Creativity First!

The Way of Collage

2012-03-02T08:17:00.001-08:00

There's a wonderful tension that exists between the artist, the mind and paper. Ah, but when the moment arrives, hands cut, papers fly, imaginations soar. This is the way of collage.

The collages were made by first making the "material" for the collage and then cutting it to build a character. Texture plates were used to created the illusion of texture. The following week we cut the paper into 4 pieces that were used for body parts. I also placed solid colored paper on the tables that could be used for contrast.
One of my main goals was for the kids to explore the endless possibilities of this imagined character. I showed a wonderful piece by Miga de Pan (link and image below). I also demonstrated the process of making a character while intentionally cutting free form or odd shapes. This way, the kids could see that it was not necessary to cut a "proper" head, body, legs, etc.

Miga de Pan

A Different Kind of Portrait

2012-02-24T07:07:00.001-08:00

I am most like my bird Snow on my shelf because I want to be free, I want to be adventurous, I love to sing. I am also like the baseball because I am strong, powerful, hard. Melissa, grade 3

What objects would you gather to tell the story of your life experience? Would it be an old photo of your grandparents, a treasured letter, or maybe a pair of shoes that bring back memories of that long summer? In this lesson, the cupboard became a vessel on which to place these items held dear.

I am most like the soccer ball because I am fast, strong and black like the soccer ball. I am also like gold because I am cool like gold.
Maverick, grade 3

I am most like the cell phone because I am smart like the cell phone, strong like the cell phone and unbreakable
like the cell phone. I am also like the candle on my shelf because I am bright like the candle.
Amer, grade 3

I am most like the Rockets poster on my shelf because I am strong like a bull. I run fast like a lion and flexible like clay.
I am also like the mountains on my shelf because I am an artist.
Ian, grade 3

Although most self-portraits have the artist's image, some do not, as we can see in Vincent van Gogh's Chair With His Pipe

source

Class Discussion/Process:

Describe/Analize

Describe the chair - looks handmade, looks old, simple, may be from the past
Describe the room- floor looks like it's from another place, tile, not very many decorations, simple

Interrpret

What clues can you find that may tell us about this artist? - pipe/smoker, only one chair so this person may live alone, not very wealthy because there isn't anything fancy

Now compare to Gauguin's chair

source

This is the handout that I passed out on how to draw a cupboard. It is not perfectly drawn as that was my intention. I wanted them to understand the goal was the journey thus all the parts would come together beautifully in the end.

Beyond Invented Insects

2012-02-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

I can't say enough about the students' experience as they invented a new species of insect.

As they were painting, I encouraged them to give the insect a name that would reflect it's characteristics. But how much further could I go? After some reflection at the end of the day, I decided to tap their musical intelligence by having them compose a sound for their insect. How could that sound be symbolized?

Voila! They could map it! (video above) One thing that blew me away was seeing the collaboration among students. Transcending any limitations of spoken language, the map became the tool of communication. And in its use, students travelled from the abstract to the concrete and back again. What a journey!

Inventing Insects

2012-02-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

1st Grade Invented Insects

I think insects are such an engaging subject for study. Did you know there are nearly 1 million known species? Ah, but this lesson is not about the known species, it's about the unknown species.
To deepen our understanding of this amazing part of life, I'm planning on doing a few lessons on insects but just vary the media .

great insect source here

We started by discussing how artists often find inspiration from nature. We looked at images of parks and forests and talked about what you might hear or see there. This led us to the world of insects. Adult insects have the following characteristics: three pairs of legs; a segmented body including a head, thorax, and abdomen; and one pair of antennae.
I demonstrated painting the 3 body parts first and then going back to add eyes, antennae, legs, wings, etc. A wonderfully challenging part of this lesson is for the kids to free themselves up and create a new species of insect. Many of the students also gave their insect an amusing name.

This is one of my favorite sites: Encyclopedia of Life

Celebrations

2012-02-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Winning the Corn Festival Race
1st Grade Student

I love this celebration artwork because it makes you visually anticipate what's going to happen next.
Kindergarten Student.

Happy Day
4th Grade Student

This is the celebration of the departure of the Titanic.
3rd Grade Student

Concept: Celebrations
Essential Questions:
Why do we celebrate? Who celebrates? How do we celebrate? How does art help us understand celebrations from other cultures and our own? Is it important to celebrate? Do celebrations bring us closer as a whole?

That's how we started this lesson, by looking at celebratory artworks throughout history and sharing our own stories of celebrations. I tried this lesson with various classes from K-4th. I must say it was successful at each grade level because the students were able to connect the concept of celebrations to their own life experience and what is important to them.

I Give You My Heart

2012-02-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Don't you love how K and 1 students just throw themselves into their art?
It was all smiles and anticipation as soon as the kids saw the enormous Jim Dine heart on my screen.
Today they were going to paint a heart for someone special.

link to Jim Dine source

Process:

For Kinder, I lightly drew a heart to get them started.
We looked at Jim Dine's Month of June Hearts and noticed how each heart was just flooded with colors.
I demonstrated how to paint in a sort of "scribble scrabble" method to fill in the heart and then the background.
Wait for them to dry about 5 minutes (the kids just kind of waved their pictures around).
Use the chalk over the paint and blend with your fingers.

