mrspicasso's art room

Wild Wild West!

2012-02-29T16:17:00.008-08:00

Our school is celebrating Right To Read Week and this year's theme is Wild Wild West. Our school committee outdid themselves this year, transforming our school. Of course, we created some projects in art class to accompany this fun theme.

Some photos of our school atrium:

The kinders studied types of line and made this teepee mural in art.

First graders made a cactus collage.

Second graders made themselves in to cowboys and cowgirls.

Third graders made cool cowboy boots with their names as the stitches.

I have lesson plans that I will post soon. Stay tuned!

Happy Heart Day from Mrs. Picasso

2012-02-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics I snapped in the art room this week. Hope you had a great Valentine's Day! Me? I had a snow day today and baked cookies for my hubby.

Anatomy of an Art Teacher's Desk

2012-02-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

1. Obsessive collection of cool pens, fancy pencils, and every color of Sharpie marker.

2. Kids' projects that have been photographed, uploaded on Artsonia, but not published yet.

3. Kids' projects that are currently being worked on.

4. Kleenex that was bought out of pocket because the kids only bring them in for their homerooms.

5. Kid's projects waiting to be photographed.

6. Cell phone for checking the wind chill before going out for 40 minutes of recess duty.
7. Collection of fancy papers just because they are pretty.

8. Kids' projects that are currently being worked on.

9. Remnants from a lunch that was hastily eaten while working on #3, #5, #8, #10, & #12.

10. Kids' projects that are currently being worked on.

11. Old fashioned gradebook because, even though grades are done online, there has to be a record of all artwork that has been kept for various art shows, who received Artist of the Week certificates, and who was chosen as Outstanding Art Students.

12. Kids' projects that have been photgraphed, uploaded on Artsonia, but not yet published.

13. Art teacher perched precariously to get just the right angle.

14. Art student waiting patiently on #13.

I think I need a volunteer...

Art Project Charts

2012-01-22T20:26:00.000-08:00

If your students are anything like mine, they always come in the room and ask what we are making next or can't even remember what we are working on right now! I decided to make these charts, laminate them, and use a whiteboard marker to write our projects on them. They hang in the front of the room and seem to have cut down on the constant questions because the answer is right there in front of them.

I use small visual references for the younger students and to jog the memories of the older ones.

After finishing my charts, I realized that I probably should have used the word "last" instead of "then", so I have made two different copies of these files which I have in PDF form for you to use. You can find them on my Google Docs account: https://docs.google.com/?pli=1#folders/0BzoMq-hdXv6tNGQ4OWQ5ODYtZGZkMS00YzIxLWFhNGYtNDY4OTljNDBjZjdm

(Note: Blogger is really acting up lately- I couldn't link the way I would normally. Sorry!)

Giveaway Winner

2012-01-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

I used Random.Org to generate a number.

And the winner is...

Congratulations, Anna! I'll be sending out your goodies ASAP.

I will try to answer all of your requests. I appreciate all of your feedback!

~Denise

Popsicle Stick Snowflakes

2012-01-17T09:43:00.001-08:00

We all have them... thousands of popsicle sticks thrust upon us by other teachers cleaning out their cupboards. This year, my fifth graders used up a ton of my supply by creating these colorful & glittery snowflakes. The kids loved this project and were very engaged.

MATERIALS:

popsicle sticks (craft sticks) in various sizes, wood glue, placemats (to protect the tables), paint(we used acrylic), glitter, fish line

ENCOUNTER:

Hand out popsicle sticks and encourage students to lay out different designs before deciding to glue pieces together.

We used "placemats" made of construction paper to protect the tables and help students carry their work to the drying rack.

Some students spread out on the floor to work larger.

All glued and ready to paint!

Each student chose a color of paint and glitter to use for their snowflakes.

It works best to paint a little and then sprinkle a little glitter on before it dries.

We painted and glittered both sides, waiting a day in between sides so they wouldn't stick to the paper.

At the end of the class, the students placed their snowflakes on a new placemat and put the excess glitter left on the original placemat back in the jar.

It's that easy!

More sparkling beauties:

We added a loop of fishing line and hung them in our cafeteria. They are spectacular!

GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-15T18:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back (finally) with a peace offering. I have hated being gone so long, but I have finally returned to blogland. Because my blog has reached over 500 followers, I am offering the following items as a thank you:

1. A set of 5 cards based on my own original artwork.

They are blank inside and will come with envelopes.

2. A ceramic Wild & Wiry Bird made by me.

I have a lesson plan for this project posted on the blog!

3. A bird's nest necklace with chain made by me.

This is an idea I saw on Pinterest and actually made!

All you have to do to be entered is be a follower of Mrs. Picasso's Art Room and leave a comment telling me what you would most like to see me post about. I will randomly select a winner on Wednesday, January 18th. I am looking forward to hearing some feedback! Good luck!

Sparkly Trees- Adapted for Classroom Use

2011-10-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

As previously posted here, I spent a wonderful evening making a beautiful acrylic on canvas painting with my niece. I then adapted it for classroom use, using tempera on paper. I believe they turned out just as beautiful!

First, mix several shades and tints of warm colored tempera. I love using frosting cups because they can be lidded and stacked for storage.

On a 9" X 12" piece of heavy white paper or card stock, have the children begin adding stripes and swirls in a horizontal fashion. I told them it was like the wind blowing back and forth.

In this photo, you can see how we handled the sharing of the paint. I would set a cup with brushes in it on the table and give them a minute or two to paint. Then, I would move the cups, rotating the colors around the room. This way, the brushes don't have to be washed after every use and you don't have to mix up more than one cup of each color. Also, the paint moves rather than the student, so there are no accidents with wet brushes or papers.

If they had filled their paper before all of the colors had rotated to them, they added some small dots or swirls on top of their stripes.

Some beauties on the drying rack.

During the next class, we practiced painting trees on white paper before going on to their swirly backgrounds. This gave them confidence in their painting skills.

Here, you can see the practice paintings on the table.

Step By Step Instructions for the Trees:

1. Paint a trunk going off the bottom of the paper. It should look like a rough rectangle.

2. Split the top of the tree so that it looks like a letter Y.

Make sure that the two branches meet in the middle and are as thick as the trunk on each side.

