Enjoy!!!
 |
| Jasmine |
 |
| Carolyn |
 |
| Alex |
 |
| Olivia |
 |
| Chris |
 |
| Brett |
 |
| Madison |
 |
| Morgan |
Monday, January 30, 2012
Melted Crayons
Well like every other art teacher who has found Pinterest, I too had to try the crayon melting project with my students. I still haven't figured out how they get the tape to come off nicely, but most of the kids somved that problem by just painting the image underneath. A few of these are very creative. Probably better than I could have come up with.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Quilted Hearts
For a project that seemed simple when I found it on Pinterest. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlanzsage/6497286211/in/photostream/ This has been my biggest nightmare this week. Today's 3rd grade class did a better job than the one the other day, but it still has not been as smooth as I thought it would be.
I am sure I am wrong, but they were having a hard time with concepts like passing paper, and keeping one part of your work and how to fold a square piece of paper in half. By the way that was step one and I probably should have stopped when the folding of a square became an issue. But I am not a quitter and so we somehow have finished two classes of these this week. I have one more to go tomorrow.
Wish me luck.
I am sure I am wrong, but they were having a hard time with concepts like passing paper, and keeping one part of your work and how to fold a square piece of paper in half. By the way that was step one and I probably should have stopped when the folding of a square became an issue. But I am not a quitter and so we somehow have finished two classes of these this week. I have one more to go tomorrow.
Wish me luck.
Tape and paint
A few years ago this project just came to me (or maybe I saw something that sparked inspiration, it's hard to remember that far back) and I decided to hide chameleons in paper shapes. It was one of my favorite projects from the beginning and I still enjoy making it, or at least having the kids make it.
Anyways, this is a 5th grade project and we start about talking how some animals use color to hide themselves and I ask if they can think of any, and eventually someone says the Chameleon. So we start with drawing our chameleons together and then we add a little bit of design so they are at least a little interesting and decorative. The last thing that they add are a few lines to the background to divide up the paper and make it feel like they are hiding in something. Then we cut tape down into skinny pieces and cover up all of our pencil lines. This is the longes step and usually takes at least two class periods, longer if they talk alot or got line happy. Our last step is to paint over the taped chameleons with a variety of colors. We use a painting technique called stippling and we also talk about how to mix the colors so that they look good together. Not all colors mix well, some make mud if you put them together.
Of course since this is the year of the dragon and if you have read any of my other posts you know I have a small obsession with dragons, I not only gave them the option of the chameleon, but I put up pictures of dragons. Only a few took me up on the dragon concept, but they turned out pretty good.
Ok, so I hope I got the right names to the right projects. Sorry if I didn't.
Anyways, this is a 5th grade project and we start about talking how some animals use color to hide themselves and I ask if they can think of any, and eventually someone says the Chameleon. So we start with drawing our chameleons together and then we add a little bit of design so they are at least a little interesting and decorative. The last thing that they add are a few lines to the background to divide up the paper and make it feel like they are hiding in something. Then we cut tape down into skinny pieces and cover up all of our pencil lines. This is the longes step and usually takes at least two class periods, longer if they talk alot or got line happy. Our last step is to paint over the taped chameleons with a variety of colors. We use a painting technique called stippling and we also talk about how to mix the colors so that they look good together. Not all colors mix well, some make mud if you put them together.
Of course since this is the year of the dragon and if you have read any of my other posts you know I have a small obsession with dragons, I not only gave them the option of the chameleon, but I put up pictures of dragons. Only a few took me up on the dragon concept, but they turned out pretty good.
 |
| Gabe |
 |
| Elissa |
 |
| Alex |
 |
| Jack |
 |
| Kimi |
 |
| Karlee |
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Ceramic Goblets
In 7th grade I finally see these kids everyday in a row for a few weeks instead of only once a week. So this is when I like to do a coil project since they will be able to save it and work on it for a few days.
I found this goblet project on a ceramics website. I liked the idea of both the coil pot and the pinchpot combined to made one piece. If they really wanted to they could drink out of the goblet one day and flip it upside down the next to store their pencils.
I found this goblet project on a ceramics website. I liked the idea of both the coil pot and the pinchpot combined to made one piece. If they really wanted to they could drink out of the goblet one day and flip it upside down the next to store their pencils.
Always one more
It is amazine how there is always a project that is turned in late. However, if it looks like this one I guess I will accept it.
In case you are wondering, the entire dragon is made of pop tabs and two little dots of green from a mountain dew can.
 |
| Alex L. |
Monday, January 23, 2012
Happy Chinese New Year!!
Since today is Chinese New Year I had to get these images out this morning. I am trying something different in my Painting/Sculpture class this sememster. I am trying to just give them some inspiration and letting them figure out how to create a project that ends with that inspiration in mind.
So all I gave them for directions is that I wanted a sculpture that was inspired by Chinese New Year, the year of the Dragon. Other than that, all ideas were up to them. Some did relief sculptures and some did all out dragons in paper mache. I am just shocked how there were no two alike.