Tips:
Limit the colors to about 3, otherwise they may get muddy.
These are 9x12 on watercolor paper.
A wonderful thing about this lesson is exploring the potential of materials. With that said,
use paper that can take a beating because they will keep going and going and...

Incised Pop-Ups

2012-01-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

Pop -ups have such an enduring fascination. The techniques we used here are not complex, but the transformation from two dimensions to three almost seems magical.

We used index cards and regular scissors. First, everyone made all 7 of the pop-ups shown below (just to get the hang of it). The ones you see above were new designs created by the students.

Fold index card in half vertically or horizontally. Cut where you see a dash line and crease where you see a solid line. It's important to crease in both directions to really "set" the crease. We used the handle of the scissors to smooth the crease. Open the card and just play with it a bit to get the pop-up.

Favorite Tree

2012-01-23T14:31:00.000-08:00

Kindergarten Watercolor Trees

I found myself walking around with a smile that couldn't be erased. Every painting had a story poured into it.

We began by talking about nature and how throughout history artists have been inspired by it. We looked at various artworks with trees and shared thoughts on how the artists may have felt about them. We shared stories of special memories with trees and moved forward with the painting.

Imagining Underground Worlds

2012-01-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

In this lesson the students worked as artists to imagine an underground world or setting. The question was how could they, as artists show this place. We discussed how artists can use space and viewpoint as tools to communicate their ideas. We looked at and discussed the quilt Mother Earth and her Children which you can see here, it is such a fabulous piece to explore! Another favorite part of this lesson is reading the thoughts and feelings the kids have about their work. Having them write about it helps them understand their own work better and develop a true relationship with it. As a viewer, it makes you go back and explore the artwork more thoughtfully by looking at the details and seeing things you failed to notice before. Notice below what Rosaura wrote about the dad rabbit being afraid as he is watching the coyote; now look at the expression on his face.

Abstract Crowds

2012-01-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

This lesson is about abstraction, simplification of shapes and overlapping. We first made a few sketches in order to get the shapes super basic or simple. They could choose any situation in which to place a group of people. We used liquid watercolors to paint everything in except for the black bands, those were painted with black acrylic to get the opaque contrast quality. Wherever one part of an image overlapped another, that is where the color would change. When they were finished with the painting, they could choose whether they wanted to cut it into strips and reassemble it for even more movement. Only one student decided to take this risk which is the single image on top. If you look at the bottom of the picture you can see how she placed her strips. To sharpen everything up in the end, we used sharpies to go over the lines.

...And here is a video of the creative process at work!

Identity Through Name Design

2012-01-11T14:57:00.000-08:00

Identity- How Do The Colors Represent Me?

Jose:
The colors I chose for my Name Design artwork are purple and green. Green shows that I am natural. I know this because I don't drink or smoke or do drugs. Plus, my Grandmother had a chart explaining what each color meant. Purple shows that I am extreme. I believe this is true because one day I jumped from a roof into a trampoline and I was wearing purple which was ironic.

This is a lesson that's been around awhile but I have tweaked it by adding what I call The Identity Card which I feel adds so much more meaning to the work. That's what you read above. I love to see them think about "why" they chose a certain color. It helps them understand themselves better as artists, gives meaning to their work, and helps them see it in a completely new light.

Process:

Discuss positive and negative space in artwork.
Section your paper into about 14 sections or so and in each section write a letter of your name or a number of the year you were born. I have them do this lightly so the lines will not show.
Color in the negative space in chosen color.
Color in the positive space in another color.
(I actually let them vary the colors of positive or negative space so long as I know they understand the concept.) I also tell them they can choose 1-3 colors.

Handmade Paper

2012-01-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Student: "Why are we going to make paper?"
Me: "I don't understand your question...this is art."
Student: "...but you can just go out and buy paper."
Me: " (pause) You'll understand why after you make it."
outcome-
...student stays 15 minutes after class is over to continue to make paper!

If you have an opportunity to make paper, whether it's by yourself or with a class, you really should. It's an experience that most kids won't do on their own so they need someone like you to show them how.

Here is a video that I found from eHow that shows you how!

Handmade Paper Pulp Mixing -- powered by ehow

Formal Court Robes

2012-01-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

Having an appreciation for other cultures is such a valuable part of who we are. I believe lessons like this one
help to bridge the gap of understanding between cultures even if it's just a bit. We looked at Imperial Chinese portraits and thought about the "why's" of everything. Why are they not smiling? Why are they almost completely covered? What might the symbols mean? By looking and trying to understand we help develop our sense of appreciation of the world and other cultures.
I also did this lesson with some 3rd and 4th grade classes. To see the process click here.

Egyptian Canopic Jars

2011-12-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Make your own slide show at Animoto.

We've finally finished the canopic jars. I want to thank the Museum of Fine Arts here in Houston for the inspiration for this lesson. The teacher CD they gave during the educator's night was amazing and provided such wonderful images.
Plastic cups, paper towels, tag or cardboard and tape make up the armature for each jar. Small pebbles are placed in the bottom cup along with wadded up towels to help balance the jar and to keep it standing. We then covered them with plaster gauze to make the surface strong and ready for paint. The rest is up to the imagination of the student. I did provide handouts of Egyptian symbols and patterns for the students to use as a resource. These were done by my middle school elective class which was actually perfect because they come to art 4 days in a row. They took us about 2 weeks to complete. You can see the steps below.