3. Split the tops of each of these branches in half by making a V at the top.

4. At this point, we switched to thinner brushes to finish our trees.

Each of those branches are now split in half.

Remind students that branches get longer and skinnier the higher up on the tree they are.

5. To finish the tree, add a swirl to each of the ends of the branches.

Also, have students look at the tree and add swirly branches to any bare spots on the tree.

During the third class, we added sparkly gems to the skies.

You could use sequins as a less expensive option.

Another option is to have the students make roots and add a horizon line. These were painted before I decided to try the other way. I am not sure which I like better.

And THIS is a MR. WRONG. This is what happens when you have a substitute and aren't specific enough. I said to have them glue jewels in the sky, but I should have also said to make sure they kept them off the tree. Ha! I even had one student add a smiley face with gems. *sigh* Oh, well. At least they are being creative and expressing themselves, right?

Scenes From The Art Room

2011-10-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

Sharing some photos I snapped in my room this past week. Enjoy!

Girls' Night- Makin' Art!

2011-10-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I had a fun evening with my neice, Madi. I was asked to babysit and she told her dad, my brother, that we were going to make some really cool stuff, so the pressure was on to find some projects she would enjoy.

We made two seperate projects; Sparkly Fall Trees & Printed Pumpkin Note Cards.

To make the Sparkly Fall Trees, we began coating the background and then using warm colored acrylics to add a swirling sky to our 11" X 14" cavases (found at Big Lots for $5.)

Then, we used the back end of the brush dipped in the paint to add some dots to the swirls.

We practiced painting our trees on newspaper before doing the following steps.

Next, we used black paint to add a fall tree, starting with the trunk, as shown below.

The trunk is broken in half, like a Y and then the ends of those branches are broken in half.

This is an easy way to show young artists how to paint a tree.

The branches keep getting separated in to V shapes and get longer and thinner as they get higher. We changed to smaller brushes at this point.

Keep going until you get near the top of the canvas. Add branches to fill in the bare areas.

At this point, we swirled the ends of our branches. This is optional, of course.

Madi was fearless in adding her branches. I love it!

To add the sparkle, we added gems using tacky glue.

I placed the gems in rows.

Madi added hers more randomly. Either way, they turned out beautiful!

We added a ribbon for hanging (hot glued to the back.) Her mom loved it!

We have decided to create a whole series- one for each season.

For the Printed Pumpkin Cards, we used some foam from an egg carton.

Using a pen, we drew a pumpkin in to the styrofoam.

I didn't have any printing ink or brayers, so a foam brush and acrylics did the job.

Lay the paper on top, rub, and pull your print.

We made several prints, all unique in color.

While the prints dried, we made the cards. I folded cardstock to make the cards and Madi painted a strip of grass accross the bottom of each one.

An overview of our process. You can see the painted tree sketch on newspaper here also.

I showed Madi how to add sparkling stars in the sky. Simply use a rubber stamp and an ink pad to stamp the star and then quickly shake on some glitter diamond dust. Shake off the excess and the glitter remains where the wet ink was. I think this was Madi's favorite step!

A view of the starry sky.

I spray glued the pumpkins (which we cut out) and Madi added them to the card fronts.

She added details, such as stems and vines using gel pen and then dipped her finger in paint to make the leaf. She also signed each card on the back.

A whole croop of pumkins... and a kid's shoe!

The proud artist with her cards.

All tied up and ready to give. One stack for mom and one for Madi.

Like the toy box Madi is leaning on? It is made by my friend over at Mod Mom Furniture.

It is named the Owyn and it is GORGEOUS!

And, a shout out to Artsy T for the wonderful inspiration for our paintings.

I can't wait until our next girls' night, Madi!

PicaSsO MoNstERs!

2011-09-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting a full year to post this project! Last year, I had to document all of the steps and by the time I did that, it was too late to blog about it. This is one of my second graders' favorite projects and it was adapted from a lesson that has been floating around the net for awhile. In that lesson, the kids all made witches, but I thought my kids would like more variety, so I came up with this.

Materials: Info (books, visuals, videos) about Pablo Picasso, construction paper in all colors, scissors, glue, scissors, black marker, patterns for heads (see below), masking tape, pencils, variety of items for decorating (google eyes, glitter, pipe cleaners, etc.), metallic markers

Art History: Discuss Pablo Picasso and share various examples of his cubist portraits. I show the video Dropping In On Picasso.

Encounter:

Step 1- The Head
Hand out patterns for the monster heads, I have 4 different patterns that I hand out to each table. We discuss which shape head would make each type of monster (squared off top for Frankenstein, etc.)
Have the kids choose 2 different colored pieces of 9" X 12" construction paper and then trace their head shape on each paper and cut out.

They need 2 of the same head!

I then demonstrate how to split the head down the middle so that we can show our faces from two different perspectives.

Begin at the forehead- middle of the top of one head shape.

Next comes the nose shape. Be sure to tell the kids to make it big! At this point, they should be more than half way down the face or else the chin will be HUGE. I often show them "Mr. Wrong" and draw it incorrectly so they see what NOT to do.

Add the chin.

Cut on the line to split the head in half.

Students will glue the piece with the nose and keep the scrap piece for later.

Using the piece that has the nose, glue it to the other head shape, lining them up carefully.

Step 2- The Neck

Using the remaining scrap from the head, draw a large neck shape and cut out.

Add some glue to the top edge and lay the head on top.

They should have a rounded neck as shown.

Step 3- The Face

Hand out 2 scraps of white paper and have students draw one eye shape that is facing forward (like a football) and one eye that is facing sideways (like an ice cream cone.) Cut them out.

Have students glue the eyes on as shown, making sure that one side of the face is looking forward and the other is in profile.

Offer a variety of colored paper scraps for the eyes. Students choose 2 of the same color.

I tell my students that they need to draw one circular iris and one oval shaped iris on their colored paper. They are told to make these shapes BIG- they can always be trimmed later. Glue the circle to the eye looking forward and the oval to the eye in profile. I tell them that they are adding the scoop of ice cream to the cone. It works!

For the mouth, they will need a scrap of red or pink paper and a scrap of black.

On the black paper, the students draw a large potato shape.

