Grade 3: Chinese Dragons

This picture is why I love being a teacher... And this one too...

I began blogging several years ago as a means of communicating our days in the art room with Bear Tavern families but found comfort in talking about projects just as much. There's SO much going on related to education right now but these pictures are my goal for each day. Despite paperwork and meetings and this and that... it's these smiles that keep me alive. I guess any mom reading those knows exactly what I mean and on a higher level of thought that we share. We do what we need to do for our children's smiles. 

If you have stopped by the room in the patsy few weeks, you know that we have major sculptural projects going on with 8 classes. I accidentally slipped and told my 3rd graders we would be creating clay dragons for Chinese New Year. Well, they have perfect memories for anything clay. So, although a neater, 2D project would have been easier, I couldn't go back on my word. So, out came the clay. And the rest became a magical moment. 

We tend to talk a lot and all sorts of conversations can come up while creating art but the conversation about our dragons as we created them were incredible. By the time class was over, the ownership of these dragons was through the roof and we had a clear idea of the personality of each dragon, storylines, fantasy thinking about where the dragons came from and where they are headed... When they say "get lost in your art" we definitely were there today 200%.

The process was an easy one. Begin with a body and let your imagination go wild! Some kids had wings, others had powerful tails. We added scales for texture on most but it was up to each artist to determine what their dragon needed. 

(Love the idea for spikes on this guy... They will have to be added back in after bisque firing in the kiln)

The kids are doing a writing piece with their homeroom teacher about their dragons. I can't wait to read them.

Hope you're all having a great week. Happy Chinese New Year!

Grade 4: The Great Wave Continued...

Here are the Great Waves in progress that I blogged about back on Feb. 1 Click HERE for original post. They are coming along beautifully. Each student is maintaining certain characteristics from Hokusai's woodblock design but creating their own interpretation. I know I get excited easily but WHOA, these kids are doing quite an incredible job...and this is just a small sample of their paintings! Next week, we will finish painting and define the pieces before we move on. 

Will 4M

Mason 4M

Tanner 4M

Cameron 4M

How could I forget, the 4th graders are reading a book called "The Big Wave" in the 4M class. They were so excited to see "The Great Wave off of Kanagawa" in the cover art.

Hall display

Grade 4: The Great Wave

I am not trying to be melodramatic at all but a great wave of emotions poured over me today as my 4th graders worked so beautifully on their Great Wave renditions.

We are not quite done, probably at the almost halfway mark on this project but I am just so inspired, in love with and proud of the results being produced.

Hokusai is one of my two favorite Japanese artists. I love and appreciate the technique of creating a woodblock print. What a tremendous skill level he had!
To read more about woodblock prints and Hokusai, click here
We discussed why Hokusai might have been inspired to create a woodblock of a Great Wave. Looking at the map of Japan made the guesses fly right in. Tsunami's are quite interesting. Check back for updates as we begin to paint!

Taylor 4M, Drawing for her Great Wave

Grade 4: Landscape Scrolls

4th grade is working on (or getting set to begin work on) these Chinese landscape scrolls. We are loving the bamboo rushes and ink this month so the 4th graders started these landscape drawings in ink! They were then colorized with tempera paint.

Nate S. 

To finish, we will add a Chinese character to the scroll and create rolled edges.

Jacquelene W.

5th grade: Pandas and Bamboo

The 5th graders are doing a fantastic job with their panda and bamboo paintings. Students started off drawing a panda from a reference photo making changes as they deemed fit. Next, they copied their individual drawings on to rice paper. Next up was to practice painting bamboo and getting comfortable with the bamboo brushes. 
Students then painted bamboo around their pandas in ink and filled in their pandas with ink.
We will add a Chinese character to polish off these paintings since the kids really love the simple printmaking process.

Grade 3: Bamboo Paintings

3rd graders are working to complete a composition of bamboo trees using ink and bamboo brushes on rice paper. 
They realized that controlling the ink isn't quite so easy and that the bamboo brushes have an amazing range (they can produced incredibly thin lines or thick ones).


Today, the 3P class at Bear Tavern added a Chinese character to their finished compositions using simple printmaking techniques on styrofoam.