Nighttime Paintings

2011-12-13T10:27:00.000-08:00

These beautiful nighttime paintings were done by 2nd graders. We first looked at Henri Rousseau's Carnival Evening (see below). I asked the kids what time of day they thought this way. As the conversation grew, we discussed what colors made it seem like night, what objects did we see, and what the season may be. The students also shared stories of their own nighttime experiences. We used oil pastels to draw and color in their pictures and then painted over the entire picture with black paint. I gave them a second sheet of paper to press over the black paint, smooth with their palm and then "peel" away. This removes any extra paint and helps to reveal the magical nighttime scene underneath.

Tips*

If they take too long with the black paint it will dry. Demonstrate how to paint over the entire picture quickly (almost with "scribble scrabble" strokes). I also had them do the scribble scrabble motion in the air with me beforehand just to practice.
Some kids will apply too much paint. I walked around with a paper napkin to help them remove any extra paint.
Make sure they use medium pressure with the oil pastels or else the colors may not show up well.

These are 9x12 and took one 45 minute session.

Imperial Robes

2011-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

I do love teaching and learning about different cultures. I think art is an ideal means of conveyance for this. As Renoir said,

"...Flowers are never identical; it would seem that beauty derives from this very diversity..."

According to Leslie, the girl on the right is frowning because "she's lost in the mountain".

These imperial robes were made by 2nd graders. Only a few students are finished but I couldn't wait to share this lesson because I'm very excited about the results thus far. We started off by discussing images of Chinese portraiture. We identified symbols and discussed why they may have been used. We also talked about the role of the dragon in Chinese society and how it is a symbol of good luck, power or fortune. We noticed the formal pose of the figure, the surroundings, and the position of the hands and facial expression. The dragon robe is a "cosmic diagram" of our universe. It reads from bottom to top: water, land and sky. You can see a fabulous example here and here.

Detail of robes-

This is the handout I made representing
Chinese symbols although I encouraged them to
create their own.

I am also doing this lesson with 6th grade girls but I am going to have them work in groups to actually make a full size model of their robes.

Mask/Armour- If You Can Dream It, You Can Make It!

2011-12-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

These masks/armour pieces were done by my 5th grade boys. I started off by telling them they were going to design some type of armour (of course this instantly got their attention!) but they could not copy anything from a game, movie, etc. There design could be for the past, present or future and it had to show all or most of the parts of a suit or armour. To help them with this I gave them a few handouts that I found here, here, and here. After their designs were complete I told them they were now going to make the head piece they had drawn. If you look at the pictures, you can see the ideas came straight from a drawing because most of them are missing a back panel. I showed them how to do a basic head band mask and they had to go from there. Yes, there were many doubts as to their ability to make this happen! I could only assure them that it was possible and encouraged them to try and fail, try and fail, try something else, and one of those times...it would work! Voila!

Paper Weaving, Light and Shadows

2011-12-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Love

This book has been a great inspiration for working with paper. I've actually done quite a few of the projects in it including pop-ups with index cards (see below).

The weaving project was done by 5th and 6th grade girls. It really requires a lot of patience and an eye for seeing the unseen. It's actually quite simple. You start off with a basic over/under weaving but what adds that element of artistry is envisioning what the paper could become if you pull and crease a certain way. The shadows created by the lifted paper add yet another dimension. I did purposely choose a white on white palette so the girls could focus on the space and not the color. I also should add that I did not suggest for them to create any particular image, it was just about exploring shadows and light. The discovery of the shapes or words was through their own artistic process...very cool.

Pop Ups With Index Cards
I would recommend to do the pop-ups with 5th and up. I tried it with 4th grade but there was a lot of frustration. I did it with 5th and 6th and they were challenged but they were very happy with their success at the end. They even started designing their own pop-ups and asked if they could have extra cards to take home. Both of these projects came from the book above.

Festive Trees

2011-11-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about how much I love the simplicity and honesty of Folk Art and it gave me the idea for this holiday tree lesson.
These were made by Kindergarten students. It's basically printmaking with a cardboard tool and using your fingers for the ornaments.

Process:

Show them how to make the basic tree shape by creating a mountain or a triangle shape with the cardboard tool.
Use the same cardboard tool to fill in the tree. I actually have them say all together "press, lift, press, lift". Otherwise, they may forget and start using the tool like a brush. Once we say it a few times they remember.
Next, yes, here it comes...finger painting for the ornaments.

Tips:

Demonstrate using one finger for each color. Finish one color of ornament, then move on to the next color, etc.
Demonstrate leaving plenty of space for the ornaments, otherwise, they may fill up the tree completely.
These are about 8x10 or so and we finished in one 45 minute class period.

Amate Bark Paintings

2011-11-22T14:36:00.000-08:00

Here, the students learned about the amate bark paintings of Mexico. In amate bark painting the scenes depicted are usually of common everyday activities of the local people. We talked about what life might be like in a small town or village and tried to put ourselves in that time or place.

Process:

We looked at and discussed many examples
sketch out ideas
crumble craft paper and open various times to get a weathered look
pencil sketch onto the paper and trace over with sharpie
we used oil pastels to color in

*tip- leaving some of the color of the craft paper showing has a wonderful feel
* Patterned borders help to unify the overall look
* I randomly cut various sizes of craft paper so the student could choose the size that best fit their idea.

