems in the mix, but this year they are AMAZING!!!!!  It is interesting how different years are like that.  

The previous week we created Echo Masks from construction paper.  We talked about the purpose/function of masks & looked at how different cultures created their masks(materials & design wise).  This week we reviewed vocab & information on clay.  They were given the inspiration of animal/human hybrid.  Some went more animal...some more human, but all are wonderful works of art!  

This is my teacher example...I had fun with him!!! 

More Radial Design Paintings: 2nd Grade

New batch of the radial design project!  Some are more successful than others in regards to the radial part! ha ha  Yet, there is still something about them that is very fetching!!  I can't wait to see how the rest of the classes do with them!!!

Completed Radial Design Paintings: 2nd Grade

I love this project!!! 

On the first day they draw & begin blocking in color(we're using a fall theme for our paint choices).  On day two they are allowed to select two colors to finish off any white spaces...and are given black & a thin brush to outline.  There are many who have to "redefine" their shape/spaces with the black.  The end result though is almost always WONDERFUL!  

 Even when the first day painting doesn't seem to be going great...once they add the black

 lines it takes on a whole new life.  I find them so interesting! 

I feel this was two days well spent!