So this is how we created these:
Happy belated Valentines Day! Here at Wilson Creek, our little kiddos love celebrating special days of any sort. If you were lucky enough to be in the building during the 100th day of school, you would have seen all our little people dressed up as 100 year olds (which is the sweetest and funniest thing you can imagine)! I am lucky that I get to share in the celebration of these holidays in the art room. This is my 7th year of teaching, yet I am still surprised by how far in advance we have to start any holiday-themed project. We started these clay hearts at the end of January which should have given ample time to finish, wrap, and send these lovelies home. But throw in some absences and the polar vortex cancellations and this became something that had to be RUSHED! I am so thankful for having a grandparent volunteer who jumped right in and helped me wrap all of these. She is the best! So this is how we created these: Students practiced rolling clay into coils and balls. They then wrapped their coils into spirals. They arranged these pieces of clay on a pieces of cardstock that had a heart copied on it. They then pressed the clay together and blended the entire surface smooth. When they lifted it off the paper, the other side still had the pattern on it. (Side note: you may notice that there is some pieces of paper stuck to some of those hearts. If you just let the clay dry, that paper peels off easily.) We used air dry clay which unfortunately is pretty brittle. But our school is in the process of something GREAT that will alleviate that issue for future clay projects ;) . If your child's project does break, I suggest using hot glue to fix it. An even better solution is to cut out a heart from cardboard from a cereal box and hot glue the pieces to that. I ended up having to do that for a few... Students used tempera paints to add color. Each student was given a paper plate with white paint and their choice of two other colors. They were encouraged to mix tints of their colors, but it wasn't a requirement. Before the clay dried, we poked small holes in the top so these can be hung up. I also experimented with giving some of these a clear acrylic wash on top. I think it really helped the finish and will do it for all of the classes in the future.
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September was such an exciting month in our classrooms! First graders learned how to weave with paper strips, second graders took their knowledge of weaving and expanded upon it by making mini yarn tapestries, and third grade explored the fiber art of embroidery. While these grades were focusing on weaving, stitching, and tying knots, our new kindergarten friends were getting to know the routines of art class as they created a couple of fall-themed paintings. First graders created colorful painted paper for their weavings. When dried, the papers were sliced and students began to weave in their strips of paper. They then used a variety of decorative edge scissors to create thinner strips that were incorporated as well. After that was done, students were allowed to use hole punchers and yarn scraps (these were left over from the second graders' weavings). Students were so inventive and impressed me with their creative approaches to the second half of this project! And it was clear that they were all very proud of their creations! Second grade used small cardboard looms to create their mini tapestries. They each wrapped their warp strings and wove their weft strings in. They made sure to have all of the ends of their weft string hang on the same side (which would later become the fringe at the bottom). They took 3 classes to weave this project, tie their ends and remove it from their looms. I assisted them by hot gluing popsicle sticks onto the backs. The students finished this lesson by twisting a wire onto the stick so that they could be easily displayed on their walls at home! Over at Anna McDonald, third grade explored another form of fiber art with their free form embroideries. The students learned how to make running stitches, back stitches, cross stitches and french knots. They practiced each on a small piece of burlap and looked at how other artists have used needles and thread to create amazing designs (from molas from Panama to contemporary fiber artists). Students were allowed to stitch any design or image on their final piece of burlap. Kindergartners spent the month of September learning the routines in the art room. We practiced how to use glue bottles, how to use scissors, how to trace shapes, how to color with markers, and how to properly use and clean paint supplies. We will review these procedures all year as we keep creating! As I am writing this, I am realizing that while we made collages, painted our landscapes, and created our leaf paintings with bleeding tissue paper, I barely took ANY photos! The two painting photos are both from last year, oops! Welcome back to another school year at Manhattan! I am very excited to be returning from my maternity leave and to see my kiddos who I have missed very much. And this year, I have the privilege of working in the same building where two of my daughters attend school. There are a lot of changes at both buildings as our school district keeps growing. One of the changes is that I will only be teaching K - 3 this year. We keep adding new sections of classes to grade levels every year, and I am now full time between my 4 grades. Ms. Bellinger is returning for her second year and will take over all of 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th. If you do not follow the Manhattan art classrooms on Instagram yet, please do! @paintonourfingers A new change at Anna McDonald is the introduction of the team system. For my third graders, this is very similar from the family system they just left at Wilson Creek. So here is how it will work: Every student and staff member in the building will be assigned a team (all Chicago sports teams). *I am on the Bulls!* Also, the team assignments will NOT be by class, rather each student will be assigned to a team. That means that each class will have students from all five of the teams in the building. Mr. McWilliams created this system for Anna McDonald after being inspired by his visit to The Ron Clark Academy. This system will create a school culture where students will work together across classrooms and even grade levels to earn points for displaying positive behaviors. It is also intended to give students a sense of belonging and pride in their school, their team, and themselves. We kicked off the school year with a fun dance party/assembly that introduced the team system to the students. It was so much fun! Ok, so to tie into this new team system, third graders first week project were mystery grid enlargements (each being a cropped logo of one of the teams - The Bulls, The Blackhawks, The Bears, The Cubs, and The White Sox). I love these projects because of element of mystery. The moment they understand what they have created as a class is priceless! I also got some pictures this week of first grade's monoprints. We used CDs as the printing plate, two colors of tempera, and a Q-Tip to make designs. In the next class, they will use construction paper crayons to draw more details on their pictures.