Angel Icons

2011-11-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

These lovely angel icons were made by my first graders. Icons were first introduced as a visual language for those who could not read. They were a way to introduce stories or figures in the form of images. I showed a few examples of icons throughout history and the kids came up with stories of what a particular icon might suggest. That was pretty cool because we actually experienced how icons were first used.

Process:

Basic Angel Figure

Directional drawing of basic angel figure (takes 5-10 minutes). I always say to them to feel free to change or add anything they'd like.
Color in with crayons.
I passed out gold paint and brushes for them to paint the background.
These are 9x12 and we finished in one 45 minute class period.

Egyptian Canopic Jar / Sculpture

2011-11-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

We've started making canopic jars (or a version of) in my middle school elective class. So far, the kids have chosen an animal that they feel has characteristics that may portray a godlike or special quality. We are just starting to build the armatures. So far, they are really embracing the project, yesterday when I said it was time to clean up it was as if I was addressing an empty room. About 5 minutes later, I asked why no-one had started cleaning up one student said, "Oh, you said clean up? We're just so engaged in our artwork we didn't even hear that!"

Puppets

2011-11-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

Can you tell these were all made by boys?! I find that the 5 and 6 boys can be quite a challenge as far as coming up with lessons that keep their interests high. I definitely recommend this lesson if you too have that challenge. A, for the freedom to create a character and B, for the sewing. First they were to create a character that was of their own design. They usually want to do something from a video game or a movie. After a certain amount of "artist's block" they ventured out and came up with some great stuff. I also love the sewing part. There's nothing like a room full of boys learning how to sew, it's as if they are in a trance of some sort.

Yes! I got the thumbs up on this one!
In hindsight, yes, they're 10 or l1 years old, but they're
even younger at heart.

Steps:

Have them draw their character on a folded piece of large paper. Make sure the neck starts at the folded edge so it will not come apart later.
Color in with oil pastels.
Have them draw a dashed line to represent where they will cut.
Cut out the character.
Hole punch all along the character.
Demonstrate how to thread a needle and how to do a running stitch. We used about 4 feet of yarn for each puppet.
Remember to leave about 4 inches of yarn in the back (tape it so it wont move) so you can tie this to the other end later.
Have them sew.
Tie the two loose ends together on the back.
Now you can cut where the fold is to separate the front and back panels.

Printing Complimentary Colors and Negative Space

2011-11-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

Printing with a cardboard tool is always one of my favorite lessons. The simplicity is what makes it so open to diversity. I cut pieces of chip board into about 2x3 or so. Place one color of paint onto a plate and let the designing begin. After about 10 minutes I added the complimentary color (I gave them a new piece of chipboard ). We talked about seeing the energy between the two colors . About the last 10 minutes of class I passed out small paint brushes and added magenta paint to their plates. We talked about filling in the shapes or the negative space. I love the results and my students did not want to stop...always a good thing!

Slab Construction Clay Projects, Middle School

2011-11-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

These pieces were all made by hand with the slab construction technique. I love that they each have a unique style. I think this shows that the students are becoming comfortable with the materials and not afraid to explore both the material and their artistic potential.

Altered Page

2011-11-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

...and we have finally finished! Check out the post below to learn more about this lesson.

Batik Owls

2011-10-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

These lovely owls were done by my 6th grade girls. To see the technique, please check out the sugar skulls from the post below.

Sugar Skulls

2011-10-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

A new version of sugar skulls!

- I had the basic shape of a skull for them to see. They drew their own.
- Fill in with various lines to create areas for color
- Fill in with fluorescent oil pastels
- Crumble paper and open (repeat 3 times)
- Paint over entire skull with black tempera (the paint will go into the lines to create a batik effect)
- Rinse off in the sink with water and a sponge or big brush
- Let them dry.
They did all the drawing with a pencil first and then traced over the pencil with a Sharpie (they could choose any color(s).

Torn Paper Collage

2011-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Here, the Kindergarten students made torn paper collages. The students learned what it means to tear with the grain of the paper and what it means to tear against the grain of the paper. They also arranged their papers in a way that was pleasing to them as artists. Some chose to make representational collages while others just had fun exploring tearing the paper with a new insight. This lesson really gets a chance to bloom with two class periods versus one. On the second day, I demonstrated how you could add details by layering colors on top of other colors. This really helped them develop their ideas. Toward the end of class I showed Frederick by Leo Leonni. With their new found understanding, they were able to differentiate which shapes were made by tearing and which were made by cutting...pretty cool. To see all of the collages, click on the slideshow below!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Beautiful Owls!

2011-10-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

These wonderful clay owls were done by 2nd graders. I especially love how they just dove into adding texture with the tools. Thank you to That Artist Woman for the inspiration for this lesson! I did tweak it a bit though.... I like to put a bunch of tools on the table and let the kids figure out how they can be used to create the texture versus telling what to do with each one. I find it makes them explore the materials and make new discoveries.
Here are the steps:
(First I demonstrated the process to the whole class)

I gave them a small piece of clay and they rolled it into a ball.
Then they squished it down with their palms (just enough to flatten it a bit).
Then they took the rolling pin to make the oval like shape.
They folded over the edges to give the shape of the wings.
For the head you just fold the top down.
For the ears they pulled out the clay.
For the eyes they used marker tops.
Texture was added with various tools.
Some of them decided to add a beak with a small bit of clay.

Voila!

Happy Birthday!

