Bird on a Limb - 2nd grade

The 2^nd graders learned all about birds in the art room. Their unique characteristics include feathers, wings, beaks and talons. They drew their bird in colored pencil, drew a branch in oil pastel and painted a background in watercolor.  Some chose to add a nest and eggs to their compositions.

 

Recycled Cardboard Relief Sculptures ala Louise Nevelson

We looked at the art of artist Louise Nevelson. She assembled Abstract sculptures from found objects on the streets and in junkyards. These assemblages, created with recycled treasures, are inspired by her.

 

 

 

Scream Parodies

This year the 7th graders learned about the iconic painting The Scream by Edvard Munch. We looked at art parody and the kids were able to plan a theme for their own Screams. The students chose their preferred materials for the front figure and background which they created separately and then attached in the composition of The Scream.


























Other years the 7th graders have parodied Mona Lisa, American Gothic and Vermeer's Milkmaid.

Hoops for Hearts Homage to Jim Dine

To promote the Hoops for Heart program in physical education, we looked at American Pop Artist Jim Dine's very approachable art to inspire the 4th graders. Dine used the heart motif repeatedly in his art. The students first used oil pastels and watercolors on watercolor paper and then chalk pastels on black paper to make their own heart compositions.

Paper Weavings

The 4th graders painted an 18x24" paper abstractly. In the next class they cut their paintings into strips for weaving. We looked at Native American looms and learned weaving terms like "warp" and "weft." They had the option of trading strips or using some provided solid or patterned strips. They weaved the strips fastening with glue and then were able to collage art materials on top of their weavings.

3rd grade Starry Nights

The kids loved looking at Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. Inspired by that iconic landscape, they chose a dark background paper and used craypas to create their own dramatic night skies. The next step was to create a foreground village collaging solid and pattern paper shapes onto a skinny paper strip. The foreground strip was folded and then glued down to the background paper.

Collaborative Murals

We often make group murals for assemblies, holidays and other special events. Sometimes the kids paint giant backdrops for their individual artwork and sometimes we'll cut their painted paper and work together to reassemble it.



For the annual First Grade Thanksgiving assembly, the students paint huge sheets of paper and we work collaboratively to create big murals for the stage backdrop. I usually borrow one or two to decorate my house for my extended family Thanksgiving. Then, throughout the year I make use of the painted paper for other murals and signs.



With the 6th graders, we worked on primed canvas with acrylic paints of a limited palette to create a big banner. The students chose one shape and painted a pattern inside. The edge of the banner has the students' hand-prints.