The mouths of our monsters will be open, as if they are yelling.

Glue the black shape on to the red/pink paper scrap.

"Bubble cut" around the black paper, leaving a little of the red/pink paper showing.

These are the lips of the monster.

Glue the mouth into place.

Hand out a strip of white paper to the students.

Cut small rectangles to make the monster's teeth and glue along the inside edge of the mouth.

Some of my students made fangs and I let that slide!

Next up- the cheeks. I had students choose 2 squares (the same color) of construction paper.

They stacked their papers, drew a large circle, and cut them out to make 2 cheeks.

Glue them on the cheeks, as seen. I told them it was ok to have one cheek hanging over the edge, rather than have it covering the nose.

Step 4- The Shoulders & Background

I have a variety of construction paper laid out for the kids. They choose one piece of 12" X 18" paper (in Halloween type colors) for the background and one 9" X 12" paper for their monster's shoulders. They need to think about this- what color would their type of monster wear? What color would show up best as a background?

The shoulders of the monster will be made from the smaller paper. Lay it out horizontally and draw an arc from one corner to the other, as seen below.

This piece gets glued to the larger piece of construction paper, along the bottom, as shown below.

Next, add the monster, making sure the neck is on top of the shoulders slightly.

Don't worry if the head extends beyond the top of the background paper.

Some kids' work in progress:

Step 5- Outline

Using a black marker, outline all of the facial features and add pupils to the eyes. We also added swirls to the cheeks and scars. Eye brows may be added as well. Demonstrate how the placement of the brows can show different emotions.

Step 6- Extend the Background

Flip the monsters over and tape another piece of construction paper to the top of the background. This will allow more room for the kids to decorate the sky.

Extended paper.

I have given you the basics for making the monsters.

Now the really fun part begins- adding all of the costumes, backgrounds, and other details.

Yes, we used glitter for this project.

I know some teachers hate glitter, but for Halloween projects, I think it is appropriate!

I found these mini pom-poms that made really cool warts.

We love this iridescent paper to make the moons.

Aliens added stars, planets, antenna, and spaceships.

Frankensteins added hair, coats, and bolts.

Witches added hats, buckles, and pipe cleaner hair.

Werewolves added ears, claws, and full moons.

Some kids came up with their own creatures, like this pumpkinhead.

Vampires added capes and hair.

Everyone added bats or ghosts in the sky, moons, and glittery stars.

They also used silvery pens to add some detail to the costumes.

I hope your kids have as much fun with this project as mine did.

They can get REALLY creative with these!

View more of our creepy monsters at Artsonia

Ceramic Photo Holders

2011-09-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

I am on the "Birthday Committee" at school, which means that I am in charge of handing out cards and a small gift to each staff member on their special day. When others are on the committee we usually get a candy bar or small token (which is nice, don't get me wrong!) But, when I am on the committee, I like to make something a little more special. Two years ago, I made sets of magnets, which I really need to blog about......... but I digress. On to the project.

You'll need clay, texture mats, a knife (mine is a cheapo lettuce knife from the Dollar Store), glazes, kiln, etc.

This photo shows a Mayco texture mat, the clay I use Amaco #25 White Art Clay, and the knife.

I cut the clay into cubes, approximately 2" X 2" X 3". Smooth the edges.

Next, place the texture mat on the sides of the clay.

Use a rolling pin to press the design into the clay. Repeat on all sides.

Use the knife to make a slice in the clay, going to approximately 3/4 down. Make sure the slice is large enough to slide a card or photo in and allow for some shrinkage of the clay.

Smooth the edges and remove any bits of clay that are hanging on the edge.

Here is a finished piece, waiting to be fired. Be sure to allow ample time for them to completely dry before firing. I waited a full week.

After bisque firing, glaze as desired. I used Mayco Crystalites and Amaco Crystaltex glazes.

We added a poem inside each card that reads:

This little gift today

holds a card filled with

Birthday glee,

And later may hold

a photo for all to see!

And here is the finished product all ready to go to its new owner.

The feedback has been wonderful so far!

I Think I Have A Problem...

2011-09-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Stop me before I buy more glaze!!!

(Yes, they are at least 3 bottle deep.)

What is your favorite supply to hoard, I mean, buy?

Impossibly Haunted Houses- Revisited

2011-09-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

As funny as it may seem, Halloween is just around the corner, so I have decided to revisit a favorite lesson, with a slight alteration. As previously posted, this project involves drawing a haunted house that would be impossible to built. However, the last time I posted about this project, we had used a watercolor wash to complete the backgrounds. This time my fourth graders used a tissue paper bleed technique.

Materials: tissue paper, white tag 12" X 18", pencil, handouts showing architecture and Halloween items, black permanent marker (both thick and thin)

Encounter:
First, collect some colored tissue paper. Beware- not all tissue will bleed. Be sure to test it before you cut it up and hand it out to the students. (I am speaking from experience here!)

Have the students rip the tissue in to strips and lay it across their papers in a striated pattern.

Hand out water bottles and have students spritz their papers, lightly moistening the tissue.

Continue to add strips of tissue and spritzing the paper until it is covered.

You can allow the tissue to dry or peel it off after a few minutes to reveal the gorgeousness (that is a word in the art world, right?) left behind,

Some student backgrounds. LOVE them!

To draw the house on top, begin with large shapes that DO NOT TOUCH. This is the hardest part for the students to understand. You must leave a small space between each large piece of the house. This is part of what makes it "Impossible."

I hand out examples of windows, doors, roofs, and other architectural elements. We love using onion domes. Add the medium shapes at this point, saving the details for last.

Monsters, lightning, and other creepy crawlies are added last to make the project extra spooky.

Now, the students have to decide which things will be filled in black, creating a silhouette. Again, I have them begin with the largest pieces and work to the smallest. The design will work itself out this way- it will become obvious which things need to be colored and which will need to be left uncolored. Typically, we leave the windows uncolored so it looks like the lightning is coming through them.

Projects in process:

Some finished projects:

View more on our Artsonia site.

Art Room Revisited

2011-09-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Thought of a few more ideas to share. I organize my lessons by grade level and they are housed in these binders on top of my file cabinets for easy reference.