So all I gave them for directions is that I wanted a sculpture that was inspired by Chinese New Year, the year of the Dragon. Other than that, all ideas were up to them. Some did relief sculptures and some did all out dragons in paper mache. I am just shocked how there were no two alike.
 |
| Jasmine |
 |
| Chris B. |
 |
| Carolyn |
 |
| Shayla |
 |
| Paige |
 |
| Summer |
Thursday, January 19, 2012
One day Dragons
Every now and then I hit a huge dilema. I want to do a project that goes with a specific holiday, but the last project took too long and I am left with one day to fit in a project. For some projects that is just fine, but then there are projects like todays project where it should have been done in two periods, but I became the drill sargent and forced it into one.
Of course it becomes the most stressful 40 minutes in my life, (and I am sure that is not good on me) but sometimes I think it is good to push the kids out of their comfort zones.
Anyways, I decided that the 3rd graders needed to do something for the Chinese New Year, (which is monday). I love Chinese New Year and I love dragons, which is what the symbol for next year is, so I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by.
So to accomplish this goal of a one day dragon I went completely away from my normal routine and pre-cut all of the paper and I even made stencils for the head. I hate using stencils but I wanted them to not get so frustrated with trying to draw the head. After they cut out the stenciled head, we then took squares of paper and folded all the sides and cut a slit so that they would fold into boxes. Then we cut out eyes and teeth and then I did let them do anything else they wanted to do to their dragons. I even brought out tissue paper ribbons and glitter.
But in the end they pulled it out and they actually came out pretty good.
Some of them look kind of vicious in the pictures, but they didn't look that fierce in person.
Of course it becomes the most stressful 40 minutes in my life, (and I am sure that is not good on me) but sometimes I think it is good to push the kids out of their comfort zones.
Anyways, I decided that the 3rd graders needed to do something for the Chinese New Year, (which is monday). I love Chinese New Year and I love dragons, which is what the symbol for next year is, so I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by.
So to accomplish this goal of a one day dragon I went completely away from my normal routine and pre-cut all of the paper and I even made stencils for the head. I hate using stencils but I wanted them to not get so frustrated with trying to draw the head. After they cut out the stenciled head, we then took squares of paper and folded all the sides and cut a slit so that they would fold into boxes. Then we cut out eyes and teeth and then I did let them do anything else they wanted to do to their dragons. I even brought out tissue paper ribbons and glitter.
But in the end they pulled it out and they actually came out pretty good.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Chinese Repousse
This time of year the sixth graders begin to study Ancient Chinese history. So a project that I have done for several years is make chinese characters in foil with a repousse technique. I am sure I have borrowed parts of this lesson from others that I have seen, but I am not even sure anymore where I got the initial idea.
This year's class I think made some of the best projects ever. Well maybe not, but for some reason the overall process went the smoothest it ever has.
The first week we learn how to draw the chinese characters in a block form, then they can either pick one of those examples or I looked up some other words for them to try. Some of the words have 3 -4 characters and that was just way too overwhelming for some of them. They then drew their word on a 6x6 piece of newsprint paper.
The second week, I gave them all a piece of foil in the color that they wanted, and I demonstrated how to do the repousse technique. After that they spent the class period raising up the metal. I have learned over the years that a magazine under your project will actually help pop out the image faster. Of course that also means a better chance for popping holes, but I explain slow and steady.
The last week, we either applied an antiquing finsih with India Ink or they could use a paint color to highlight their image. We then mounted them on 8x8 pieces of colored paper.
I think they look like the kids had fun, or at least they seemed to.
This year's class I think made some of the best projects ever. Well maybe not, but for some reason the overall process went the smoothest it ever has.
The first week we learn how to draw the chinese characters in a block form, then they can either pick one of those examples or I looked up some other words for them to try. Some of the words have 3 -4 characters and that was just way too overwhelming for some of them. They then drew their word on a 6x6 piece of newsprint paper.
The second week, I gave them all a piece of foil in the color that they wanted, and I demonstrated how to do the repousse technique. After that they spent the class period raising up the metal. I have learned over the years that a magazine under your project will actually help pop out the image faster. Of course that also means a better chance for popping holes, but I explain slow and steady.
The last week, we either applied an antiquing finsih with India Ink or they could use a paint color to highlight their image. We then mounted them on 8x8 pieces of colored paper.
I think they look like the kids had fun, or at least they seemed to.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Colored Pencil Drawings
My High School Art 1 class has been working on using colored pencils to layer color. They were given a stack of photographs from calendars and nature magazines (I personally love the pictures in Country magazine) and they were told to draw their image and then try to use colored pencils to create the image. It took awhile to convince them that they could push pretty hard on the pencils and build up to darker colors.
Did I mention I was mean and wouldn't let them use black colored pencils. For some it was torcher not to have the easy way out. But others rose up to the challenge and figured out that if you just put all of the colors together you can make a more interesting black then just a plain black colored pencil.
Overall this project went pretty quick. They had about three days to make the 6x6 drawing.
Did I mention I was mean and wouldn't let them use black colored pencils. For some it was torcher not to have the easy way out. But others rose up to the challenge and figured out that if you just put all of the colors together you can make a more interesting black then just a plain black colored pencil.
Overall this project went pretty quick. They had about three days to make the 6x6 drawing.
 |
| Jozlynn P. |
 |
| Kevin A. |
 |
| Joslynne S. |
 |
| Abby M. |
 |
| Brooke B. |
 |
| Sammy K. |
 |
| Eli H. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)