OMG! Is it August already???

After responding to a FB post from the NAEA Elementary Division inviting art teachers to post their blog URLs, I decided to create a post to get the new school year started, and was rather stunned to see that my last post was from way back in February. I know it was a rough winter, with way too many missed days, but I had no idea how much time had passed!

So here is a quick recap of the past school year...

The year began with my very sparkly, clean art classroom in mid- August and ended with piles of debris outside the door as I spent several days after school was out purging every closet and corner of the room.

In between there were art shows....

 

Clay projects in the repaired kiln...

Weavings and fabric paintings...

iPad adventures...

 

Drawing....and painting....and so much more!

 

 

And now we're back where we started...another summer coming to an end and another school year set to begin in just a few days. 

iPads and Matisse in Grade 4

 

 

One of the perks of teaching art in a STEM school is the availability of technology. In December, I got a classroom set of iPads. I did have nine iPads at the beginning of the school year, which was great, but having one for every student really opens the door to so many new and exciting possibilities for my students.

 

In December, my first graders used the iPads and the Art Doodles app to learn about Henri Matisse and then create Christmas-themed cut out collages. That was fun, but I wanted to take the lesson a step further with my fourth grade students. They first used Art Doodles to create their image, then saved it to their photos. The challenge was to recreate their image using a 6-inch square of construction paper, colored paper scraps, and a pair of scissors.

 

Day 1: After an introduction to Matisse and his work, the students used Art Doodles to create their images.

Day 2: Recreating the image using cut paper

 

Day 3: Finishing up

 

 

On the third day, some students needed a little time to finish their cut paper collages. After that, everyone set up their iPad with the artwork and we had a "walk around exhibit". There was a lot of good conversation among the students as they noted color and design changes and talked with each other about why these changes were made.

 

 

After the walk around, a few students added a few  more details to their work, but most of them were happy with the end result and ready to move on to something new. Success!

 

 

 

 

Jim Dine Valentines!

 

One of my favorite February art projects with my first graders is our Jim Dine Valentines. I introduce the students to the work of Jim Dine using his "Four Hearts" and "Woodcut Heart" prints.

The students create their own Jim Dine inspired work using heart templates and free drawn shapes that are colored with oil pastels that are "thick and juicy". The backgrounds are then filled in with brightly colored pan tempera.

Here are just a few from our collection:

 

Having them on the cupboard doors really brightens a winter-weary art studio!

 

 

                                                                              

Clay catastrophe update...good news!

 

This is the perfect photo to begin the happy ending to the Clay Catastrophe story that I first posted on January 15. They LIVE! The survivors have been successfully bisque fired and are in the process of being painted with acrylics and the rest have been rebuilt and are awaiting their trip to the kiln next week. Although I do usually use glazes for most projects, this one just cries out for the bright, cheerful colors that are found in the Pop Art of the 1960s.