At the beginning of the binder is a page listing the selected projects for the year. I always, always choose too many projects- we never get all of them done, but I aim high!

This is the format (Which I learned at Ohio State) I use for my lesson plans. (Click to enlarge.)

I am always interested in how everyone does their lesson plans.

My melted crayon art has finally been hung in its spot. The kids keep asking if they can make them in class, but I just tell them how it is done.

As previously posted, I used wrapping paper to cover my ugly file cabinets. My friend had a roll of this cool polka dot wrap and I HAD to steal some of it.

You know, it goes with the theme this year!

I like it even better without all of the papers covering it, but some things HAVE to be posted.

To compare, this is the "Before"

And this is the "After"

Ahhh... much better. Thank you, Jodi!

I'm A Thief!!!

2011-08-30T17:34:00.001-07:00

Yep, I admit it. I have stolen several ideas this year, mostly found on Pinterest.

THE EVIDENCE:

This tree is outside my art room and was inspired by a photo found on: Project Nursery. I love the way it turned out, but it took me four hours to create!

I have different examples of art work inside several of the circles, along with our motto,

"Let's Get Art Smart!"

To go along with the polka dots on the tree, I used this idea from Art With Mr. E.

I then added this phrase that I found on Mrs. Malone's Art Room.

I have had lots of positive feedback on this door!

All together:

Since I was loving the dots, I added some to the front of my desk.

Here is the corner I posted about previously. This idea is all my own... I think!

I added wings and the phrase, "Time Flies When You're Making Art."

Yep, stole it from Mrs. Knight's Smartest Artists.

I don't know whose idea this is, but I found it on Pinterest.

I snatched some paint samples from the store and Voila! Instant tints!

This uninspiring bulletin board was put together at the last minute.

Didn't steal this one, surprise, surprise!

But, I have plans to change it to something I saw online...

Finally, this bulletin board is all my own, believe it or not!

Each table has a circle in the center of the table with dots that tell them their number. The numbers correspond with the monsters on the all that tell them their job for the day.

I have posted about this one before in a little more detail.

So, I guess by now you have all found me guilty of stealing, but really, isn't that what we art teachers do best? We get inspiration everywhere.

If I stole your ideas, please consider it the sincerest form of flattery and have mercy on me!

Brightening A Day

2011-08-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

There is a little girl at my school who is physically challenged. She was given this little wooden bench so that she can stretch out her legs and use it as a desk to do her work. The bench was brown and her teacher last year tried to help make it more colorful by letting the little girl draw on it with markers. She drew little stick figures with sad faces. Talk about pulling my heartstrings! I decided that this bench needed a facelift before this school year started.

First, I painted the entire bench white.

I really wish I had thought to take a real before photo. It was so sad looking!

Next, I stenciled some polka dots and stamped some circles on it to add interest.

Finally, I added some bold flowers on the top and sides and gave it a clear coat of poly.

I can't wait until she sees it tomorrow night at Open House. I really hope it brightens her day!

Melted Crayon Art

2011-08-25T18:13:00.001-07:00

I have seen these all over Pinterest and had to try it.

I "believe" the original idea came from this Etsy store.

First, I hot glued some crayons to the top of my canvas.

I used two boxes of 24 Crayola crayons on the top a 12" X 12" X 2" canvas.

I set the canvas on top of some newspaper and leaned it against the wall.

I then used a heat gun to melt the crayons and use them as "paint"

as demonstrated in the following video.

The results are stunning! I can't wait to hang this in my art room.

Creative Solutions for Classroom Problem Areas

2011-08-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I have spent over 13 hours over the past two days trying to get my classroom up and ready. We have meetings both tomorrow and Monday, Open House Monday evening, and students come on Tuesday. Needless to say, I am in full panic mode, but I do not regret going to Jamaica in the least!

We all have them; ugly areas in our classrooms. I have a few suggestions for some creatively camouflaging them.

Problem: Ugly, but necessary file cabinets.

Solution: Buy a roll of colorful gift wrap.

Laminate a strip to fit the side of the file cabinet.

Add some magnets to hang schedules, lunch menus, etc. Enjoy the view!

Problem: Not enough display areas for artwork.

Solution: Wrap some boxes with rolled paper to make display cubes.

Side note: see that little plastic ring from the used up tape roll? Save that guy and use him for stamping in to clay. It makes great owl eyes!

Once you have a bunch of cubes, use them to elevate artwork or use as a backdrop.

Here, I have used them above my cabinets to display various still life items. (click to enlarge)

And here I have used the cubes to help fill our showcase, which only has five shelves.

Problem: Signs that MUST be posted in your room (or else!)

Solution: Buy some colorful (and inexpensive) frames from Ikea and permanently mount those documents. Make them in to art. Ok, that's a stretch, but they still look better than before!

Problem: Constantly changing bulletin boards.

Solution: Very simple- put up a black background so that it never has to change. Simply add your bulletin board pieces on top. All of my boards are black, always.

Well, I hope some of those ideas are helpful! Do you have any tips to share?

Only 3 bulletin boards to go until I have my room ready. Wish me luck!

Jamaican Arts

2011-08-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

I spent last week in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and loved every minute of it. We spent our time on a private resort, but that didn't keep us from seeing some gorgeous Jamaican artwork.

Wherever a tree had died on the site, they had an artist carve the trunk and turn it into a fantastic scuplture, as seen above and in the following photos:

One day, on the beach, I saw this wonderful turtle in the sand. Turns out a young teenage girl had made it. Wonderful!

On the last night, the resort brought in local artists so that we could view and purchase their work. I had a few nice conversations with some artists and bought some work. Supposedly, they gave me an artist's discount, but who knows!

I would rather bring home art than another t-shirt, so I bought three carvings, a boomerang, and one acrylic painting.

Just to tease you, this was our view from our room. Can't wait to go back!

Back to School- Supplies

2011-08-09T16:38:00.001-07:00

Does anyone else actually look forward to unpacking all of their supply orders?

Look at all that paper fun! Imagine the possibilities.

Beads, and buttons, and gems- Oh, My!

Such pretty yarn to use in weaving and to hang our clay owls.

