Displays, Displays, Displays...and Zentangles!

Hello Everyone,

I have been busy creating displays down the "specials hallway". First grade warm and cool color "Great Waves" are in our beautiful display cases. I have heard a lot of wonderful student reactions to seeing their artwork displayed.

Kindergarten has been hard at work creating their primary color fall leaves. The leaves are now complete and are awaiting their chance to be hung on our fall tree. I found some brown paper in my storage closet and went to work! I think it turned out great. I will post more pictures once the leaves have been added to the tree.

Finally DPS teachers tried their hand at zentangles Wednesday after school. I was not able to get pictures this past Wednesday, but I will be sure to take pictures and post next zentangle workshop. Below you will find my example zentangle.

For those of you who are wondering what zentanlges are a "directed doodle". The images created from zentangles are beautiful and can be used as mini gifts/thank you cards (easy holiday gifts-zentangles look sophisticated when framed), or for your own personal enjoyment. Zentangles are said to be relaxing (does not apply to all :) ), but they are also known to increase focus and creativity. I think we had a lot of fun, and we may start a teachers' art work bulletin board-what fun for our students to see how creative their teachers can be!!!!

Have a great week everyone!

Second Grade Charles Demuth Contour Line Still Life

Second grade has moved on to learning about Charles Demuth and his watercolor still life(s). To begin this lesson second grade practiced seeing what is really in front of them by completing a one minute blind contour line drawing of flowers. We learned about what it means to only draw using contour line, as well as had A LOT of fun drawing without looking at our paper (no peeking!). We also learned a lot about the difference between drawing what we think we see, and what we really see, when we saw the diverse results of our blind contour drawings. Enjoy the pictures of second grade hard at work on their final drawings-this time we could look at both the flowers in front of us and our paper.

 My example of a contour drawing

Second grade also remembers to fill the page with the actual size of the flower- final results soon to come!

Kindergarten Fall Leaves-Almost Complete!

Kindergarten has been hard at work creating their fall leaves using only primary colors. We have learned so much about mixing colors by overlapping primary colored tissue paper. We have also learned about the parts of a leaf, and the season when leaves change color. Pictures soon to come of our leaves hanging on our fall tree!

It's Raining Color In DPS's Art Room!

Second grade has been hard at work creating their collaborative tints and shades, geometric and organic shape mobiles (whew-we have been learning a lot!). After students learned how to mix tints and shades students moved on to using their now painted tints and shades paper to create mobiles filled with shapes. Before students moved to cutting out shapes and gluing their shapes to string, students learned how shapes are formed and what makes a shape, a shape! Second grade students understand shapes cannot be formed until a line connects- until the line connects to close a shape, it is still a line. I loved watching students put their heads together to create their mobiles-coming up with a variety of organic and geometric shapes! Students had fun thinking of organic shapes they have seen in nature. We have some amazing collaborative artists in second grade at DPS. Enjoy the pictures!

First and Kindergarten students are still hard at work-post soon to come on their progress and finished products!

 

Students took turns naming and drawing geometric and organic shapes

Our first mobiles are hanging from the art room ceiling! Beautiful!

Great way to practice and refine color mixing skills, as well as paper cutting skills.

"Artists of The Month, October 2013!"

I am pleased to announce our October 2013 "Artists of The Month" have been chosen. Students first made their way into the "art bug bucket" by receiving a green ticket for being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. Students who had their name in the art bug bucket were then chosen to have their names displayed on the "Artists of The Month" bulletin board for the entire school to see! GREAT JOB ARTISTS!! :)

Students will be informed if they made it to the "Artists of The Month" bulletin board during their next art class.

 

Color, Color, and more Color!

Kindergarten, first and second grade have jumped into their color unit. Second grade, as I posted last week second grade is learning about tints, shades, and 3D art. Second grade tints and shades mobiles will look beautiful hanging from the art rom ceiling.

First grade students are learning about warm and cool colors. We discussed what the warm and cool colors are, how artists use warm and cool colors to create contrast, and different feelings. Students also learned about the artist Katsushika Hokusai. We discussed his use of cool colors, line, and contrast. We are creating out own "Great Waves" while using the technique watercolor resist.

 

Kindergarten students are learning about our most powerful colors, the primary colors (red, yellow, blue). We discussed the primary colors, the color wheel, as well as how to mix and create secondary colors (orange, green, and purple). We practiced mixing colors with food coloring. We then learned about fall leaves and are creating large fall leaves while learning about overlapping, and continued practice with gluing. 

P.S. Aeropostle T-shirt Design Competition

I am excited to announce that students will be participating in the P.S. Aeropostle T-shirt Design Competition. The winning T-shirt design will be printed and sold in P.S. Aeropostle stores, how cool!

I received the P.S. Aeropostle T-shirt design kit in the mail at the end of last week; so I am in the beginning stages of planning. Please watch for updates, specific grade levels that will be participating, as well as a letter home with more information.