Happy Mother's Day!

Here are some fabulous clay projects 4th graders worked on very hard to give as Mother's Day gifts.  The inspiration for this lesson came from here and here.  Because students knew they'd be giving them as a gift, they took so much pride in making them, which is always fun to see.  These were actually so simple to make.  We spent one day working with the wet clay and the next to paint.

We used acrylic paint and I added in a pearl medium mix in color that left a nice finish.  Students could choose to paint the heart whatever color they liked, but most chose to do the metallic gold or silver.  Using stamps I had from when I was in a big homemade card making phase of my life (about the 5th grade…those things are vintage) students pressed in images, quotes, and sayings of their  choice.  Most of them used something like "For A Special Mother."

I took them outside sprayed them with a little glitter spray and a clear gloss enamel….

and ta-da we had some pretty beautiful things.

Here are some detailed images.  Naturally, they don't photograph as AWESOME as they actually are.

Happy Mother's Day to all those Mom's out there!  If you haven't seen this video it's a must see, might even make you a little teary eyed.

Thanks Mom's!

Shout out to my mom:

Thanks for making the 90's awesome.  

1st Grade Paul Cezanne Apple Still Life

1st graders talked about A LOT of different art concepts with this project.

1. They learned about the still life.
2. We talked about space and overlapping creating a foreground, middleground, and background.
3. They learned about complement colors.
4. We reviewed line and pattern.
5. AND we did a little Art History learning about artist Paul Cezanne.

All that with 1st graders and only a two day project.  They Rocked it.

Day 1: Students used an apple die cut to trace around, making sure they overlapped.  With this step we talked about space.  We then moved onto complement colors.  We studied the color wheel, learned how we could find them, and then they painted using the orange and blue combination.  

Once paintings were on the drying rack we learned about our artist and talked about the still life. 

 (I know that some of this stuff seems like it is done out of order, but because I see the students so little --once every 8 schools days--I want to make sure we get all the "making" done.  Sometimes I feel like I could just talk about all the concepts forever, but never actually get to work on them!)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a wonderful interactive history and story lesson on the website.  We explored this with our remaining time learning about Paul Cezanne. 

Day 2:  I pulled up an image of one of Cezanne's still life's and students set to work filling in the apples with the colors they saw.  Using blue and orange oil pastels they created lines and patterns on the background.

2nd Grade Complement Color Giraffes

I did this lesson last year, but switched it up a little.  Instead of using tempera paint, I went with liquid watercolors.  Students were also to choose one set of complement colors for the giraffe and another for the background.  Every class did something a little different, I just couldn't decide what I liked best.  

Heat Wave with 3rd Grade Chalk and Glue Turtles

Well the high here today is 95 degrees.  I'm sweating just thinking about it or maybe it's because the air conditioning at the school is broken and my classroom is currently 78 degrees and school hasn't started yet?  This will be a fun day.  Stay cool everybody, I probably won't be.  

Chalk and glue…yeah it's messy, but sometimes the effect can be pretty awesome.  After we finished our Wanted Self Portraits, most classes had an awkward amount of time left at the end of class.  So we did a quick drawing of a turtle and they went over with glue.  The next class we came back to our dried glue turtles and began to fill them in with chalk.  I showed them ways to blend the chalk together (making sure to rub gently and not smear it all together or you will just get brown).  I absolutely love talking about color, and probably more times than not I'm way too passionate about it and my students think I'm crazy.  Really, for every project I like to focus in on some concept of color.  So as we are wrapping up this school year I asked the students to dig deep in their brains to use what they know about color; what colors mix well together? which don't? what colors might look nice together, but not mix? Some students did a nice job of using some color techniques and blending the chalk together. Others probably just picked colors because they liked them, but regardless some of them are pretty cool.

If you notice some of the black lines look a little blacker and shinier?  Well yeah, end of the year supplies is dwindling down and I'm running out of glue!!  I have an obscene amount of mod podge, that I never use, so I refilled the glue bottles with it.  It actually worked really awesome.  

Kindergarten Flower Collages aka Scissor Endurance

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of trying to get things done (especially with the primary kiddos) I forget about some important things.  In general, I don't do many projects where students have to cut and glue.  I think because I am a painter, I forget about some other processes and develop the curriculum on what I love and really love to teach.  I noticed the other day that my kindergarteners were having so many problems cutting.  So with that I dedicated an entire project to cutting and gluing.  On the first day of the lesson we prepped by painting paper and adding texture with forks and texture combs.  The next class I gave them two different sizes of petals and leaves to trace around and cut.  That was it, simple right? Wow, no. I guess these kids just don't cut that often, or have really learned how.  Many of them were holding scissors incorrectly and I was getting constant complaints of "my hands tired." Looks like we'll have to build up some endurance, so next year those 1st graders better watch out, Schukei Scissorhands is coming in full force. 

I'm also amazed how many of them looked like this. Not that it's wrong, but it is so very interesting to see students critical thinking and processing skills at work.

Richard Simmons Called, He Wants His Outfit Back

How are you celebrating the nice weather? Wednesday is supposed to be a ripe 93 degrees here in Nebraska, wow July came fast. But really once May rolls around I turn on full summer mode, well that is at least after the first Sunday in May.  When I was in college I started running the Lincoln National Guard Half Marathon and within these past five years it has just become a tradition.  Talk about a fun environment with approximately 10,000 runners, people from all 50 states, and people you don't know lined up along the streets of Lincoln, Nebraska cheering you on, it's pretty awesome. A few years ago I was able to rope in my twin brother to do it with me.  He's the runner of the family, the cross country kid, and me well I used to cry thinking about running a mile. 