I must give some props to Dick Blick (Blick Art Supply) Company:

These chalk pastels are wonderful! They are soft, but not TOO soft. They remind me of the more expensive set that I cherished as a young artist. I always wanted my students to have those more expensive sets, but... well, you know- budget, budget, budget. Finally, a pastel set that doesn't cost and arm & leg, but is NICE.

Last year, I ordered several bisque tiles from Dick Blick and more than 3/4 came in chipped or broken. Bummer! They replaced them, without charge, but it was a delay I hadn't planned on. However, this year, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the tiles came packaged VERY carefully, as seen below. Not one (out of 100) were broken, chipped, or cracked. Bravo!

Disclaimer- I am NOT affiliated with Dick Blick at all; just a very satisfied customer!

And what were you excited to receive this year in your supply order?

Draw Like An Egyptian- Art at the Library

2011-06-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

I was asked to present a lesson for two local libraries and I chose to present "Draw Like An Egyptian." The lesson plan may be found on The Incredible Art Department. It is my lesson, but I will need to retype it here when I have time. (I really wish we could cut & paste on Blogger!)

The simple steps are as follows:

1. Draw an Egyptian figure surrounded by Hieroglyphics.

2. Trace using black permanent marker.

3. Sponge acrylic on top to make it look aged.

4. Add liquid watercolor sparingly.

FEARLESS Art- Honors Academy Day 5

2011-06-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos of the project we completed on Day 4.

We also made cookie color wheels, mixing primary colored frosting. Good thing we did this activity- there was no food left when we went to the cafeteria for our snack time!

Finally, The students decorated their picture frames.

First, they stamped their names on to them.

This project was all about the dots! They used all sorts of techniques to add them.

Yogurt cups dipped in paint...

Tape register rolls dipped in paint...

Stencils...

Sponges...

As a final touch, some even added buttons.

The experience of teaching Honors Academy was definitely worthwhile.

I can't wait for next year!

FEARLESS Art- Honors Academy Day 4

2011-06-16T18:18:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of yesterday's projects with the silver floral wire added as a hanger. I had my son (he's my helper this week) drill holes at the top, add the wire, and twist the ends into a spiral. The kids thought this was pretty cool.

Then, we started a new project. I have been admiring this project found on Pamela Holderman's blog and decided to try it out with my Honors kids.

First, we glued paint chip samples and boxes of scrapbooking paper on our backgrounds. These became houses and various patches in our gardens.

Roofs, doors, and windows were added using scraps. We don't throw anything away!

Next, we added the paint;

Skies...

Paths...

Ponds...

A stream or two...

And patches of land for future crops.

Rubber stamps, marker, and more paint were used to add details.

I LOVE the little bridge this artist created.

You may want to click on these photos to enlarge.

Finally, everything was given a coat of Mod-Podge to seal it.

I will have photos of the final project after tomorrow's class.

We also base coated our wooden picture frames ($1 at Michaels!)

These will be decorated tomorrow and the kids' photos will be added.

Stay tuned for the final installment!

FEARLESS Art- Honors Academy Day 3

2011-06-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Day three and we are zipping right along- so fast, in fact, that I have to plan another project for tomorrow!

A look at our supplies:

The painting & stamping station.

Lots of paper to use.

Today, we finished cutting pieces for our mixed media paintings and Mod-Podged them on to the canvases we had prepared on day two.

Once they dried, we added details and embellishments. I will add more photos of the finished paintings tomorrow, once we add the wire for hanging.

We also used our other canvas to create an initial (letter) painting. First, they painted a border. (The canvases backgrounds were prepared on day two.)

Then, they added the first letter of their names in any style they wanted.

Details are added to the border and the letter is outlined to make it stand out.

We added a ribbon for hanging and the kids took them home. They wanted to take everything, but I convinced them that we still had some work to do on the others.

I am really having a lot of fun with these kids and they say they are enjoying it also. Bliss!

FEARLESS ART- Honors Academy Day 2

2011-06-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

I demonstrated various techniques, such as combing, marbling, stamping, stenciling, and using bubble wrap. The kids LOVED it and made a wonderful mess! (They cleaned it up without any complaints- and THIS is why I am LOVING teaching Honors Academy!)

The kids then used the papers they made yesterday, plus various other papers to begin creating a scene on their canvases. We will be Mod-Podging them together tomorrow.

We also spent time finishing our Abstract (Non-Objective) Art.

You can find the lesson plan for this project here.

FEARLESS Art- Honors Academy Day 1

2011-06-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

I am teaching 20 amazing kiddos during Summer Honors Academy this week. They were all nominated by their teachers to attend and chose which class they would like to take based on our written descriptions. Mine is as follows:

WANTED: Students who are not afraid to experiment with new art materials, take chances in their artwork, get messy using various hands-on art activities, learn about other FEARLESS artists, and have a great time being creative! Come and experiment in various art techniques, including painting, drawing, printmaking, stamping, and mixed-media collage.

Here are some photos from Day 1

Abstract Art anyone?

Trying our hand at various surface techniques, including stamping, combing, gadget printing, marble painting, sponge painting, and spraying.

We will use these papers in another project tomorrow.

Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!

What These Hands Can Do

2011-06-11T19:16:00.001-07:00

This is a fun end of the year project I create with my Young Fives kindergartners each year. We use their hands to create the butterflies, tulips, and ladybugs.

Note to self: Take more photos of the process next year!!!

First, the students draw the butterfly body on a white piece of tag board. I direct them through this process, step by step.

Then, I put three colors of tempera in a tray (I usually have 4 different trays to choose from) and have each student come back and place one hand in the tray of paint. They LIGHTLY pat their hands together so that both hands are covered in paint, but the paint remains unmixed. I guide their hands to the paper to print the wings of their butterflies. Remember, thumbs down!

You can see an example of the butterfly in the following photo:

After washing their hands, the students come back to the trays and choose another paint color tray to use for their flower. This time, one hand is places in the paint and then is directly placed on a scrap piece of card stock or tag.

I then have the student make a fist with their clean hand, dip the edge in some red paint, and print the body of their ladybug. Of course, they wash their hands once again!

During the next class, the students draw the head, antennae, and spots on their ladybugs using black Sharpie.

