Shape Challenges

The Sun with a Bird

Rocket Ship

Tug Boat


Car

We are beginning our unit on shape taking a close look at how artists use shape to construct, paint and create their work. This week we started with the book Not A Box by Antionette Portis. It is a clever little book that illustrates how one shape can be many things with a little imagination. Next, we took a look at some of Sonia Delaunay's paintings that are full of many shapes. After much creative discussion students got started on their project by beginning with one simple square and constructing an image. The variations were awesome. This is a school full imagination!

Hanging Nature Bubbles

These papier-mache bubbles have been an addictive art project in our house lately. We start with a balloon. Next, paint watered down glue on the balloon and place a white coffee filter on top of the glue, then paint more watered down glue on top of that. Continue layering coffee filters with glue and leaves, colorful scrap paper, wrapping paper, sprinkles of glitter or whatever else you can think of. I have been drying them by attaching a string to the balloon and hanging it over the shower curtain rod in the bathroom. When you are certain they are dry carefully pop the balloon. It will release from the coffee filters and leave you an awesome little bubble! They make fun luminaries. However, they won't really work outside because the glue is water soluble. Of course you would not put a real flame in these but they are fun to hang in the house with the battery operated tea lights that look like real candles!

The cityscapes are finished! Students added windows by cutting newspaper and magazines and added the background colors of blue and green with tempera cakes. They did an amazing job carefully painting and taking their time with each step! Look for them in the hall!


The upper level completed their store fronts which are displayed in their room and they worked on turkeys today that had a wood block inspiration.

Cities and Store Fronts

The upper level has been working on personal store fronts. They started with pencil carefully detailing, outlined in black marker and finally will finish with colored pencil. When they are all displayed together it will be quite the shopping locale!



The lower levels are working on cityscapes. We have been discussing shape and looking at illustrations of architecture for inspiration. Students have been defining their own shapes such as, the taco (semi-circle)! They are all turning out so different! Part two of the project is next week where they will add windows and some background color! I can hardly wait!!

Monsters!

Today I read the book Monster Munchies. It's a great counting and rhyming book with very friendly and fun monster illustrations. After the story we had a wonderful discussion about shape, texture and line. The lower levels used water color and oil pastel and the upper level worked on monsters using cut paper.

X-Ray Vision!

Today I read the book "Boo to You" by Lois Ehlert. There are fabulous collage illustrations in this book and it seemed timely with Halloween around the corner!
We took a look at a human skeleton and discussed backbones, and rib cages as well as many other bones and they differ from a cat.
Some students included a full moon, pumpkin or a haunted house in the distance to add an extra spooky touch!

Spiders and Self Portraits!

Today we read the book Aaaargghh, Spider! by Lydia Monks. The book has some wonderful illustrations that demonstrate great facial expressions.
Students used oil pastel and watercolor to create their own self portraits with an expression they might have if a spider were about to land on them! The results were marvelous!

Stages of a Butterfly

Today we continued looking at Van Gogh's work. This time we looked at three of his butterfly paintings for inspiration. Students watch the stages and released real butterflies last month. Since this was fresh in their minds I thought it was a nice opportunity to talk about it and create a beautiful series.

Evening Owls

Today we took a look at some paintings and photographs of the great horned owl for inspiration. We discussed details like feather pattern, shapes of features, and the evening sky. We also looked at a self portrait of Vincent Van Gogh and discussed ideas of how we could make the background behind the owls more interesting. Students used permanent marker, water color and white oil pastel to create their owl imagery. I love how they all look so different!

Van Gogh Inspired Sunflowers

This week we looked at Van Gogh's sunflowers. I brought in some real sunflowers for inspiration along with Van Gogh's images. We discussed texture and students looked and touched the flowers to get a better idea of how to illustrate what they were seeing. Every single work was different and so beautiful!

Windy Days

We have been talking a lot about wind and looking at how artists illustrate wind in their work. Today I read the book Goodnight Kiss by Amy Hest. The story is a sweet bedtime tale and the illustrations are a wonderful example of wind. At the end of the book students discussed what they might add to the illustrations to demonstrate wind even more clearly. We had a great conversation full of brilliant ideas! Next we looked at more work by Van Gogh specifically the tall bent grasses and trees in the wind in contrast to calmer illustrations where the grass and trees are standing straight.

Students then used oil pastels to create a windy background on an evening sky. Next, on a separate piece of paper they illustrated a house using oil pastels and watercolor. When they put the two together they came to life! Wait until you see the work come home!

First Day of Art

Hooray! It is finally the first day of art! Today I read Gilberto and the Wind by Marie Hall Ets.

It's a sweet story of a boy playing with the wind and all that the wind is capable of doing. Next, we looked at some familiar and not so familiar work from Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night and Arles: View from the Wheatfields. We discussed the difference in the two pieces. Students looked and discussed how Van Gogh created wind and movement in Starry Night as well and a sense of calm in Arles: View from the Wheatfields.