First grade took on a high school level challenge as they drew and shaded solid figure forms. The two objectives of this lesson were for students to recognize the difference between shapes and forms and for students to be able to create a variety of values with their crayons. These students are quite impressive, and actually accomplished much more than that!
We took one day to practice sketching the forms. I used the overhead to show them step by step for each form. The next class, students were asked to draw the forms on their final papers. Most students stacked the forms -in what looked like very unstable towers :)- and some even added colorful backgrounds. As the first grade teachers began to prepare for their fairy tales unit, they came across this cute lesson. It was a great tie-in with what first grade had just learned - "point-of-view" and its effect on drawing. This was such a simple lesson, and very fun! Students are now know they can represent space in pictures by drawing things smaller in the distance. :)
First grade was introduced to still life and asked to look closely as they drew a fruit bowl on their table. Since we used clear containers, students were asked to imagine their own bowl design. Students focused on overlapping, placement, size, and proportion of their objects. Students practiced double-loading their paint brushes to mix their own colors. This technique is fantastic to do with this subject, because there are so many hues in fruit. Students not only had to closely examine the fruit when they drew it, but as they painted it, as well. :) Finally, students used black paint and detail brushes to outlines their fruit. This outline helps not only to "clean up" their lines in the paintings, but to allow the colors to really "pop". Just like Cezanne :)
I want to start by saying this was a lesson I stole and adapted from a fellow Instagram art teacher. :) @foxchapelart has the best ideas for elementary art!!! First graders saw images of Picasso's guitars and Bearden's musicians before they created their own mixed-media art. Students discussed what different music would look like if we could see it. Rhythm was introduced and students were asked to incorporate rhythmic repetitions in their backgrounds. And students were super thrilled when the sequins and glitter came out :)
Thank you to everyone who helped plan, volunteered at, or came to visit Wilson Creek's second annual art show. It was a fun night and a great reminder of how wonderful our families and community truly are in Manhattan SD 114. Here are some photos from the night.
First grade created some AWESOME hearts in art class. I noticed I don't have many pictures of the rubbing alcohol process, but that is probably because I was to busy enjoying the process with them. Students started by cutting out their hearts. I had some classes glue their hearts onto the black paper before they painted and some did not glue theirs down until after the paint had dried. You can see the one above glued down the heart first. I like the way the paint has traveled onto the black space. If we do this again, all classes will try it this way. The trick to getting a good effect with the rubbing alcohol is to add it when the paper is extremely wet. So first graders tried out the wet-on-wet painting technique for the first time. The first practiced this technique on small hexagon-shaped paper (I will get back to this). Then, they painted wet-on-wet "watercolor" (we used tempera discs with a lot of water). They used little pipettes from the science closet to drip the rubbing alcohol on top. There were plenty of "oohs" and "aahs" from my little artists/scientists. Finally, students used scraps from the recycling bin to give their pictures a colorful frame. T
The practice papers have been Mod Podged together onto 2 canvases that will be raffled as a set at the Wilson Creek art show! We hope to see you there! Square 1 Art is a phenomenal fundraising program. Students create artwork on an 8.5" x 8.5" square and the company scans all of the images into their data base. The original artwork is returned to each student along with a complimentary sheet of stickers with their artwork! Friends and family then have the opportunity to shop the personalized products from the catalogue. Any purchases help support the art department here at Manhattan 114. We have used this fundraiser to buy extra clay, leather, specialized painting supplies, books, and so on. More information regarding order forms will be sent home next month. :) The projects that each grade level worked on: K: We painted peacocks. We used rulers to create a "fan" pattern for the feathers. 1st: Students created radial symmetry patterns. We started this project by tracing 3 circles on to the paper, and the students took it from there! 2nd: Students drew their name with details to describe themselves and their interests. 3rd: Students used iPads to research their "underwater" drawings. 