computer work . . .

It's been awhile since I posted what we are doing in the art room.  The year has gotten away from me a little having a student teacher this year, and working on some new assignments for the year.  Anyway, this past three days we have been painting digitally remembering to include background, middle ground, and foreground.  We have painting with real paint for the past several weeks, and since it is close to break time, and I am slightly tired of washing palettes, I decided to do some work with the students in the computer lab.  Last week we made a 3-d snowman, and today we worked on a Christmas tree scene.

week one . . . train wreck :)

AHHHHHHH . . . the first (short) week of school.  What to do this year huh?

Since this week was a short week (only three days) and not all the students came to art, I decided to do a one day project where the students worked with markers and drew spiral lines or concentric shapes in an array of colors.  Once they finished their work, I drew there names on them in bubble letters.  THEY LOVED IT!

The title . . . train wreck . . . reminds me of the graphics on the sides of trains.  The TIME in art wasn't a train wreck.  :)


It was fun to do!
N.P.  4th grade

It was cool.
B.M. 1st. grade

I thought it was cool!
M.M. 3rd grade

I liked it!
R.W. 2nd grade

weeks 33-36 . . .

Here are a couple samples of the sculptural pieces the students have done.  I also threw in a couple of shots of the next low relief project they did.  Cardboard collaging then paint!  The younger students used metallic paint, the 3rd grade used latex, and the 4th grade covered their work with foil then added black paint to create a pewter finished look. 

 

weeks 23 -32

SOOOOOO much has happened over the last several weeks.  It has been a blast in the art room and the children are now working on some FABULOUS low relief sculptural pieces.

At the end of the painting section, I had the students work on a contest piece for Allied Waste Management.  This was our second year creating artwork that is printed and placed on the recycling trucks.  I had one student that placed FIRST, and a few others that were nominees.

After we finished the artwork for the Earth Day project (Allied Waste competition) we started on a series of works for sculpture.  The first piece the students did were paper sculptural high relief pieces from construction paper.  4th grade made white roses, 3rd grade made 3D geometric shapes, 2nd grade made paper manipulated shapes, and 1st and Kindergarten each did a piece that involved manipulating paper into various shapes like coils, zig-zags, and beginning quilling shapes.  The projects were a two day event and the students were ELATED to take them home.

week twenty two . . . and more painting

 

Part of the process of painting is learning how to rinsing your brushes.  The students get three small plastic cut, recycled cafeteria food containers, and place them on the table so that two people share them.  They arrange them in a triangle and then rinse their brushes in three consecutive "rinses."  The first rinse is to get all the paint off the brush.  The second rinse is to get the dirty, paint water off the bristles, and the third rinse is is to ensure that their brush is clean, ready for a new color.  They are still having a hard time understanding the concept behind rinsing it three times.  Some of them still ask questions about rinsing like "which cup is first rinse" reminding me that they are still just trying to "listen to directions" instead of understanding the purpose of having a clean brush to paint with.

week twenty one . . . and more painting

 

This week the students painted the "middle ground" on their paintings.  After painting their background last week, they added some circles of different colors to their work.  Next week they will add yet another layer of color on top finishing their painting with the foreground.

week twenty . . . and more painting

 

The  students use a round, ten well. paint palette to learn how to use painting materials and to paint.  I am the one that distributes the paint.  They each get their own palette and I encourage them (require them) to "set up" their painting supplies the same way each time.  It is a way to keep them organized, and to give them a steady structure while working with materials that can easily become REALLY messy in the art room.

week nineteen . . . and more painting

Today the students started the process of learning how to make a painting in steps.  Usually, when given paint and paper, the students will make a painting similar to the paint by number method.  That being that they paint the background, middle ground, and foreground all at the same time, and paint each item in the work right up to the edge of the other items.  So, for example, they will paint a tree and then paint the sky right up to the edge of the tree.

This is good for a beginning painter, but since I have had the students before and taught them painting, I wanted to extend the learning to creating painting in steps.

This week the students worked on the background of a new painting.  I also included the skill of blending the background to go from a dark color to the lighter tint of that color.  The older students worked on two at a time starting with a blue sky blend, then a color of their choice blend.  The younger students just did one painting.  In addition to the lesson, I included learning about how to tape their work to a background so the paper stays flat during painting, and they would be able to paint off the edge of the paper.  This is the first time they have had to tape a paper down and paint.  It was hilarious to watch some of them tear the tape! 

week eighteen . . . prize box day

At the end of each six weeks I let the students do a free draw and we choose a prize from the prize box.  Of course, they love this day in art.

For free draw this time, I pulled a HUGE sheet of white butcher paper and covered the tables.  The students used crayons, pencils, and stencils to draw all sorts of designs.  I told them that one person was going to get the massive piece of paper to take home.  You should have seen the negotiations that happened during class.  Some of the students even wanted me to decide for them!  I didn't.  :)  Here's the trunk I use for the prizes.  It is filled mostly with remnants of things I have taken out of the house, chicken feathers from butchering, found items, and an assortment of gadgets that people have given me.  It is really fun for the students to dig through and find a treasure.

week seventeen . . . more mixing of colors

This week we got back to school, and back to painting.  It is fun to watch the students mix colors they have not seen before and develop their mixing and painting skills.  In some aspects, it seems like a waist of time not to make a product.  But, the children are enjoying the study, they are learning tons about handling materials and mixing paints, and they like working on it.

week sixteen . . . Christmas ornament paper craft

Since this is the last week of school before Christmas break, we took a break from painting to make an ornament for our Christmas trees.  The day was spent manipulating paper, talking with friends, and getting excited about a two week time off from studies.

week fifteen . . . color study continued

The students are still working on their color study.  And the LOVE it!  It is wonderful to hear them squeal when they mix BEAUTIFUL colors.  This is the type of art I could do all year.