Inspired by the Art of Andy Goldsworthy - 5th Grade

Collaborative student piece

One cloudy (and later very rainy) morning a class of enthusiastic fifth graders, their teacher and their art teacher went into the woods and created art in nature from nature.

Before we left on our adventure the class became very familiar with the art of artist,
Andrew Goldsworthy.

They were fascinated by how he would build these arches!

I found several video clips of him working in nature on pieces.

If you do a google search there are many to choose from.

As the kids worked some amazing pieces began to form...

Each piece evolved...

This one was a snake curled up in the grass...

I saw a dragon's head...

They worked with colors...

These students created a snake out of leaves that curled around the tree and branches.

The only thing holding them together is water.

They were amazed how well spraying water on the leaves held them together!

Only natural items could be used...

Water and earth clay were used as adhesives...

This is the leaf snakes face...

Some of the kids really wanted to create a stone piece but were limited by what was available in the space we were in...

I love the use of the smaller, lighter color stones in the spaces between the large rocks.

The students were able to create some great pieces before the rain started to come down upon us later in the morning.

By doing their own pieces the kids realized that sometimes an idea works and sometimes it does not.

An idea is an evolution of trial and error.

The school year is quickly coming to a close...

We have one full week and six half days and then we are done!  

In that time I have SGO paperwork to finish up, two rooms to straighten up, end of the year paperwork,  

finish handing back student work, final grades for 900 plus students and project planning for a summer art program.  This summer I will be working with our school's summer care program to teach art to our summer care kids one day a week. The ages range from K-8th grade.  I know all the kids and it will be  creating art for arts sake! (yeah!) I'm excited to start.  I am planning a theme for each week.  Our first week will be Art in Motion!  

Mrs.C  :)

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"Mrs.C...

Kindergartener:  "Mrs. C, everyone must know you're an art teacher when they look at your feet!"

Mrs. C:  "Why...???"

Kindergartener:  "Because you have art teacher toes!!!"

Mrs.C:   :)

5th Grade iPhone & iPod Sketches

My fifth grades recently finished up their pencil sketches of iPhones and iPods.

The lesson was the old re-draw the missing part of the picture....  One of my main objectives of the lesson was getting the kids to look, I mean "REALLY" look, at what they were drawing.  We spent one class on how to look at what they were drawing.  I kept saying, "Look at it, draw, look back at it again at your sketch and compare."  So many of them found that they were not really looking at what was in front of them as they were just assuming what was there.  That was a big "AH HAH!" moment for the majority of them.  The other main objective was to get them to create all their color with just their pencil, lights, mediums and darks.  Now mind you, we were using student grade #2 pencils since we don't have the luxury of really nice drawing pencils.  However, they did great!

I gave them a choice of either the picture of the iPhone or the iPod.  I told them that I chose both pictures carefully and that they both had their challenging points.  So many thought that drawing the iPhone was going to be a piece of cake!  Once they started, they realized that it was not just a big rectangle!  I went over how to get the apps to look flat, that was something a lot of them had trouble with.  Once I demonstrated and visually showed them in small groups how to draw the angles on how to see all the parallel lines again they had another, "AH HAH!" moment!

These took us about three to four 30 minute classes to draw.

When they were done I had them fill out a self-assessment.

I'm really happy with how they turned out.

The kids put a lot of effort and pride into them.  

Have a great week!

Mrs.C  :)

Birds, Birdhouses & First Grade

I love all the colors and textures in this picture!

One of my first grades thought they were helping me during clean up by dumping all the pom-poms and feathers together in the box I had been storing the bags in!  "Oh well!"  I remarked that it looked like a soft, feathery ball pit!  They all wanted to run their hands through it!  I used the opportunity to review tactile and implied texture!  They all got a chance to put their hands in and feel for the textures and see if they could sense the different size pom-poms.  (you can't really tell by the photo but the box huge!) 

The first grades recently finished painting and creating birds and bird houses.  They loved this lesson!  I think creating their birds was their favorite part!  I did this lesson two years ago with my second grades.  I was inspired by the cute bird house paintings from Deep Space Sparkle.  I decided to revisit the lesson  with my first grades this year.  We reviewed drawing with shapes to design and draw their bird houses. Demonstrating different ways they could combine shapes to create different style bird houses.  I also drew up a step by step drawing sheet they could keep in front of them to look at while they were drawing if needed.

This lesson took us three 40 minute classes to complete.