4th: The theme for these drawings was "plants and animals". Students used their iPads to help research this. 5th: Students used their iPads to research their "insects, amphibians and reptiles" drawings. ACCESS students K - 3rd: Students used tissue paper and colorful painted paper to create a collage of any subject they chose. I love Romero Britto. He is happy, he is fun, he is the ideal artist to introduce my little kiddos to! In the past, I have taught a different Britto-inspired lesson to my first graders that focused on colors and patterns. But when I saw this lesson that Cassie Stephens did with her fourth graders, I knew we needed to try it out as well! (Nothing inspires more confidence in 6 and 7 year olds than telling them that they can draw like 4th graders! That is the ultimate compliment I have discovered. :) ) Students worked on drawing their faces. Correct placement and proportion were introduced, but won't be a main focus until later grades. After they drew themselves, students added patterns to their drawings that reflect their own personal likes and interests. To create thick, bold, black outlines, students used Chisel-Tipped Sharpies. They were also given the chance to demonstrate their neatest coloring with crayons and markers. On a related note, the patterns on the large mural I have been painting by the gym are also inspired by Romero Britto. Did I mention that I love him? Honestly, his art is perfect for this primary level! All of the patterns are painted, and the silhouettes of the kids are slowly being added. When this project is complete, I will add more pictures! We practiced so many fun ways to play with paper! We read a great book about Henri Matisse called "Henri's Scissors". This is a great story to promote inclusion and perseverance in the art room. As Matisse became ill and was no longer able to make art as he once did, he found ways around his disabilities to continue creating. His assistants painted large pieces of paper and he was able to "draw with scissors" as he lay in bed.
Students cut geometric and organic shapes and arranged them in really neat compositions. We also practiced techniques such as pleating, fringe, spirals, etc. They look great! First graders used construction paper to weave some awesome designs. "AB patterns" were the focus. After students wove straight strips of paper into their paper loom, they used "fancy" scissors to strips with interesting edges. These were used to add more detail to their designs.
Wassily Kandinsky's paintings were the inspiration for the first projects for my first and second graders. In first grade, students looked at his concentric circles color study before using only primary colored oil pastels to create their artwork. I often use this as a first project to help me assess students ability to trace, color neatly, and follow step-by-step instructions. It also is a great practice in mixing all of the secondary colors. In second grade, we studied Kandinsky's Composition VIII before making our own abstract paintings. Students then used different gadgets to print lines and shapes on top of their paintings. After they completed their artwork, they were asked to compare and contrast this very open-ended abstract project with their realistic still life paintings from last year. It was interesting to hear why some students prefer making abstract art while others got more enjoyment from making something realistic. These little artists had a lot of opinions to share! Welcome back! I hope you spent some time creating with your little artists over the summer break. Here is a picture of my 4 year old. Disregard the piles of laundry and other disheveled items in the background. Sometimes painting with your kid is just more fun than housework! :) This week has been very busy getting to know my new friends, reintroducing classroom procedures to my old friends, and just getting back into the swing of things. Here is a quick recap of what we have started! Kindergarten is learning about lines. We read "Lines that Wiggle" (such a cute picture book), and then learned about the different types of lines. We will create a short project with lines next week. First grade was busy mixing secondary colors. We watched my all time favorite music video about primary colors and saw a couple pieces of Wassily Kandinsky's artwork. They will finish their oil pastel color mixing project next week. Second grade took more time to look at Kandinsky artwork and discussed why they thought an artist might want to create abstract work. Then, they used tempera discs to begin to paint their very own abstract painting. We will continue this project with printing details. I will also read "The Boy Who Heard Colors" to them to give a fuller view of who Wassily Kandinsky was. Third grade started out the year by learning about Central American weaving styles and creating large cooperative paintings. This was an idea I picked up from the High Shoals Elementary School art room blog. These are turning out so well and I am excited for you all to see them at Anna McDonald's open house next week. Although I have not met with my 4th and 5th grade classes, we have great things planned! Fourth grade will be learning about weaving and make dream catchers. Fifth grade will be learning about the fun world of juxtaposition! On another note, I am happy to introduce my first student teacher! Amanda Borchert is a student from Trinity Christian College with a background in graphic design from Southern Illinois University. She is excited to be here and will be bringing so many fun projects for all of the kids! First grade learned about Vincent Van Gogh as they created two pieces of artwork with flowers as the subject. We emphasized "symmetry" and "balance" with this first project. They used sponges to add the flower petals. This project was left as a sub plan for my first graders. It was one of those projects where I didn't want to give them back...they were so cheery that I just wanted to plaster the entire series on my classroom walls.
