Kindergarten: Exploring Mondrian

This year, I am welcoming kindergarteners to the art room on a regular basis! It's an exciting change and we have a busy and productive year ahead of us. We just completed our first project...an abstract composition! We discussed the colors, lines and shapes that we saw in Dutch Painter, Piet Mondrian's paintings. Focusing on his Composition with Large Red Plane, Yellow, Black, Gray, and Blue (1921) we made some great observations. 

They worked on cutting shapes from construction paper, gluing shapes and then adding black lines to their compositions in a creative way. Lots and lots to do with my two groups of 23! We began to re-create the definitive abstract compositions for which Mondrian is best known in our own way. Mondrian limited his palette to white, black, gray, and the three primary colors, with the composition constructed from thick, black horizontal and vertical lines that delineated the outlines of the various rectangles of color or reserve.

I was able to observe what skills my newest students possess and get a preliminary feeling for who they are as young artists. Stay tuned for more K artwork!

April Tots on Tour

What a busy weekend at GFS! Usually the parking lot isn't packed when I pull in but it seemed as though the grounds had been open for hours when in reality, it had been only 10-15 minutes. 

Tomorrow will be another busy day as it is the annual 'Day at the Fair'(grounds)

The flowers are in full bloom and fed with the GFS super power plant food for the most amazing petal sizes.

One of the things I've cherished at GFS are the volunteers that help out with my Class. They are instrumental in making every single Tots run so easily for mall of these years.

Today, we set up for a printmaking/collage lesson using bubble wrap and painted papers... a project that I saw on Pinterest and saved for the perfect day.

The kids had a fun time painting the bubble wrap in sea colors. Then they painted warm colored papers to use for the fish. We sold out in the 11am class, as usual, and had decent numbers for the 1pm.

All in all, a great morning/afternoon.

Grade 2: Architectural Prints- Skyline Reflections

Here is a project that we completed quite some time ago that was a ton of fun. 

We read one my favorite stories 'Iggy Peck, Architect" and then explored drawing and making prints of simple city skylines that we created on styrofoam.

I modified this lesson based on one by an Art Teacher named Mrs. Hare who teaches older students. We painted our backgrounds with watercolor and discussed warm and cool color schemes. While the backgrounds were drying, students worked on drawing their cities being sure to cram the buildings in close to each other with as few gaps as possible. 

Demonstrating using the brayers was fun and each table had their own set-up to make the printmaking process a comfortable one with little waiting. 

Sleeves up!! My second graders thoroughly enjoyed inking, pressing and pulling their prints. They flipped their design upside down and pulled a second print to create the reflection on the cool colored portion. 

Grade 5 Art Enrichment: Printmaking Self-Portraits

Grace's block

My early morning art enrichment classes have finished their carved self-portraits and did a marvelous job. I can't wait to hang them up in the hallway next to the eraser prints done with my other 5th grade groups.

Steps: Students used iPhoto and msWord to take a photograph of themselves and alter the image. They transferred their photograph to their blocks and then used the block carving tools, mostly the v-gouge, to carve their lines. Next up was using the brayers and paint to begin printing. My awesome students took it from there mixing colors and creating some really neat prints. The had to come up with at least 4 final prints and a maximum of 6 to arrange in their final composition.

Grace transferring her photo

Natalia working on her drawing

Molly M.

Eva

Kerry

Grade 5 Art Enrichment: Self-Portraits Carving

I couldn't wait to share the preliminary images of my 5th grade Art Enrichment printmaking project. We haven't started to print yet but my kids are doing a great job!
Here is Grace G. working on her transfer of a photograph she took of herself (using iPhoto and MS Word) and the start of the carving she did this morning using a v-gouge.

Image is in reverse on block so it will print correct

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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.

                       

Grade 3: Monoprint Butterflies

Earlier this Fall, Toll Gate 3rd graders were excitedly learning about the life cycle of butterflies. Chris Morgan, Media Specialist had live butterflies in the Media Center and a zillion and one books out on display. 
We took one day in the art room to read a book about butterflies, discuss monoprinting and make these pretty butterflies. 
The funny thing is I had just been talking with my friend Andrea about a butterfly project she was finishing up in her Art Room... perfect timing!
These prints are from September:

Notice that the right side (printed side) is lighter

3rd grade Printmaking

At TGG today, we went outside and found leaves with interesting veins and shapes. 
We then painted the veins with white paint and used the leaves as a stamp to create these neat prints. 
Trying to maintain the texture of cut up sponges, the background was filled with tons of colors. (@ BT, we are doing this project for our Square 1 Art fundraiser.)
Here are a couple.

student painting the veins of her leaf

5th Grade Printmaking Rocks!

The 5th graders at TGG and BT are warming my heart. We have started our first official project of the year which is a printmaking.
The kids are coming up with very simple design to carve out of an eraser. They are only 1 week in but already doing an incredible job. I am so impressed at the variety of the designs and the color schemes chosen.
Last year, I taught this lesson at BT and I thought "if I do this lesson again, I wonder if the results will be as great..."
Well, they are!
Many of the designs I would love to see on a huge piece of fabric. Here's a sneak peek at week 1 designs..work in progress

and...a few finished samples from Bear Tavern students!