Winter Concert Program Cover

  As an artist, the students are learning you need keep an eye on the deadline for a competition.  The 3rd, 4th and 5th graders were invited to draw a cover for the program we had this Tuesday.  These are some of the drawings.

Ice Cream Sundaes

2nd and 3rd graders drew ice cream sundaes using shape, color, and texture.  This was the first time we used texture to imitate something from real life.  Using line, and pattern we imitated the lumpy look to ice cream.  We added sprinkles, candy, and chocolate chips to create a pattern and unity.  The last thing was to make sure there was one focal point like a cherry on top.

The Best Elf

  Since some day, we will be looking for jobs; we practiced "selling our best characters" with best elf posters.  Why would Santa pick me to be his best elf?  Do I like reindeer?  Would I be the best candy cane tester? What if I was hard-working and always friendly?  We used real and funny reasons to be hired.  Second and third did a great job on this in the Art Smarts morning club.

Drawing faces and bodies that show emotion

  The first step with PK was to talk about lines and shapes we use to draw a happy/smiley face, sad, or mad face.  Then we added bodies and hands on hips for mad, hiding faces for sad/crying, and hands in air and jumping for happy.  The last step was playing my person is color for happy, mad, and sad.  This was fun! Check out our drawings:

Walking Field Trip

4th graders walked to cypress swamp, salt marsh, or a freshwater pond last Monday to prepare for River of Words art and poetry contest.  We will be drawing an animal and it's environment.  We will choose drawing materials.

Gingerbreadman Ornaments

K, 1st, and 2nd graders made gingerbread men for ornaments.  We decorated the tree for the 13th year in a row for Caroline Hospice.  This is a fundraiser, but students are bringing ornaments home this week.  The tree was titled, "Run, run as fast as you can!"

New Radial Symmery Patterns

  For the 3rd year we are designing patterns using line, shape, and color to create symmetry.  The first to fifth graders all tried different patterns.  This is one of my favorite projects.  We use the patterns for a fundraiser to return art to the students, so whatever money is made is awarded students for staying on-course and amazing effort in art.

Glowing Bugs

  In exploring new art materials, the 4th graders

drew bugs with 3 body sections: head, abdomen, and thorax, and added wings or antenna.  Then the students painted patterns on butterflies, wings, and bodies with fluorescent paint.  These bugs are on display under a black light.

Scarecrows

In Art Smarts before school, we talked about why farmers used scarecrows.  We drew and collaged clothing on the scarecrows and added fringes of straw.

Radial Symmetry for Jewelry Magnets

  This is the 3rd year that PRE has designed symmetrical circle designs for jewelry magnets on Artsonia.  Artsonia is a website that I can upload art to and is displayed on the web.  Parents and family can purchase student art if they want on objects that Artsonia sell.  One of the objects for sale are magnets that fit in magnetic jewelry, so we design the circle magnets to put in the jewelry.  We will be participating in this fundraiser again.  I use the money earned on the fundraiser to reward students that are always on-course in art class.  See us on the web.

5th graders Draw Still LIfe and Break the Rules

  To show we know the still life rules, we drew a still life.  The rules for still life are all objects fit on the table in front of us, we overlap 2 or 3 objects that must be still, and  we drew the details of what we see.  To break the rules, we added a person or animal that could move, we drew something bigger than the table as a background, or we added a landscape as the background.

Advertisements

How do graphic designers plan to sell us candy bars and cereal?  We practiced being a graphic designer by creating our own candy bar wrapper or cereal box.  Then we wrote and recorded the advertisement.  Last we listened to all our advertisements.  Next year, we will score the advertisements and explain how and why they sold us on the candy bar or cereal.

Drawing and Painting self-portraits

Our first art standard is using different art materials responsibly, and a variety of materials, so Kindergarten and 1st grade used crayons and tempera paint, and oil pastel and colorful tempera to make faces.  The first project used normal "skin colors."  The second drawing was with fun, colorful faces.  We continued this drawing by faces that were symmetrical on jewelry design.

PK use glue to make lines

While exploring new art materials, the PK have created lines with marker, oil pastel, and crayon.  Now they made glue lines and added glitter on top.

Formal and Informal Language while Skydiving

4th graders discussed when and where to use formal and informal language.  For fun, we used formal and informal language examples while skydiving.  The students were able to write formal to more, and more informal language examples by changing period to an exclamation or making letters all caps for yelling.  We took photos of our faces and became skydivers.

Door Decorating Contest for Family Night

We needed to decorate as a "blockbuster" movie.  I made a big pumpkin on the outside, and sincere pumpkins on the inside.  K helped to make jack-o-lanterns on the inside of the door.

4th Grades in Art Smart

  We created assemblage tree house or clubhouses with sticks.  The students created a focal point by glue colored sticks in one place on the assemblage.  This was a fun project!

Drawing shapes and Painting Spaces

After drawing organic and geometric shapes, we painted the spaces in between the shapes and the insides of the shapes.  We were exploring watercolor and the patterns and shapes we could draw.

New Procedures and a New Year

I read the book, "Ish" by Peter Reynolds to all my students, PK-5. We talked about not being disrespectful to another person's art or work of any kind.  We also talked about how it would hurt feelings to have someone laugh at our hard work.  We liked the end of the book when Ramon is not so worried about what other people think and enjoys making art again.  We drew a quick "ish" drawing.

For the second week, we are continuing to learn procedures and rules for readiness in art.  We will start playing the art game and have helpers.

Using geometry and measurement in real-life situations

A month ago, David, my middle son, measured the floors in all 3 bathrooms in my house.  He then used length times the width to find the area.  We went to Lowe's and bought floor tiles.  We changed the bathroom tiles in all three bathrooms.  As a practical application of measurement and geometry, we used our math to make the house look better.  How have you used your math at home?

Mariners Game in Art

All classes will earn points each class to play on the game board.  This game board includes spaces that move you ahead and backwards.  The class with the most cooperation moves forward the most.  Some examples for earning points: cooperation and listening to the teacher and other students on the mat and cleaning up on time as a table.  The classes will suggest the rewards the first day of class.