Before class, I have "bubble-cut" (cut close to the object, keeping the shape, but not cutting on the line) each butterfly and flower for the students. Of course, you could have the students do this part. By the time we get to this project, I am usually pressed for time, so I often do some prep ahead of time.

Another thing that I do ahead of time is make the stems. Again, the students can do this step (minus the paper cutter!) if you choose. I cut wavy strips from green construction paper, glue them to another green paper, and cut them on the paper cutter in 1" strips.

Sometimes, I do polka dots also.

The grass is a piece of 12" X 18" green construction paper torn in half. This is glued to the bottom of an 18" X 24" piece of construction paper. The stems are glued on to one side, tucked under the grass.

A leaf (simple tear drop or rain drop) is glued to each side of the stem.

Their tulips are glued to the top of the stem and the butterflies float in the sky above.

I also add a poem to their project. I am not sure who wrote the poem, but I have used it for years!

Who knows the bright secrets

Your ten fingers hold.

The talents still hidden,

Adventures untold.

The world is awaiting

The wonders of you.
For no one can copy

What these hands will do.

I have mad the poem available, in PDF form and ready to print, here.

I copy it on to colored paper, just to make it more interesting.

The ladybugs are glued in the grass and I write their names in a funky font. The students could also do this step.

To finish off their projects, we glue them to a posterboard and add a mosaic border. I use these mosaics because they are brightly colored on both sides.

Although they are a little bulky, the students always manage to get them home and I know the parents love them!

Enjoy some more of our colorful artwork:

View our entire gallery on Artsonia.

Chalk Song Birds

2011-06-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

I think I will let the images speak for themselves... with some info at the end.

My fifth graders made these projects over the last few weeks of school.

Here are some of the projects in process:

To send them home, place them in a folder made from a large piece of paper.

If you want this fantastic lesson, hop on over to Deep Space Sparkle.

See our entire gallery on Artsonia.

Sending Home Student Work

2011-05-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the end of the year is here and I am left with lots of artwork that needs to be sent home. Here are some of my tips for getting odd sizes and shapes home safely.

The dilemma: a pile of very large art work, too large for students to put in their book bags or carry home without destroying.

The solution: Gather your tools- tape, pen, and paper strips. This is a great way to use up all those scraps that you get when you cut paper for projects.

Roll the project like a poster...

and wrap two paper strips around it at, one at each end, taping it . Write the student's name on the strips. Paper strips are more friendly to the art- rubber bands tend to rip the projects.

Load them in a bag marked clearly with the class code. Deliver them to the homeroom teachers to hand back. Hope and pray they make it home in one piece and that no students use them as weapons on the bus.

The dilemma: messy chalk drawings that will surely smear if sent home the way they are.
The solution: make a folder from large paper, stick the art work inside, and tape shut.
Remind students NOT to open it until they get home. Hope and pray they make it home without getting folded, being smashed, or dropped in a mud puddle.

The dilemma: Lots of gorgeous, but breakable clay projects
The solution: Send a letter home to parents (preferable before Thanksgiving) asking them to send in their used gift bags and tissue paper. In return for a bag full, the students get a ticket for a freezer pop, which they redeem at lunch. Kids will do just about any job for a freezer pop!

I fill the bottom of each bag with packing peanuts (saved through the year from supply orders) wrap the precious clay projects in tissue, and place them in the bag, which has been labeled (a piece of masking tape) with the student's name and class code.

Remind students that the clay projects are to be treated like baby birds- they are very fragile. Hope and pray they are not in a zillion pieces when they get home, prompting a very sad student and an equally disappointed parent.

I have a few more tips, which I will add soon.

Do you have any tips to share for getting artwork home safely? Please share!

Signs of Spring

2011-05-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

This is a quick, end of the year project that can be done with any age group. Simply draw some boxes on the paper and fill with pictures of things that remind you of spring. Then, color using marker or crayon. If you want to make it more challenging, the students can practice using a ruler and measure out the boxes. There are so many possibilities!

I DID IT!!

2011-04-28T18:07:00.001-07:00

I actually made a button for my blog. I followed the tutorial on this site and figured it out. I am so stinkin' proud. *smile*

Monet Gardens

2011-04-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

These beautiful garden paintings were created by my first graders. Everyone had great success, simply by following along, step by step, while adding their own touches. This project also combines several painting techniques, so students get an introduction to various painting media and experiences.

Materials:
12" X 18" white construction paper (I also like to cut the paper to 10" X 16" so I can mount them to a colored background), pencils, tempera paint in the following colors: yellow, green, blue, red, orange, yellow, pink, violet, brown, and white, acrylic paint in the following colors: blue, white, greens, white, pink, and yellow, blue watercolor, tempera and watercolor brushes, small sponge pieces

Art History:
Show the students various visuals, posters, and books about the artist Claude Monet. Here is a good site that shows his gardens: Monet's Garden at Giverny

I also show them this video:

They LOVE this video and I highly recommend it! It tells the story of a little girl who travels to Monet's gardens. It is animated with shots of the real gardens interspersed. There is a book version, but the video is so much better!

Studio Activity:

Step 1: Blogger is messing with my photos tonight. Erg! I will fix them ASAP

Hand out white paper and pencils. Have students Draw a horizon line across the paper and part of a pond. I explain that we are only drawing a very small portion of the pond- maybe just the corner.

Step 2:

Put some yellow tempera in a tray and have students "hop" their sponge pieces across the horizon line and fill in the grass area. I remind them that they do NOT want the entire area solid. Some white showing through is fine. Also, remind them not to use the sponge as a brush, swiping it across the paper.

Step 3:

Add some green paint to the tray and have the students repeat step 2.

Step 4:

Add some bushes above the horizon line, using the sponge. I have the students leave an open area for a path. Make sure that they don't leave this open space above the pond or their path will go into it! You can also have the students add an arbor or arch over the opening.

Step 5:

Add some blue tempera to the tray and have students hop their sponge in the paint to mix the blue in. Use this color to hop the sponge across the horizon line to add a shadow. Also, have students add some of this color on one side of each bush to create a shadow on each.

Step 6:

Put some blue and white acrylic in a bowl, side by side. I tell the kids NOT to mix the colors. Rather, they pick up a little of each color to paint the pond. I have them make "waves" in their pond by making small brush strokes. By not mixing the blue & white, they get the effect of the light hitting the water.

