CLAY CREATURES

Our awesome student teacher, Miss Flanagan, did these colorful clay creatures with
the fourth grade artists. Everyone loves them! 

Miss Flanagan introduced the lesson with an excellent demonstration on creating a pinch pot and using the opening as the clay creatures mouth. She noted the importance of slipping and scoring every piece they added to their creatures.

Miss Flanagan had water containers at the tables for the artists
 to moisturize the clay when it became dry.

The ideas the student artists came up with were so creative!

When they were grouped together they were rather creepy, in a good way.

Each creature was unique. The excitement of their creations motivated the

students to write about their creatures. They included their creatures name, where they 

came from, what they are, and much more.

Congratulations Miss Flanagan on an outstanding art lesson!
I plan on continuing this lesson with my students next year.

OP ART by Fourth Grade Artists

Op Art is one of our fourth graders favorite  projects. The artists continue creating many more optical illusions on their own after this lesson is taught. Each year I like to change the lesson a little. 

The first class of the lesson we talked about what Op Art is and how it began. During this discussion we view Op Art by Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely. We then view sections of the DVD by Peggy Flores on Optical Illusions. If time during the first 40 minute class, the student artists explore what they have learned with paper, pencils, and markers.

The second class of the lesson we all began by putting a dot in the middle of our paper. Next we drew  an even number of straight or curvy lines to the outside edge of the paper. The third step was to draw shapes around the dot. They could be organic or geometric. Next we colored the shapes we created in with marker making sure we colored in a checker board effect.

If there was time the students added the final step of making Op Art spheres and arranging on their backround. 

Native American Totem Stones and Pouches

Our fifth grade artists have become excellent at stitching. They learned the blanket stitch to construct these finely crafted pouches. Each student chose a color of felt and a contrasting color of warp string to show off their beautiful stitching. 

The first class we talked about fabric arts and I demonstrated the blanket stitch. Many of the students got about half of their pouch stitched. The following class they finished their pouches added a bead for a button and made a stone out of indian red clay.

Some of the students chose to keep their clay stone smooth so they could draw on it or paint it after it was fired in the kiln. Others chose to carve their totem in the moist clay. Others chose to make their clay the shape of the totem they chose.

I am always very pleased with the quality of their stitching. Many of the boys are some of our best stitchers. This is the first experience most of our students have stitching. I feel that this a very special first that I have the opportunity to share with them.

Each stone and pouch has a special quality of it's own. The students really enjoy this project.

I would like to thank Tresa a retired colleague of mine for sharing this project as well of many others with me.

Abstract Trees Inspired by Piet Mondrian

Our fifth grade artists created dynamic abstract oil pastel trees. The lesson was introduced with a discussion on abstract art and the artist Piet Mondrian.

Art and Math - Sixth Grade Radial Name Design

The radial designs our sixth grade artists created this year are very impressive!

                                   

 This art project is a great way of correlating math and art. 

Craftsmanship and creativity are stressed as they are for all of our art projects.

COMPLEMENTARY COLOR CREATURES BY FOURTH GRADE ARTISTS

 

Our fourth grade artists had a COLOR THEORY lesson on the complementary colors. COMPLEMENTARY COLORS are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. These opposite colors create CONTRAST in an artwork. If some of a colors complement is added to it, the INTENSITY of that color will be duller. 

The artists began by folding their paper, opening it, and drawing half of the outline of their creatures face on one side of the fold. Next they folded the paper again and cut the shape out to create a full face. To make the 3D nose, they either extended their drawing of the face and brought it down to tape it or made it separately. 

They continued by drawing the details of their creatures face with pencil and TRANSFERRED the features they chose to make SYMMETRICAL. The last step was to color their creatures with a complementary color scheme. We had an exciting time with this lesson!

4TH GRADE SYMMETRICAL NAME DESIGNS

Fourth Grade Artists used the lines and shapes in the letters of their  names to create a SYMMETRICAL NAME DESIGN. They began by folding their paper to establish a LINE OF SYMMETRY. Next they wrote their names on the fold with a primary pencil. They tried to stretch out their letters to fill the SPACE. They then  folded their paper with their name on the inside and used a smooth hard object (we used the bottom of a sharpie) to rub where their name was written to TRANSFER the lines and shapes to the other side of paper. A MIRROR IMAGE was created.

The artists used their creative thinking to complete the project by adding details and coloring their design to continue the symmetrical BALANCE.

They are so much fun to look at!