Flowers from Observation

This was an interesting and fun lesson for our second and third grade class. We began by talking about what a flower looked like, and I quickly drew the most well known version, a circle surrounded by some loops and a line extending down. Next we looked at several real flowers and began to notice that real flowers look only a bit like the flower I drew. Looking very closely we saw there are characteristics most flowers have in common; a center, petals that repeat around the center, a stem and usually leaves. That said, the flowers we had in front of us were also different in many ways. Some petals were big and some were small; some flowers had many petals and some only six or eight. Some flowers were one color and others had many variations of colors within them. After carefully observing their own individual flower, students drew as accurate a version of what they saw as possible. The flowers were drawn in black permanent marker then colored with water based markers. Learning to observe differences and similarities and how to really see what is in front of you was a great learning experience for the children, and a critical part of the drawing process. The results are lovely. Take a look! Click on any image to get to the gallery.

Op Art Spheres

Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley are two of the most famous artists of the 20th Century art movement known as "Op Art." Short for Optical Art, the artists working in this field were interested in the way the eye perceives movement. 

Vega-Nor Victor Vassarely 1969                                                                               Intake, Bridget Riley 1964

Our grade eight students reviewed some of the work of these artists to learn what creates the unique effects of Optical Art. They then created their own Op Art pieces. Click on the image below to get to the Op Art gallery.

Rainbow Fish

The art processes of printing, drawing and collaging were explored for this project our kindergarten and first grade students just completed.

Step 1, Printing: After reading the ever-popular story "The Rainbow Fish", students dipped paper towel roll ends into white tempera and printed their ocean background on blue construction paper.
Step 2, Drawing: Next, we talked about and viewed photos of fish to learn what all fish have in common; eyes, tails, fins and scales. Together we practiced drawing a big fish that filled up our white drawing paper. Students could then color the fish with crayon as they desired.
Step 3, Collaging: When they had a fish they were happy with, students learned how to collage, or glue, small pieces of lots of different colored paper onto their fish, ending with a one shiny silver scale. The fish were then cut out and glued onto the printed backgrounds, adding seaweed or other ocean details completed the artwork. Aren't they great? Click on any image to see more fish!

HexaHexaFlexogon Fun

Our 6th and 7th grade classes combined math and art concepts to create these paper HexaHexaFlexogons. They are called that because they have six, six-sided faces made from equilateral triangles within them and you must flex and manipulate the hexagons to view all sides. Because as you flex them, the triangles rotate their positions within each face, there are actually 14 different configurations to view in each flexagon. Click here for an interesting video which explains how HexaHexaFlexagons were invented. Students reviewed the color wheel and designed each face to show the six primary and secondary colors, warm colors, cool colors and three complementary color designs. Below are a few of the flexas they created.

Mehndi Hand Designs

Mehndi is the traditional art of painting the hands, feet or body with a paste made from the powdered, dried leaves of the henna plant. It is an ancient form of body art that has been practiced in the Middle East, India and parts of Africa for thousands of years and is typically used during celebrations and festivals.

Our grade 8 students had a chance to explore Mehndi and design their own hand art using markers and gloves to take the place of traditional henna on skin. Besides the benefit of being less messy, this technique allowed students to create a design which would be permanent after the glove was filled with cotton batting. Traditional Menhdi materials fade and are washed away in a few weeks.

Students reviewed traditional designs from India, the Middle East and Africa as well as the Maori peoples of the Pacific. They used these resources as a jumping off point to create their own personal Mehndi art. Take a look! Clicking on any image brings you to the gallery for more art.

 

Valentine Hearts in the Style of Jim Dine

To celebrate Valentine's Day and learn about warm and cool colors, our 2/3 class took a look at some of the work of the American artist Jim Dine.

Using black crayon, students first drew a heart shape in the middle of their paper, then added lines across the paper going through their heart. The resulting sections were then filled with warm or cool colors and watercolor paint was added if the artist wished. Click on the image below to see more and be sure to have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Puffy Snowmen!

Brrr... all this cold, snowy weather has been turning our thoughts to one of our favorite outdoor activities, building snowmen! This week our younger students created their own snowmen in the art room using puffy paint we mixed up ourselves. We used equal amounts of white school glue and dollar store shaving cream, then added paper eyes, noses, scarves and hats. A little silver glitter makes the snow sparkle in the sun. Take a look at the super results! Clicking on any image brings you to the gallery for more creations.

Sunrise, Sunset Silhouettes

Our sixth and seventh grade classes worked on similar projects recently which allowed them to explore color, value and blending in painting. We first reviewed the meaning of silhouette, then viewed a selection of photographs featuring images of trees and animals against rising or setting suns. Students then composed their own images to be drawn in solid black with permanent marker. Seventh grade students painted their backgrounds first in tempera paint, then added their black images. Sixth grade students drew images first, then painted over the marker with watercolor paint. The black marker resisted the watercolor, and students could go over the black image again to sharpen it if they chose. Both classes learned and practiced painting and blending skills before they worked on their final pieces. Take a look at the beautiful results!

Kindergarten Winter Trees

Give a kindergarten child a few strips of paper of differing lengths, and watch how quickly they figure out how to line them up to form a tree shape. You can almost see the thinking process as they work out the process in their minds. Add a glue stick, some crayons and white tempera paint, and before you know it some beautiful Christmas trees come alive in a snowy winter landscape. Click the image below to visit the winter tree gallery.

You're a Funny One, Mr. Grinch

Everyone loves the Grinch, and our 2/3 class had lots of fun creating their own Grinches a few weeks before the holiday break. We don't do a lot of guided drawing in the art room because I prefer imagination to drive art. I do think though, that developing confidence in drawing ability is important, because that confidence lets our artists get down on paper what they are seeing in their minds. This little guided drawing exercise I found on Art Projects for Kids allowed students to get the basics of the Grinch and his sly eyes and impish grin. I love how each child took those basic instructions and gave their Grinch his his own unique personality. Click on any image to see more Grinches.