2011-10-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

These wonderfully delicious cakes were done by Kindergarten students. Scroll down to see more about this lesson on a previous post! I just had to add this new collage of pictures because I love the way they turned out!

Seed Pods

2011-10-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

We have been working with clay in my middle school elective class. These seed pods were made by making two pinch pots, scoring, adding slip and joining them together. They turned the rim of one pinch pot inward and turned the rim of the other pinch pot outward and then smoothed them together. Lastly, they added texture with various tools. I'll add more pictures later as some of them haven't been fired yet. I especially love the variation in tones for the green seed pod. This student layered different glazes and was hoping to get this type of effect...it worked!

Altered Page, Artists as Designers

2011-10-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

The 5th and 6th grade girls are working on designing an altered page with a "spooky" mood to it. Shown above are the steps we are taking. First, they were to select words to make a sentence that spoke to them about creating this spooky mood. This was actually a really fun part because they become so enthralled into finding this perfect sentence which never existed before. Then, I gave them a selection of images to choose from which they were to glue onto their board/page. Then they used the oil pastels to block out the negative space. They could use the oil pastel however they chose. The next step was to design a frame or border (we used the scissors with a special edge for this). The last step is to construct a small envelope and attach it to their piece. I'm encouraging them to invent a new way to make an envelope. We are not completely finished yet but I wanted to share the work thus far. I like this lesson a lot because I believe every part has challenged them to a new level.

Lines and Cakes!

2011-10-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

The focus of this lesson was the art element of line. During one class period, we looked at photographs and artworks and discussed how lines are all around us. I believe kids are natural explorers and love to look around and find lines in the environment! Next, we made a line chart while we were on the rug. Finally, they went to the tables to create their own line charts. I created more excitement by letting them know that the following week they would be learning how to draw a cake and decorating it with all kinds of beautiful line designs!

I have to give credit to Explorations in ART the K edition. I have found it a wonderful resource for ideas. That's where I found the line chart lesson. The birthday cake idea probably came to me because I was craving a piece of cake!

Animal Drawings

2011-10-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

These are from 3rd Grade. Their challenge was to draw an animal and create the texture of the skin or fur by repeating lines or shapes. I placed small animal figurines at each table so they could choose which ever animal they liked. When they were done with their drawings the wrote a short poem about their animal. I'm super happy with the results!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

This Week in Art...

2011-10-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

This past week we have been finishing up our colorful castle paintings while learning about color mixing. We are also finishing up printmaking and drawing animals to show texture. To find out more about these lessons scroll down to see the posts.

I Am Poem and Animal Print

2011-09-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

I think my favorite part of this lesson was adding the I am an Animal Poem. The actual writing took the whole class period but I think it was well worth it. The kids had so much actual fun while they were coming up with their poems. I wish you could of seen the room, it really was so enjoyable for all of us! Granted, this was not a spelling lesson (and I'm okay with that). I always tell them we are not seeking perfection, it is all about the experience and enjoying what we are doing. I loved watching them help each other out (collaborative learning) and come up with great ideas. I try to always add some type of writing element as a reflection. I think it adds so much more meaning to their work. First, we did one together as an example on the rug and then they went to their tables to start their own. I found the I Am poem online here. It's actually supposed to be for grade 4 but I guess it's true what they say...believing in the students makes all the difference! These are from grade 2!

Animals and Creating Visual Texture

2011-09-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here, we were still exploring the art element of visual texture. Previously, the students made "texture plates" exploring various ways to create tactile texture. Their challenge in this lesson was to show the animal's skin texture through repetition of certain types of lines or shapes. I placed little plastic figurines at each table to help them with the drawing. I think it helps to see the animal in front of you as opposed to trying to remember what it looks like. That way too, you also get so much variation with the animals they draw. Lastly, they added a patterned border to bring focus to their animal.

Colorful Castles and Color Mixing

2011-09-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

In this lesson we explored the art element of color. We talked about how colors help artists tell their stories. When the students are thinking and working as artists, they too can use their art to tell stories that are make-believe. We looked at Paul Klee's Castle and Sun and talked about castle walls, towers and roof tops. What shapes could each part of the castle be? What colors could they mix from only red, yellow and blue? They were also to include themselves in the 'story'.

Altered Books

2011-09-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

"I think of the poem I wrote in 6th grade, Gray Rainbow. The main idea of my book is random thought; no page is related to the other. My favorite part is the karate page because it's very creative and looks well made." Yianni

The selected text on left is: I feed Zuric your checks...chex mix.

On right: Don't be shocked

I have always wanted to do an altered book project and I felt I had the perfect opportunity with my middle school class as there are only 14 kids and they come 4 days in a row. This project evolved into an exploration of the self for each student. They started by laying out their page; selecting the text that stood out to them for some reason or another. Then came the gesso and the glue. You basically have to make your book stronger so it can take all of the mediums that will be applied to it. Now they had to visualize how to portray the text into images. Probably one of my favorite parts of any lesson is reading the artist's thoughts about their artwork or the process. It gives me so much more appreciation for their work and they too gain such a better understanding of "what it all means". You can see some excerpts from a student's art reflection card above. I'll be adding more images to this post later this week.

CONFUSION artist: Gabriel

text selected:
Her consciousness had separated from her man.

text selected:
She fired.