The first class the students drew and painted their bird houses.

The second class the kids created their birds.

Everyone made two birds.  I gave each student two pieces of oak tag cut about 5in x 5in.  I demonstrated how to glue together the pom-poms and feathers to make their birds bodies.  The ends of the feathers (quills) had to be cut off in order to get the feathers to stay glued on.  After many a flying quill, I had them hold the feathers over the garbage cans in the room when they trimmed them!  They literally shot across the table and onto the floor every time they cut one!  I was starting to worry we were going to have a flying quill and eyeball disaster!  I showed the kids how to hold the feather down into the garbage can when they cut them so it shot/fell into the can and not into their neighbors eyes! 

The third class I had the kids draw the beaks and legs, add some eyes with sequins, cut their birds out and glue them into their bird house paintings!  Any student that needed to finish their birdhouses, start their houses or make their birds did so that class.  Somehow we all got caught up and finished! 

The bird houses are proudly displayed outside their classrooms marking that Spring has finally come! One of the first grade teachers used their pictures as a prompt for a writing piece!  (yeah!)  They all wrote a little story or poem about their birds and birdhouse!  I will have to remember to take photos next week and update with the photos!  The teacher was hanging them up Friday after school! 

On a final note, I was gifted this enormous bag of rubber stamps and stickers this week!

One of my colleagues daughter is a professional organizer and these are from a house she just helped clean up and organize!  I can't wait to go through the bags!

Hope everyone out their has a wonderful weekend and a beautiful Mother's Day on Sunday!

Looks like rain today, but thats okay because we really need it here!

Mrs. C  :)

Busy, Busy, Busy

 

It's been busy, busy, busy at school the past few weeks...  I have several projects to photograph and show you but have not had time to put it all together!  By the time I get home and think about it, I realize that I was so busy at school that I forgot to take pictures!  The above wreath is my grapevine wreath that sits on my fireplace mantel.

Here it was at Christmas time.

 

I spent an afternoon during Spring Break crocheting some pretty flowers for it.  It was still cold and un-spring like outside and I needed some thing that felt like Spring!  I also stuck in some of the pussy willows that had started to bloom outside.  

Some colorful crochet from this winter...  I became obsessed with infinity scarves.  They are so much easier to wear than a regular scarf!  I could wear them doubled around or loose like a shawl around my shoulders.  Kept me warm all winter! 

 

Taught myself how to crochet Crocodile Stitch after Christmas...

...and crocheted this shawl! 

I will try to remember to take some photos this week of all the different projects we have been working on and give you all an over view this weekend of whats been happening in my art room!  :)

What a Week!!!

 

What a week!!!  Play props to finish.  Backdrop for play to finish.  Grades to get together and post.  Presented at a STEM to STEAM workshop and on top of all that a child at home with the flu....

Now said child has an ear infection on top of it and it being Sunday there are no Doctors hours so the Doc sent us over to the emergency room...  Four hours later we have finally gotten home...

 

On the brighter side...  It's the start of a brand new week!  Tomorrow I have to get second grade to finish up their backdrop for their music play.  After school during our PLC I'm meeting with my principal and other special subject teachers to discuss SLO's for next year.  I know a lot of you out there are already implementing them in special subject areas but they are just coming down the pike here in NJ.  Find out tomorrow if I have to have them written and approved before the end of this school year or if I have the Summer to work on them... Tthey are to be in place for the 2013-2014 school year.  

I have already started to research Visual Art SLO's, so I have some kind of a clue as to what they look like in other states.  If any of you have any thoughts, suggestions or links to Visual Art SLO's please comment and let me know!  I am venturing into unknown territory here people and I am the only elementary art educator in my district!  So, suggestions, advice from those of you are are already implementing them would be greatly appreciated! 

Thanks & Have a Great Week! :)

Mrs.C

Positive/Negative Designs with a Twist - 4th Grade

 

One week of school down after a week off for Spring break...  My Fourth Grades started some Positive/Negative designs before vacation.  I was inspired by the beautiful designs from Art with Mr.Hall.  Tuesday I took a look at them and thought they need something else... 

 

I decided to have them add some color and design to them.  I had the kids pick three colors of their choice.  Each negative space was to be designed using any combination of the three colors, line and shape. 

Detail close-up of student work

The students thought the original design was interesting but they really thought they were cool after they added their details to them!

 

Thanks again to Mr. Hall for the inspiration!  Enjoy the rest of the pieces!