This drawing was an exercise from Mona Brooke's "Drawing With Children". This lesson is intended to improve students' ability to draw from graphics. I explained to my first graders that artists often look at existing images to help them draw. They then use their imaginations to make changes. I encouraged students to look closely at the image of the lion we drew together, but to "make it their own" with their own imaginations.
The expression on his face says it all! Creating an abstract collage seemed simple enough, but then the students were required to created 3-D elements within it. Students were up for the challenge and began to curl paper, fold paper, stack shapes up with bits of cardboard, etc. This student took it to the next level when he decided to see how high he could create his collage (can I even call it that now or is it now considered a sculpture?!) This first grader told me he was "making a city". Love it. And check out that big-ole-bin of scraps. First graders were even finding left over wrapping paper in there from the 2nd grade Holiday Pop Art Collage.
First graders listened to this story and watched a short slideshow of some of Matisse's collages. This first week, we began by cutting shapes and gluing them down to cardstock squares. Next week will experiment with creating low-relief aspects with little bits of cardboard as well as folding and curling paper that will give the art 3-dimmension. These are still works-in-progress. I will post the pictures of the final collages next week. :)
The Wilson Creek Art Show was held on February 11th. I want to thank everyone who helped make it such a successful event. Thank you to the PTO for their help planning this event. A special thanks to Mandie Wade, Keri English, Jodi Kenny, and Melanie Rutkowski for helping to assemble the many art displays. And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK to Melanie for helping me matte many of the hundreds of art pieces on display. Thank you to the many teachers who volunteered at the show, painting faces, selling raffle tickets, etc. Thank you to Mrs. DeBoer for helping to coordinate the many fine details of the event. Thank you to Mrs. Maher for giving assistance to coordinate the big picture of the event. And thank you to all of the students and families for coming out and supporting the fine arts at Wilson Creek. It was very much appreciated!
The Wilson Creek art show will be held tomorrow from 6pm - 8pm. Each grade level created a single work of art that will be raffled off (tickets being sold for $1). Along with the raffle, there will also be face painting, a craft station, a wax hand booth (1 hand for $8 or 2 for $15), and the PTO will be selling concessions. Most importantly, every child will have artwork up on display. :) Hope to see you there!
This year, I have been sharing the story of The Dot with all of my Wilson Creek kiddos. The lesson in the story is that we are all artists and should celebrate what we can create. We can all express ourselves and "make a mark" as long as we try. We are using this book as the theme for our art show this year. The show will be held from 6 - 8 pm on Thursday, February 11th. The following day there will be no school due to a teacher institute day. At the show there will be:
Square 1 Art is a fundraiser that the art department has participated in for many years. We are able to buy a lot of extra supplies, materials, and art books because of the money raised by Square 1 Art. Each grade level has a project or drawing theme that they work on just for this fundraiser. Even if the child does not place an order, he or she will receive a sheet of stickers with his or her drawing on it!
This year, kindergartners are creating colorful pictures of their silhouettes. We are discussing proper painting techniques, different lines, and patterns. 1st graders are drawing bright radial patterns. We are discussing radial patterns (of course), analogous colors, and adding details. 2nd graders are creating word art that describes themselves, their interests, or what they love about school. We are discussing negative space, analogous colors, patterns, and tints. 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are creating their own unique compositions based on these themes: 3rd - Under Water 4th - Plants or Animals 5th - Insects, Reptiles, or Amphibians All of these grade levels are discussing focal points, space, details, and borders. Projects will be due early February and more information about ordering from Square 1 Art will follow shortly after. STR Partners had a very hard time coming up with winners from all of their entries this year. Between our Gold Winners, Silver Winners, and Special Recognition Awards, we had 18 students recognized between Anna Mac and Wilson Creek! Mrs. Ambrosini and I are very proud of all of our students who participated in this contest! Good job, guys!
The clay ornament project has become a tradition for all students at Wilson Creek. It is so simple, yet the kids have looked forward to it for the past few years. I have a gingerbread man ornament from my days in kindergarten (1991) that I still hang on the tree. I love that it has the year on it and can remind me of special memories from school. I hope that my students can hang their ornaments on their trees for many years to remind them of their experiences at Wilson Creek. Although I love this project, it is a relief when I can send them all home and get some counter space back! Students pressed slabs out of self-hardening clay and then chose a cookie cutter to create their shape. Some students put textures and details into the clay while it was still wet. The following week, they used tempera to paint a base coat and details. I then sprayed them with Krylon (since tempera, although being cost effective and washable, does not leave an appealing finish) and strung them up.
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AuthorI am a K - 5th grade art teacher at Wilson Creek Elementary and Anna McDonald School in Manhattan, IL. I am also a mother of two little girls (who share my love of art)! Archives
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