"The main idea of my altered book is confusion. I tried to make this clear by using strong colors throughout the book and also I think the slashes add a feeling of confusion. My favorite part of my book is being able to carve away part of the book to continue the line of the shot. I also realized that I like seeing a picture that's already there and developing my own story from it versus writing a story first and then coming up with the pictures."

WONDER artist: Joumana

"The main idea of my artwork is imagination. I was trying to express a feeling of wonder by the use of color and texture. My favorite part is the colors because I think they express the mood of imagining. My book makes me think about the past and how when trouble came to me that made me stressful, imagination is the place that I would go to to make me happy."

Waking Up...To Fall Asleep artist: Kelly

text selected:
...each moment we fall asleep we recognize something to be thankful for.

text selected:
...we need to wake up to find the world a safe place.

"When I was working on my book, I realized that in the past I haven't been appreciative of what I had. That's why my book interprets the idea of waking up and taking a look at the things around you, appreciate and enjoy them because you might not find them there tomorrow."

Symbolic Prints

2011-09-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

These prints came out awesome! First we looked at and discussed the work of Joaquin Torres Garcia. Through discussion, we realized that you can really tell a story through images. The student's challenge was to draw or design symbols which encapsulated who they are as person. They also had to strategize as to how to use the space of the printing plate to highlight or bring focus to those things that were most important to them. Although this lesson is not over, I wanted to share some of this great work. I hope to be working with our Language Arts teacher to have the students create poems based on their work.

This Week in Art...

2011-09-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

There has been so much going on this week! Kindergarten students have been exploring the potential of crayons (pressure applied, rubbing on side, using the point, etc). First and 2nd graders have been learning about visual texture by drawing animals and trying to show their fur or skin texture. Third graders are learning about the art of paper folding with kirigami and 4th-6th graders have been working on creating symbolic prints... Whew! Oh, and last but certainly not least, 7th and 8th graders are each creating an altered book! Scroll down to see pictures of everyone's fabulous art!

Inquiry Based Learning

2011-09-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (1900-1945)
http://wordsmith.org/

Inquiry implies a "need or want to know" premise. Inquiry is not so much seeking the right answer -- because often there is none -- but rather seeking appropriate resolutions to questions and issues. Students become active seekers rather than passive absorbers.

Exploring the art element of texture...

How can I transform this paper? What can I do to give it texture? How many different kinds of textures can I create? How do I arrange my composition so that it pleases me as an artist? How do the shadows play on my other pieces?

An old adage states:

Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."

The last part of this statement is provided by Joe Exline

This Week in Art... from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

Whewww!

A New School Year...

2011-08-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

This new school year I want to do something different...or shall I say better. What's that you ask? Well, I want to be a better teacher. I want to improve on what I did last year. I want to learn from my past and from my now. I want to share. I want to grow.
All of the challenges we face... big classes, 5 day rotations, and back to back classes most days can certainly bring us to the brink of what feels like a very tall cliff. In the end though, do these challenges make us stronger? In his book The Element, How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything Sir Ken Robinson talks about attitude. He says that it is not what happens to us that determines our lives-it's what we make of what happens. That my friends I believe falls into something we all believe in, (the power of) creativity. What am I going to create? How am I going to develop a positive relationship with each student? What am I going to make of what is happening? It's one week before school starts and I don't have the perfect answer. What I do have is a sincere belief in the power of art, the power of creating and the power of sharing...and that I know makes me stronger.

...and so a new journey begins...

Sometimes We Just Need To Stop

2011-06-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

I picked up this book at the Museum of Fine Arts about a year ago supposedly for my son but I actually find myself putting it in my bag and taking it with me here and there. It contains pages of interactive prompts that involve observing, collecting, documenting, analyzing, and comparing things you find in the world. If you're feeling an urge to drift away from your quotidian path, this might prove an interesting journey. It has about 60 or so "explorations" you could do in any given order or time. One of my favorite quotes in it is by John Cage.

(The residual purpose of art is) Purposeless Play. This play, however, is an affirmation of life- not an attempt to bring order out of chaos nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply a way of waking up to the very life we're livng, which is so excellent once one gets one's mind and one's desires out of its way and lets it act of its own accord.
(I find PK, Kinder and First do this beautifully and effortlessly)

Exploration Examples:

Exloration #24- Combinations.
Combine groups of objects for visual or emotional contrast... natural vs. human -made, alive vs. decaying or contrasing colors.

Exploratin #50- Found Smells
Go for a walk. Make a list of all the smells in your neighborhood. Be as detailed as possible. Attempt to identify sources.

The Art of Science!

2011-06-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Summer IB Programme

Learn more about the IB Programme

This summer, my school is introducing the IB Programme. I am working with the kids by creating art (or artful things!) that coincide with the central idea. Some of the projects include collage, dioramas of habitats, terrariums, plant models, mobiles, and paintings. It's been a lot of fun for me because science and art are two of my favorite things! Science is all about looking closer and noticing the little things in life...observing. Of course we know that artists do that ALL the time... it's just a way of being. Check out the video to see the joyful learning that's been happening so far!