This year we decided to get matching twin outfits, you know like our mom used to make us wear until we were like twelve, five. 

I thought they were too good not to share.

I don't know about you, but I kind of dig the Richard Simmons look.  

***running shorts found at soark.com they are the best, I own multiple pairs***

Or as my brother said "Went on a little jog today with the twin...decided to invite America along as well."

We're the spitting image……right?  Next year I'll invest in a bedazzler. 

4th Grade Clay Cupcakes (with Sprinkles!!!!!)

I've had a few different clay projects going on in 4th grade.  At one of my schools we decided to make clay cupcakes.  I've made these before with the silicon cupcake holders using model magic, salt dough, but this round we used air dry clay.  It's the perfect clay project to do as the year winds down as it is SIMPLE and the kids love it.  We had just finished another project where we studied Wayne Thiebaud so it was also a good extension of that. At the particular school where I did this lesson I have two sections of 4th grade.  One class did such a nice job of following directions and helping each other out (whereas the other did not) they were rewarded with "sprinkles."  Through trial and error I found a method that works! I was originally going to coat with epoxy, but I didn't have the time and want to spend the extra cash on that.    

I first coated with the E6000 Spray Adhesive, sprinkled the sprinkles on top, then sprayed the adhesive again.  I let that dry for maybe 20 minutes and went over with the clear coat.  To my surprise no colors ran and they stick! I used a combination of the long soft sprinkles and the tiny circles.  They both stick fine, but because of the softness of the longer sprinkles some of them will get smashed when picked up.  So if you're going to try (or if I do it again sometime) I would suggest the smaller sprinkles.

Serious Camouflage.

Today it rained all day.  I can't complain, I like the dead grass turning a vibrant green and here in Nebraska we need the rain.  Well I was wandering outside today in my green raincoat (probably blending in with the grass) and I saw this bird in a pretty, blossoming tree.  I got a little closer to look at the bird.  I don't even know why I did this, I probably just wanted to see how close I could get to it--ooh ooh, maybe I'd be able to touch it!  Unexpectedly, the bird flew away (who would have thunk it).  But then I looked down and there was a bunny down by the tree! So close to my feet I probably could  have made Thumper my next pet.  Slowly I back away, pull out my camera and capture the picture that is going to make my photographic career.

Is it a bunny or is it a tree?  

Now I'm off to wallow in my sorrow, wondering where this picture was when I was slaving away in the dark room for the one photography class I took in college.  I'm sure it would have gotten me an A+ instead of an A.  

Kindergarten Andy Warhol Pop Art Hands

As the school year is winding down (only 20 more school days, but who's counting???!!) this is a project I like to do with kindergarten.  The neon bright colors just make me think summer.  To start the lesson I have the paper folded for students into thirds and in half again, which makes 6 folded squares on the paper.  Students are instructed to trace the hand they DO NOT write with (this always causes some sort of melt down) 6 times, one in each square.  I did this lesson last year and controlled the color choices a little more, this year I just let them go.  I did stress not to have two neighboring squares the same color, for the most part students do a good job at this.  I told them it was okay to use patterns and they did not have to use all the colors on the paint try.  I like to focus on brush control in this lesson, having students very carefully and slowly paint around their fingers.  They start off by painting the squares first, hands second, and lastly (IF they are following instructions and making the right choices) I allow students to paint their hand to stamp in each square.

Happy Easter!

I can't remember a more beautiful Easter than this year.  In recent years it has seemed that Easter has felt a little more like winter.  This year the daffodils are starting to bloom, the tulips are slowly poking up through the dirt, trees are starting to bud, and everything just seems a little greener.  The early evening even brought a little rain, which was truly an Easter Blessing. 

This Easter season I relived a little bit of my childhood, and decided to decorate some eggs.  I can't even remember the last time I did this.  I have to say I think they are the best looking eggs I've ever made.  If this whole Art Teacher thing doesn't work out, maybe I'll take on a profession as a professional egg decorator? 

My brothers a plant guy--this was his gem.

You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.  We are witnessed of this --Acts 3:15

1st Grade Sunflowers

These are so simple, yet so beautiful.  I LOVE color and I love mixing colors.  1st graders drew their own sunflower by studying images and each had a large sunflower to look from on each table.  We used a q-tip to make the "seeds" in the center using gold, white, yellow, and orange tempera paint.  I then gave students a paint brush to start painting the petals.  They were to use yellow first, then go over with white, and finally orange.  I then gave them green for the stem and leaves and light blue paint mixed with white for the background. 

 I did not allow them to rinse out paintbrushes, and OH MY GOODNESS why does this always get students so worked up?  I'll have kids nearly in tears if the colors start to mix together and they can't wash the paintbrush.  I find it really interesting that students (of all ages) have this reaction.   Do you experience this with your students as well, or is it just me?

3rd Grade Wanted Self Portraits

This is a really popular project among the students.  It's one of those that every class sees it and wants to do it.  It's really a quite simple lesson.  We draw our portraits together discussing proportion and placement and fill them in with construction paper crayons.  Now the fun part is coming up with a "bandit name."  For this I give them the choice to use their first name or last name, but they must use an alliteration when coming up with a word.  For the most part I want students to think of adjectives, "describing words," but there are always some exceptions. 

Here are last years Wanted students.