Step 7:

While the pond dries, I show the kids examples (photos) of lily pads and water lilies. We also discuss that we are seeing the side of the lily pad rather than the top, so the shapes will be a flattened circle, or ellipse.

They then add about 3-5 lily pads to their ponds using two colors of acrylic paint.

They also add some small flowers to their gardens by dipping the WRONG end of their paintbrushes in various colors of tempera and then dabbing them on the paper.

Step 8:

I place some yellow, pink, and white acrylic paint in a cup and demonstrate how to make the water lilies. Have the students dip their brushes in all three colors (without mixing them all together) and then make four brushstrokes as drawn in the diagram, making sure that the strokes connect at the bottom to form the flower petals.

Step 9:

Add a cobblestone path leading in to the garden. Using the sponge again, dip in to some brown and white tempera, making sure that the colors are not completely mixed together. Have the students use the CORNER of the sponge to make "stones" in the pathway leading in from the arbor.

Step 10: Adding the fence- 2 variations.

I have had students use two different methods for adding a fence. In the first method, students mask off the area of the fence by tape rolling strips of paper to their white paper in the shape of a fence. Then, complete steps 1-9 before removing the paper strips. The white fence shows through.

I have had a few issues with this method; the kids have a hard time rolling the tape, the tape can stick out the edges, and sometimes, the paper falls off. But, if done correctly, the fence turns out wonderful, as shown below.

The second method is just to have the students paint it on with acrylic after the rest of the painting is done. I have used this method more recently. The fence doesn't turn out as crisp, but the kids seem to have an easier time with it. I have them paint the vertical fence posts first before adding the horizontal cross bars. (What is the correct term for those??)

Enjoy some of our gorgeous gardens. Monet would be proud!
(Note: we will be adding our digital photos to these next week. See instructions below.)

A techy twist: take digital photos of the students in front of a green screen, print them, and then cut them out and glue to the painting. Or, add them digitally. I had the kids pretend they were picking flowers or standing with their hats on holding flowers.

You can see more of our Monet Gardens on Artsonia.

Make Your Own Liquid Watercolors

2011-04-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what is going on in the photo above? I am recycling old dried out markers to make liquid watercolor! And look how gorgeous it turns out:

To do this, all you have to do is soak your old markers, head down, in a cup of water. I left these over the weekend and they are nice and bright. I had some old gel markers and they worked really well. I especially liked the white gel markers mixed with the purple and blue to make a cornflower blue. Have fun, experiment, save money, and recycle all at the same time!

The original idea for this came from this website: Artapotamus

Happy Egg Day!

2011-04-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, so what do you do with Young Fives students the day before Easter Break when your class has been shortened to 20 minutes? Crayon resist eggs! I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Shaving Cream Marbled Starry Nights

2011-04-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

These awesome scenes were created by my second grade students after studying the art of Vincent VanGogh and, in particular, his painting "Starry Night."

(I have linked resources for your convenience.)

Supplies:

VanGogh resources (videos, prints, books, etc.), white paper 10" X 16" (I like to mount them to 12" X 18" paper when finished), shaving cream, liquid watercolor in warm & cool colors, scraper, large tray, pencil, stamps (swirls & stars), metallic tempera for stamping, black paper 6" X 16" for silhouettes, scissors, silver Sharpie, glue, colored paper for mounting

ENCOUNTER

Step 1:

Discuss Vincent VanGogh and his art work, especially Starry Night. (I have linked several resources above.)

Step 2: Discuss warm and cool colors. I have my students play a sorting game where they separate colored rectangles in to warm (like fire) and cool (like water) piles. They will choose either a warm or cool color scheme for their skies, as seen below.

Step 3: Marbling

Squirt the shaving cream in to the tray, making sure it is large enough to cover the white paper.

Step 4:

Spread out the shaving cream using the large scraper. It's like frosting a cake!

Step 5:

Students will choose either warm or cool liquid watercolors for their skies.

Step 6:

Students drip the watercolor on to the shaving cream, making sure not to puddle the colors. I have found that the bottle don't generally need to be squeezed, but merely held over the tray and slightly shaken.

Step 7:

I have students use a hair pick to marble their colors. I have tried several tools, including actual marbling combs, and the picks work the best. Have the students hold the pick between their fingers very lightly- almost to the point of having it fall out of their hand.

Step 8:

Making sure to "float" the pick on top of the shaving cream, students comb the colors back and forth. I remind the students that they are NOT plowing a field!

Step 9:

Making sure to "float" the pick on top of the shaving cream, students comb the colors up and down.

Step 10:

Making sure to "float" the pick on top of the shaving cream, students make swirls.

At this point, the saving cream should look something like this.

Step 11:

Have the students write their names on the back of their white papers BEFORE doing this step. Place the white paper face down on to the shaving cream and rub until the paper is coated.

Step 12:

Peel the paper back slowly. If any spots were missed, lay the paper back down and rub again.

At this point, it will look like a big blob of nothing.

The magic happens during the next step!

Step 13:

Use the large scraper to remove the excess shaving cream. We scoop it right back in to the tray to be used again. The kids love the reveal!

Step 14:

Spread the shaving cream back out for the next student to use. You can reuse the cream until it gets too runny.

Step 15: Stamping

Use star and swirl rubber stamps dipped in metallic paint to add to the starry night feel of the painting. Sorry, no pics!

Step 16: Making the Silhouette

Hand out a black paper to each student and have them place it in front of them horizontally. Then, they draw a horizon line about half way up. All of their landscape items will sit on this line.

Step 17:

Have students draw houses, trees, mountains, or any land form they choose. Details aren't needed, but may help students in their drawing. They will not show in the final design.

Step 18:

Either the student or the teacher can do this step. Using a silver Sharpie, outline only the TOP EDGE of the landscape. This will give the students a clear line to follow when cutting.

Step 19:

Students cut out their landscape silhouettes, following the silver line.

Step 20:

The silhouettes are glued on, lining up the bottom edges. Make sure that students put glue on the side with the silver lines so that the silhouette will be perfectly black in the final design.

Optional: glue finished projects to colored construction paper to mount.