This Week in Art... from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

Found Faces...Found Inspiration

2011-06-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

A Found Lesson Within A Lesson
Yesterday I went to a workshop at the Museum of Fine Arts called Learning Through Art. The focus is to teach Language Arts, Math, Science, etc through looking at artworks found at the museum and on the museum's site. At one point, we were working on an Impressionist piece and a symmetrical mask. Tape was one of the materials used. Towards the end of the project we were to pull the tape off (and then discard it). As we pulled and gathered the tape to throw it away I saw a face looking back at me. The jumbled pieces of tape arranged themselves just so as to become a face. Has that ever happened to you? Of course after that I walked around asking for everyone's tape wads. Luckily, there was one left (She looks like a very pensive frog to me) . Had I found more tape I'm sure bodies would of been found also. Incorporating math and art could be done by asking questions such as what percentage of your piece is in warm colors? What percentage is in cool? What forms have we used here? Language Arts...who did you discover? Write a poem about your character, etc. Imagine a class set of these exhibited in a shadow box presentation...pretty magnificent I think! By the way, these are a little bit smaller than a golf ball.

Transformation

2011-05-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Masks

Transformation
What does it mean? What can transform? Are humans the only things that can transform? All of these questions and more were discussed at the beginning of this mask making project. Students realized transformation goes on all around us (seasons, animals, people) it's just a matter of looking closer. What fun it was to see personalities come alive through mask making. While some students decided to transform themselves in ways they felt comfortable with others ventured out onto unexplored territory. Either path, the results were wonderful to see and share.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

The How To:

Cut poster-board into desired size.
Draw, paint or color mask.
Provide extra poster board to add other elements such as hats, ears, random shapes, etc.
Staple to the main piece.
Cut a slit leading to each eye then cut around to form the eye shape.
Tape the slits closed on the back of the poster board.
Add a pop-sickle stick to hold mask.
Voila!

Reliefs

2011-05-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

This was a really cool lesson for the 1st grade kids...they absolutely loved the results! We looked at various images of reliefs throughout history and modern times. We discussed various cutting techniques, borders, and how layering would create a stronger design. ...and here are the results!

The how to:

1. Show examples to generate excitement.

2. Cut poster board into desired shapes.

3. Glue onto chip board.

4. Place foil on top and tape to back.

5. Use a wadded up napkin to apply gentle pressure on foil (circular motion works well) until the cut out poster board shapes become apparent.

6. Add a tiny bit of black paint and brush around (we used black ink).

7. Wipe off a bit for a distressed look.

7. Success!

Thinking About Lines with Frank Stella

2011-05-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

By looking at the work by American artist Frank Stella, PK experienced lines with a new perspective. How or when does a line become art? This was a question they responded to through their art making. Another challenge was to visually measure and cut lines based on the amount of space available within a square. As you can see, every student was successful and the beauty lies in the individuality of the experience.

Fanciful Peacocks

2011-05-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

This was a great project for all of the kids. Patterned art is not particularly my thing but every once in a while I do like to incorporate a fun "how to draw" lesson. At the beginning of the lesson I stress freedom of choice for everyone. I tell students that I am just giving them the basics and they have the opportunity to make any changes they see fit. This helps a lot because it makes the students feel good about their work being different from their peers or mine. I think that's why the results vary so much. I break down the drawing into line types or shapes; for example, the beak was a triangle. You could also incorporate learning about radial design with the feathers.

I want to thank the Art Projects for Kids blog for the inspiration for this project.

Summer School Art Enrichment at Briarmeadow- Art in History

2011-05-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

In our summer art program students experience culture, historic time periods and take a piece of history home with them as a reminder of the learning experience. Through a hands on approach students gain a better understanding of the past through art making. To learn more click Art in History.

Untitled from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

Ceramics

2011-04-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

Word Play!

2011-04-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Word Play and Art Criticism
Art criticism is critical thinking about individual artworks or groups of artworks. With that said, what an enjoyable time we had with Word Play. Noise- Flying- Full- Calm- Mix...Can you interpret a word with a drawing? We did! The challenge was to choose a word and create an artwork based on that word. At the end of class we tried to guess what each others word was by looking closely and describing details in each others artworks. As students learn how to offer interpretations, they also learn how to make judgments about the plausibility of those offered by others. In the end, what they discovered was that even though they had only one word in mind when creating their art, there were actually many possibilities for all of the words to work. Check out the slideshows below to see the results.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

This Week in Art...

2011-04-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Untitled from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

This Week in Art...

2011-04-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

Untitled from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

This Week in Art...

2011-04-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Untitled from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

Middle School Plaster Gauze Masks

2011-04-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm super proud of my elective class not only for the way the masks turned out but I am very proud of how well they worked together during the process. I observed the students learning from and about each other while discussing their artworks. Another great thing was that the students could follow their own learning path; kinesthetic, verbal, logical or spatial.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Students Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy

2011-03-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

Students Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

Naturalist Intelligence designates the human ability to discriminate among living things (plants and animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (cloud patterns, rock configurations).

In this lesson I wanted to provide an opportunity for students to become more aware of our natural surroundings and what we can experience by being fully present in a particular moment.
This quality of attention may be what is at the heart of the "flow" experience.

Suggested reading- FLOW- The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced me-high chick-sent-me-high)

The Arts and The Brain

2011-03-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

"...there is no 'looking' without activation or creation; and there's no working with the hands without also directing the brain (Wilson, F.,1999). Many areas of the brain and body are engaged to see and create art. In fact, the intricacies of creating a piece of visual art are mind-boggling, which leads us to the brain."

taken from Arts With The Brain In Mind by Eric Jensen 2001

Paper Sculptures

Arranging a Compostion

2011-03-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Looking at the work of Henri Matisse was the perfect opportunity to discuss composition, collage, and cutting techniques. First we identified and discussed different types of shapes found both in artwork and in our environment. We also talked about what we liked about certain artworks focusing on The Lagoon from Jazz. Now it was time for the students to create their own composition. Choosing color palettes, focusing on cutting "mostly curved or mostly straight edged" shapes, arranging their pieces in different ways before actually gluing, being completely engaged in the art making process...this is arranging a composition...this is success!

