Aboriginal Dot Painting

Day 1 and 2: Students learned about aboriginal art and how it is influenced by the dream time. Students then learned about Uluru, a large rock in central Australia that is sacred to the aboriginal people. They then began writing a surreal story about an Australian animals adventure to Uluru. They could pick from a sea turtle, kangaroo, koala, or dingo as their main characters. Once the story was written they drew an illustration   

Day 3 and 4: students used their illustration as a sort of sketch for their final painting. First drawn out with pencil, students used the end of a paint brush handle to create dots along their pencils lines. Once the outlines were made students followed inside their shapes.  

If I were to do this project again I would make the final painting paper half the size. Students got burnt out quick from making dots. I tried motivating them by saying if you sold this painting you would get a dollar a dot. The more dots the more money! But the holiday break coming up definitely clouded their determination. I had some awesomely impressive results mixed with students who barely put any effort towards their painting.

There are some paintings I didn't even post because the animals are nearly unrecognizable. Curious, what age groups do you usually have create dot paintings? Maybe I just need to simplify....

Reminds me of an impressionist painting :) 

Completely in awe with this students art! Amazing!

Cave Art Picture Books

This project was an extension to a pervious Prehistoric Art lesson I did with my K-1 crew. We created picture books using symbols. Students shared their stories for the last ten minutes of class in groups of three. Craft paper was cut into four even sections and was stapled together. they created a cover page and then drew six illustrations using muted colors.

Self-Portrait Masks: "I Ain't Gonna Paint No More" by David Catrow

Illustrations in the book are fabulous!

Attention Grabber: "The one day in art you get to paint on yourselves!... just kidding... well kinda":)

The self portrait mask that is breaking all the rules! 

K-1 learned about self portraits and then created a drawing of themselves using sharpie marker guided by my instruction. The students then painted "all over their faces" using squares of tissue paper dipped in water. Students used their fingers to move and paint with the wet tissues. 

The next day we guled our self portraits on black paper and cut them out. I hot glued a popsicle stick on the back for them to hold up like a mask. I love the uniqueness in each one and the bright colors we achieved using tissue paper (quickly becoming an art room staple for me).  

On another note: This project really separated the kindergarteners from the 1st graders. Im sure you can guess by just looking at the photos above what art is kinder and what art is 1st grade. It has been interesting teaching classes with such dramatically different developmental abilities. Teaching Kinder's is so different from 1st grade, this is especially clear when we are drawing. They still are all successful for their age but it has been interesting observing the K's and the 1's side by side in my classroom:) 

Amate Bark Paintings

This summer I bought a unique and colorful painting from an antique store but was not sure of its origin. Immediately when I saw it I knew I needed to do an art project on it, but I needed more information. I knew the paper was made out of a sort of pulp and after doing some research I was able to learn it was an Amate Bark painting from central mexico! After looking around some more I realized a handful of bloggers have already taken a stab at trying out this bold and colorful artform in their classrooms. Inspired by my purchase, and after looking at some posted projects, I put together a lesson that will I will most definitely do again!

Day 1: We analyzed my purchased Amate bark painting and then created sketches from
what we saw. I encouraged students to be inventive and create plants and birds that would
only live in our imaginations. Near the middle of drawing time I pulled up
the "Birds of Paradise" video (from Planet Earth series) to revive their creative juices:) 

Day 2: Using our sketch page as inspiration, we used sharpie to draw our final line drawings.
The bolder the line the better!
We started with a botanical boarder and the drew a bird fairly large near the center.

Day 3: Using oil pastels we colored it up!
I introduced how to create highlights and shadows for them to explore with
but didn't require it in their drawing.

Chihuly Paper Sculptures!

Fluorescent paper strips taped around a cut toilet paper tube. We drew on the strips with oil pastels before cutting inorder to give the sculptures more intrest and variety. We talked about how artists need the help of architects and engeniers to install large works of art, and Dale is one of those artists. He has many assistants. As the students worked I told them when they needed the mind of an engineer and when they needed the mind of an artist. Awesome results that have brought a lot of compliments to the art room! Perfect way to brighten up a hallway, and then almost look like holiday ornaments! 

Cave Paintings from Around the World

History is fun! Especially for K-1. The idea of a world without computers, cars, and cameras boggles their minds. Enter...cave paintings from around the world!

We discuss why paintings were made on walls. Why didn't they use paper, why didn't they use a camera, why did they want to create the art in the first place. 

Once they start putting the puzzle together I let them know that they are going to create an imaginary story from the time of the cave people. Using symbols we are going to travel back in time and tell a story from 30,000 years ago. 

I created a simple symbols sheet looking at various symbols from around the world, no one region in particular. I dim the lights to make the atmosphere more like a cave and they pick a combination for 4-5 symbols to turn into a story. 

Once everyone was done we gathered for the last 15 min. of class in the front of the room and shared our stories. This story telling session was a spontaneous move on my part! Was not initially planning on doing it but decided it would be better than me reading to them. I scrapped MY story telling plans and had them take the wheel! 

They had the story infront of them already, all it took was a little imagination:) 

Million Dollar Drawings!

Day 1: First I introduce Dale Chihuly. I go into explaining how Dale experienced an eye and shoulder injury in a car accident 35 years ago and has been unable to do a lot of the strenuous work involved with being a glassblower. Instead he takes on the role of artist and director leading his crew to creating glass art work worth millions of dollars. We then come up with a million dollar chandelier concept drawing using pencil. We then traced over the pencil lines with sharpie marker. 

Video Resources:

Lesson in Glass Blowing

Chihuly at Cheekwood

Fire and Water Timelapse

Day 2: Intro. warm vs. cool colors and complete and interactive table quiz before we dive into the painting (I give each table a small white board and a dry erase maker. I show them a picture and they must decide if it is mostly a warm or mostly a cool work of art). We them use watercolors (warm or cool) to trace over ever the sharpie lines. If students finished early I tell them to add "double color" and turn their art into a two million dollar concept drawing!

Day 3: Review Chihuly and warm vs. cool colors. Trace, outline, and fill in watercolor lines with water soluble oil pastels (premium brand, my favorite!) still using warm or cool colors. Next, cut out drawing and then begin painting water over surface to activate the oil pastels. 

Chihuly Mania!!!

3rd grade paper Chihuly hanging sculptures in progress!

Working hard, ready to curl paper!

5th grade paper chandeliers. Paper, paper everywhere... and a whole lot to spare!

Should have made these homecoming week for crazy hat day!

More to come soon...