Weaving!

We have been studying the art of the Cherokee Indians.  Earlier this year we made Cherokee masks and now fourth grade students are finishing a weaving project to create a small wall hanging.  Weaving improves fine motor skills and takes much concentration.  You can see how focused these students are!

                                        

Pottery Patterns

Second grade students are studying Native Americans.  One Native American craft that kids love is pottery! We are creating pottery designs using oil pastels.  Students are challenged to create patterns on their pottery drawings like that of Native Americans; using color, lines, and shapes.

Using View Finders

Third grade students used view finders to help them draw a still life.  They used it like a camera, zooming in on a part of the still life that interested them.  They drew only what they saw through the view finder!

Cats in Art

Second Grade Students created beautiful cats in art this month!  Cher Shaffer is a local artist who creates paintings and drawings of cats and other animals.  We observed and discussed her artwork and then created our own cats!  We drew our cat with pencil first, concentrating on shapes.  Then we used tempera paint to add color to our drawing.  Finally, we used oil pastels to add details to our cat paintings.  The Second Graders did a wonderful job!





First Grade Chickens

First Graders created chickens using primary colors (RED, YELLOW, BLUE) to make secondary colors (GREEN, ORANGE, PURPLE).  We talked about what a chicken needs to be happy and healthy.  Then we drew food, water and shelter for our chickens! Look! What great work!!!

Pop Art Part II

Pop Art done digitally!  The iPads were a great tool to manipulate the pictures!  

Here are some finished Pop Art pictures by Fifth graders.

Fruit Face - the art of Arcimbolodo

Students hard at work creating fruit and vegetable faces

Fourth graders are learning about the art of Arcimboldo.  He was an artist that lived during the Renaissance that created portraits with fruits, vegetables, and flowers.  In art class we discussed what some people might have thought "normal" art looked like and how Arcimboldo did not create a "normal" portrait.  We analyzed how he would have made his portraits.  We then created our own portraits from pictures of fruits and vegetables.  Each student had to be creative with the materials to create a person.

Some of the creations from talented fourth graders!

Shape Stamping with Kindergarten

Kindergartners began art by studying shapes.  They identified square, rectangle, circle, oval, triangle and hexagon.   They created their own shape prints with stamps made from sponges.  Beautiful results!

Cave Art

Sixth graders are beginning their study of art this year with Prehistoric art.  We took a look at cave paintings from Lascaux, France, learned the story behind their discovery, and began creating our own cave drawings.

Student using a stencil to create cave art with chalk

Pop Art Technology

Fifth graders are getting ready to create pop art with their very own pictures.  We will be using iPads to take the pictures and an iPad app called "Be Funky" to edit the photos.  Fifth graders study America, so what better artist to study than Andy Warhol!

More to come!

Back to School

Back to School!  All the elementary art teachers in my county have been working together to create a pacing guide that we will all follow.  It has been some hard work, but I think we have done a great job!  I'm ready to start some great art projects this year!

Lunch for Arts Teachers

Bulletin board to welcome students back

My classroom door

Video Inspirations

My students in fifth grade worked used iPads to create movies this spring.  They were so excited to use technology in art class!  Before we made the movies we created wire people sculptures based on gesture drawings.  The students worked in groups to plan a story they would create in Splice.  I demonstrated how to add audio, sound effects, pictures, and videos.  

We had a viewing party where each student rated each part of the movies (pictures, video, sound effects, recordings, and best overall).  

I also stumbled upon art videos by Tricia Fuglestad in School Arts Magazine.  I am so inspired by her videos that she shares on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/fugleflicks/videos). I really hope I can use some of her videos, and make some of my own very soon!

The Lorax Project - Recycled Sculptures

"Go Green" was the theme for Read Across America Week.  To support the efforts of the Lorax we made recycled sculptures in 6th grade.

Mother Nature

Robot

Pre K Hearts

In Pre K we looked at the art of Jim Dine.  I love his hearts and so did the kids!  We created lots of color on our paper with a tissue paper collage.  Then we made mono print hearts and glued them to construction paper. We then cut around the heart with fancy scissors.  Finally we glued the heart to our tissue paper collage!

Town Drawings and Collages

 One of my favorite projects for first grade is town drawings.  We begin by looking at different buildings and picking out the shapes that architects use to make these buildings.  They draw the silliest shapes for buildings.  I teach them how to create doors and windows that move and then we add more to the drawings by adding collage.  First grade imaginations go wild with this one!

 

Maggie's town

Here is how one student describes her town:

Maggie's Town:

This is the pool of the circle house, here's the car and another house.  There's a little girl looking out and a telescope and a chimney.  Here's a monster truck!  This is the kids little play house and they can walk on the grass. Here's their play car they can go on the road with just to play.  That's the pool and here's a rock climb.  Here's where they can get their drinks.  This house is called 010, this one is call 100 and this one's called 12 and there's the sun.

New Beginning!

I have relocated to Blue Ridge Elementary School in Ashe County!  I am so excited to be here!  I will be posting soon on lessons and happenings in the art room!

Colors - Kira Willey

I have to use this video in my class!  Probably with K-2.