This Week in Art...

2011-03-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

This Week in Art... from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

Bird Puppets

2011-02-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

Untitled from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.

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In 2nd Grade we are exploring color and imagination. Students drew characters and settings a couple of weeks ago (scroll down to see post) and now the students have created a make believe bird puppet. We used oil pastels on butcher paper and then sewed the front and back panels together. We took a vote and they all want to extend the lesson and work in groups to put together a play for their puppets. In This Week in Art (video above) you can see various students starting the process of creating a play. It was great to see students helping students; you see last year I taught the Kindergarten and First Grade how to sew. Now we enjoy the fruits of our labour! This is a big basket of fruits...consider co-operative learning, peer tutoring, social development, and the generous game of art making.

Design- Building Radial Design

2011-02-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

As part of our Design Unit students created radial designs. Radial Designs are those that start at a center point and radiate out like the rays of the sun. When creating radial designs , students develop and practice hand orientation, placement, and spatial skills. They also use mathematical variables such as number, direction, and position. I believe the students really enjoyed creating these. Check out the video This Week in Art to see them working. I think one of the best parts is that they really have so much fun drawing that they don't even realize they are learning all of this great stuff! For early finishers I challenged them to create radial designs with pattern blocks on the rug. I think this was a great addition to their learning because it gives them another perspective of the same idea.

Artists as Designers-Designing Wrapping Paper

2011-02-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

The kids were excited to learn that artists are responsible for designing mostly everything we see or use in our lives. Clothes, furniture, accessories and so much more are all the work of designers. By understanding this kids begin to realize the importance of design in our everyday lives. Here Kinder and First Grade students designed a wrapping paper with a motif. Sometimes they bring so much more to the table than we may expect... the student that created the first image said, "Look, I created an emotions motif." How wonderful is that?

Storytelling Through Art- Creating Characters and Settings

2011-02-11T07:19:00.000-08:00

Storytelling is as old as the human race. This is how we share from person to person and across generations, who we are, where we came from, and what is important to us. Artists often tell stories with the artworks they make. Stories shared can be real or make-believe. Here, the students have shown us their unique experience in life through their art. They have
created a story through their artwork of an imaginary character in an imaginary land. These are from Kinder and First Grade.

This Week in Art...

2011-02-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

2011-01-31T10:32:00.001-08:00

2011-01-28T14:09:00.000-08:00

I love love love doing this lesson with Kinder or First Grade. The results are always so beautiful and the kids are completely engaged in the process. Using a small rectangular piece of cardboard as a printing tool the students created these amazing magical like structures. The cardboard piece allows students to create structures before they can actually draw them. A line becomes a tool for thinking and developing ideas.

I want to thank Cathy Weisman Topal for the inspiration for this lesson.

This Week In Art...

2011-01-14T17:59:00.001-08:00

This Week In Art...

2011-01-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

Weather Drawings

2011-01-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

artwork by Abdanny, grade 1

Does this drawing feel like it has motion? Where?

How did the artist do that?

artwork by Hayden, grade 1

Creativity First!

The Way of Collage

A Different Kind of Portrait

Beyond Invented Insects

Inventing Insects

Celebrations

I Give You My Heart

Incised Pop-Ups

Favorite Tree

Imagining Underground Worlds

Abstract Crowds

Identity Through Name Design

Handmade Paper

Formal Court Robes

More Than Your Basic Link...really!

Egyptian Canopic Jars

Nighttime Paintings

Imperial Robes

Mask/Armour- If You Can Dream It, You Can Make It!

Paper Weaving, Light and Shadows

Festive Trees

Amate Bark Paintings

Angel Icons

Egyptian Canopic Jar / Sculpture

Puppets

Printing Complimentary Colors and Negative Space

Slab Construction Clay Projects, Middle School

Altered Page

Batik Owls

Sugar Skulls

Torn Paper Collage

Beautiful Owls!

Happy Birthday!

Seed Pods

Altered Page, Artists as Designers

Lines and Cakes!

Animal Drawings

This Week in Art...

I Am Poem and Animal Print

Animals and Creating Visual Texture

Colorful Castles and Color Mixing

Altered Books

Symbolic Prints

This Week in Art...

Inquiry Based Learning

A New School Year...

Sometimes We Just Need To Stop

The Art of Science!

Found Faces...Found Inspiration

Transformation

Reliefs

Thinking About Lines with Frank Stella

Fanciful Peacocks

Summer School Art Enrichment at Briarmeadow- Art in History

Ceramics

Word Play!

This Week in Art...

This Week in Art...

This Week in Art...

Middle School Plaster Gauze Masks

Students Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy

The Arts and The Brain

Arranging a Compostion

This Week in Art...

Bird Puppets

Design- Building Radial Design

Artists as Designers-Designing Wrapping Paper

Storytelling Through Art- Creating Characters and Settings

This Week in Art...

This Week In Art...

This Week In Art...

Weather Drawings