Lilacs in Spring

student work

student work

 I always scan through the weekly lessons when they are updated by Artsonia.  A few weeks ago there was a post by Patty Miner of Winding Creek Elementary in Oklahoma called Purple Flowers that I knew I wanted to adapt for my students.  It so happens that I have a fragrant Lilac bush growing just outside of the art room in one of my schools.  The flowers are beautiful and of special interest to many of the 3rd graders because their classroom teacher loves Lilacs and the students pick and bring in the blossoms for her daily when they are in bloom.  I was sure I could adapt Patty's lesson for my 3rd graders and it would be a great hit.  I went out and cut a few blossoms of the Lilac for the art room as the first step and we talked about how the flowers were formed on the stems.  Week one, students used watercolor to create a background wash for the bloom.  Week two, oil crayons were used to add the stem, leaves and an insect.  Most students drew a butterfly of their color choice.  With the drawing complete, they began to finger paint first with purple paint and while it was still wet, overlaid the color with white finger prints allowing the two colors to mix.  They turned our rather nice.  If it weren't time to take down the bulletin boards for the end of school, they would definitely be on full display!  Thanks go out to Patty for the inspiration and thanks to Artsonia for a terrific program.

student work

student work

student work

student work

Charley's quilt

I've noticed a lot of purchases by one of my student's families this year on Artsonia but I couldn't figure out what they might be buying.  When attending a recent district wide PD recently, another Art teacher from the northern part of our county shared a photo of a beautiful quilt one of the women who worked in her school had made.  She went on to share with me that the woman was the grandmother of one of my students and was encouraging her to participate in the Artsonia program because the family was so thrilled to see the work of her grandson.  They were the family, it turns out, that were making all the purchases on Artsonia and they were purchasing the quilt squares.  Check out this amazing quilt they have made using Charley's art.   I ask for permission to share this photo with my readers.  I am really thrilled to see a family so pleased with the Artsonia experience as well as delighted by Charley's art!  Isn't this the greatest quilt  you ever saw???  What a wonderful way to capture a period in time with a timely quilt.

More photos of the Art Show

Kindergarten Air Dry Clay Suns

A few more photos from the Fiesta Art Gallery 

Art Show #2 - The Capeless Fiesta Gallery

4th grade metal tooling Lizards

 I was really pleased at how the work shaped up for the first ever Fiesta Art Gallery.  I have shared with you previous how the teachers put on a Cinco de Mayo dance for students each year in May known as Fiesta.  Art classes are expected to do the decorations.  I have always hated to waste valuable art class time on dance decorations so proposed the idea of an art show to the committee this year.  I was pleased that everyone was very open to the idea.  I planned projects with cultural connections in mind for each grade level so they would enhance the dance theme but also allow for real art projects instead of decorations.  The photos are taken prior to the dance.

1st grade Tropical Birds from the Rainforest

Rainforest Birds - a multi media project with
drawing, painting, and collage

4th Metal Tooling Fiesta Suns

4th grade Lizards with the gallery label

3rd grade Crazy Cactus, a multi medium project with
collage, and drawing

2nd grade Amate bark paintings (on brown paper bags)

More Amate paintings

Tropical Birds in the entry way with the Gallery Sign

Crazy Cactus with Gallery Sign

Weaving

 Kindergarten students are starting to weave this week.  This will probably be their final project of the year.  They are weaving with gimp into the product that you use so cups and dishes won't slide in your cabinets.  I cut pieces about 6"x2" and they practiced the simple in and out that is weaving.  To make it more fun, I tell them the gimp is a very noisy snake who is wondering what is going on in the art room.  He pokes his head up out of the ground only to be frightened by their noise and laughter which sends him back down in the next hole.  You can hear them repeating the story to their snakes as they weave.

Images from the Night of Excellence

Borrowed this from a post.  Notes to the artist.
 I was disappointed that only one child received one.  

The Night of Excellence is a school wide event in one of my buildings.  Each classroom showcases work from the year.  Most are in the nature of state projects, unit work, or other grade based curriculum.   I was thrilled to be able to showcase  a few canvas paintings from my after school Art Club program.  

Looking in from the doorway

A few of the painting up close with the artist labels

Art was on the tables and the window shelves

A few more up close pictures taken facing the doorway

Next week - school number two!  I'll post photos from that one when it is over.  It will showcase works from all students grades K - 4th.  It's been a very busy month!

The Sun will shine in the Fiesta Gallery

 In just a few weeks, I will be setting up student works for the Fiesta Art Gallery.  Students in grade K - 4 have been exploring the artist culture of Mexico and creating art for the exhibit.  It will be held in conjunction with the Fiesta dinner and dance at one of my schools.   I am especially pleased with the results of 4th grades student's work with art foil.  I created a simple template for the sun and students were encourage to adapt and make it their own as they created Mexican Suns.  They had spent some time viewing examples of the use of the sun in Mexican arts and crafts prior to beginning their own work.  After working the foil to give it the dimensional qualities, they added color using sharpie markers.  I'll post works from other grades to share their projects as they are completed.