After our discussion students used their markers, colored pencils and crayons to create a scene of their own including a solid structure (house), trees and movement (wind). It was a fantastic first day and so much fun to see all the new faces and some familiar from last year!

Yikes it's August!

What another fantastic and fun summer! And it's not over yet!

I wanted to share this great little kit called doodle roll. It has so many possibilities! The paper come 15' long and yet fits nicely across a table and is manageable for kids to use. They go crazy for the extended possibilities for their drawings! This little thing is going in my bag along with my tiny bottle of sunscreen, hand sanitizer and goldfish as a necessity. You just never know when you might need to create a road for hot wheels or draw a ballerina stage for polly pockets to dance across. It's a great treat to pull out for a break in the day, on the road or for a wait at a restaurant or whenever a creative moment hits you!

Hope the next couple weeks are creative and rejuvenating for you all!

Summer!

Here's a fun project we did today in summer school. I read a poem from Shel Silverstein about tree houses. Next, we looked at some real tree houses on the ipad. We discussed texture, line and pattern and students went to work creating their dream tree house!
There was fun chatter in the room while they were busy drawing!

Wow! Time Flies!

May flew by and I didn't post a thing!
We were busy working on our clay unit and unfortunately it went undocumented. You will have to take my word for it that amazing things happened in one month spent with clay and the results were outstanding!
We also had a Spring bird themed art show at the beginning of May. You could almost hear the birds singing on the halls when we were done!
Here are few other projects that we worked in too!



Students used scraps to create an animal in it's environment.


The upper level took a look at Georgia O'Keeffe for inspiration on these flowers for the halls!


We had an amazing Spring/Bird themed art show at the beginning of May. The upper level looked at Picasso's one line art for inspiration on these bird cages.


Students created doodle books to take home for the summer!


Hot air balloons in the works for the bulletin board in the Upper Level!

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

We had the chance to visit the Arboretum last weekend when it was marvelously warm outside. The tulips were starting to peek out of the ground and the birds were singing a happy song! In addition to going through Patrick Dougherty's 'Uff-da Palace", which is a magical and fun place for kids, we also got the pleasure of walking through, around and under Steve Tobin's Steel Roots exhibit. It is worth visiting this wonderful outdoor set of 16 sculptures. Here is the link for more information!
I love the shadows that this one created!

Spring is Here!

Spring is here and so are the bugs, butterflies, worms and other critters!



The kids did a beautiful job of creating their own personal garden scenes with a butterfly popping off the page!

Happy Spring Break!

Hopefully everyone is enjoying the sunshine and grass that is beginning to show up! We have started Spring break off with a sick bug in our house. Coincidentally, last week when we checked out books from the library my son chose two about germs! One of the books is titled Germs by Ross Collins. It has some fun illustrations of germ characters that have inspired artwork in our house while we are lying low with our own germs. The drawings are shapes that are easy to make and there is most certainly no right or wrong way to create one of these little creatures! The creatures have been carried over to play dough as well and seem to take on a life of their own! Hopefully no one else has a sick house during break but if you do it's a book to keep in mind!

Mini Frank Gehry

I had a pile of scrap card stock from trimming a project down this week and so I thought it might be fun to create a miniature Frank Gehry design. My 4 year old cut the slits in the card stock after I demonstrated and then he connected the pieces together. Next time I think we will color the pieces first and then assemble!

Chihuly Looking Necklace

I can't believe it has been a couple weeks since I have posted. The children have been busy creating some awesome Spring inspired art work to be displayed at the beginning of May and I don't want to give anything away! They have also been working incredibly hard on their lines and set design for the play this week! There are so many fun things happening at school and soon the snow will melt and we will have new buds and grass showing!

In the mean time, while we keep busily working, I wanted to show you this fun necklace. I found it at Creative Kidstuff. It reminded me of the Dale Chihuly hanging in the entrance of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. I wore it to school and the kids loved it! My son has claimed it now so I may have to pick up another one. It's a fun way to add a little color, spark and art conversation to a wardrobe!

Have a great week everyone!
Enjoy the warm weather and sunshine!

Warm and Cool Colors

This week we looked at many different works of art that use warm and cool colors. The conversation was fabulous! Students then created their own organic garden using watercolors. The results are fit for a beautiful Spring bouquet!

Neighborhoods and Color Exploration Station!

This week we discussed neighborhoods and communities. Students created their own creative neighborhood using permanent marker and watercolor.




We also had a color exploration station! Students had an opportunity to mix and name their own color. It is hanging up in the office window. Be sure to check out the names. They are very creative! There is a mango tango, purple princess crown, pickle free green... and so many more!