More Awesome Starry Nights

My lesson plan on the Discount School Supply website. I received $100 in supplies for this lesson!

Wild & Wiry Clay Birds

2011-04-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

As promised, the clay bird tutorial is here!

Step One:

Make lots of clay slabs for the kiddos. I use Amaco white Art Clay #25 because I love the way the glazes look on the white clay. I was able to purchase a slab roller for the art room and I LOVE IT! Not only does it roll slabs in a flash, it has saved my arm muscles lots of pain from throwing & rolling them out manually.

Step Two:

Here are most of the tools that I use to make this bird: clay slip, round cutter for making the head (or they can be cut by hand), blunt tapestry needle for cutting, mil straws for maing holes, seashell for making feathers on the wing, toothbrush for scoring & slipping. In addition, I used old marker lids for the eyes, which is shown in a later step.

Step Three:

From the clay slabs, cut out these shapes- large half circle for the body, small half circle for the wing, circle for the head, and triangle for the beak.

Step Four:

Begin assembling the parts.

Dip the toothbrush into the slip and use it to score or rough up the back of the wing and attach it to the body shape as shown.

Score and slip the head into place above the wing.

(The head can go on either end, depending on which way you want the bird to face.)

Score and slip the beak into place, pressing it slightly to the head.

Step Five:

Add the eye. I have collected a variety of old marker lids that have a star design on the top.

When pressed in to the clay, they make an awesome design for the eye.

Step Six:

Add the feathers to the wing by pressing the back of a seashell into the clay.

Step Seven:

Bore the holes using the milk straw.

Make two at the top for hanging, three in the tail, and two on the belly for the legs.

Step Eight:

Smooth out all of the edges by sipping your fingers in the slip and running them over the edges.

Step Nine: Allow the clay to dry completely and then fire as directed in the kiln.

I decided to make a differently shaped bird. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Some pics of the kiddos making their birds.

Step Ten:

After the birds come out of the kiln, glaze the body one color and the head and wing another color. Don't worry about making them match because they are wild! We used Mayco Crystalites glazes for the bodies and Stroke & Coat glazes for the head, wing, eye, and beak.

Step Eleven:

Refire the birds in the kiln, as directed.

Step Twelve:

Decorate the bird using a variety of embellishments. We used pipe cleaners (LOVE the striped ones), ribbon (organza works well), Mizuhiki Cords, Twisteez Wire (a MUST for the legs), and thin wire for hanging.

Add the tail:

Thread the ribbon through the holes in the tail. I have found that it is best to add the ribbons first, as they take up the most room. Students used their tapestry needles to push the ribbon through the holes. Line up the ribbon so that half on the ribbon is on either side of the hole, as shown.

Tie a knot in the ribbon.

Add one ribbon to each hole using the same method as above.

Next, add the other embellishments, such as the pipe cleaners. Push the pipe cleaner through the hole and twist the ends together.

Make a few curls to the pipe cleaner to add some flair.

Continue adding the other embellishments to the tail. If using Mizuhiki cords, knot them on.

Some of the kiddos decorating their birds.

Step Twelve:

Add the legs to the bird using Twisteez wire. They come in a variety of colors and are the length shown at the top of the photo below. We cut the cord in half and gave each student ONE wire. The students then cut their wire in half to make two legs, as shown at the bottom of the photo.

Put the wire through one of the holes in the belly, match up the ends, and twist the wire until you almost get to the end. Save a little wire at the ends to make the feet.

Bend the extra wire up and back in to the legs, as shown below.

Bend both loops of the foot forawrd to make the foot, as shown.

Add the other wire leg as directed above.

Step Thirteen:

Add a thin ribbon to the top holes for hanging.

Enjoy!

View our entire aviary of birds on Artsonia.

Art Show!

2011-03-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

We recently held our 12th annual Spring Celebration of the Arts, which included fine art, music, and dances performed by our elementary phys ed classes. Here are a few photos of my displays from that night. You can click on any to enlarge them and see more detail.

That is yours truly, hanging the art show. Luckily, I get the entire day to get the show put up.

This is my student teacher, Kinsey.

She was a great help!

I always like to show the "before" photos to show just how much work we did that day.

I had some wonderful help!

And this is the finished product. I have 3 display boards that I fill, plus all of the walls.

A display of 2nd grade's "Abstract Names"

4th grade Digital Photography.

4th grade "Musical Mandalas" and 1st grade name projects

Kinders' "Primary Mondrian"

3rd grade "What's In A Name?"

5th grade "Fearless Art"

Kinders' Penguin collages

2nd grade "Non-Objective Art"

1st grade "Sunflowers" & 3rd grade "Self-Portrait Retablos"

Based on Frida Kahlo, the door open to reveal their portraits.

5th grade clay faces based on the art of Kimmy Cantrell

I know I need to blog about these. I get emails all the time asking about them!

To create this display, I had to set up two tables and then tip one over and place it on top to make the false wall. This display contains 1st grade Clay Owls, kinders' pinch pots, and 2nd grade "Wild & Wiry Clay Birds"

3rd grade "Metepec Clay Suns" & 4th grade Clay Tiles

Long shot of the side wall (actually the back of the bleachers!)

This side wall included the following displays:

4th grade "Impossible Haunted Houses"

3rd grade "Golden Gourds"

2nd grade "Paul Klee Checkerboards"

feature a black line drawing on a warm & cool landscape

1st grade "Under The Harvest Moon"

5th grade "Halloween Scenes"

I just love seeing kids point out their artwork to parents!

And, this is the opposite wall of the gym... er, gallery!

This side included the following displays"

4th grade "Winter Birch Trees"

5th grade "Carousel Animals" done in oil pastel

1st grade "Wild Things" done in fluorescent watercolor

The Young Fives' display contains various projects since there are only 30 of them total

I always hang this sign above their work, just as a gentle reminder!

3rd grade " Day of the Dead Calaveras" inspired by Painted Paper. Thank you!!

At the back of the room were the following projects:

Kinders' "Cupid's Weave"

4th Grade "Self-Portrait Rag-Gon-Nons" based on the Ohio artist Aminah Robinson

2nd grade "Picasso Monsters"

Some general ideas:

We always have scrapbooks of the previous year's art show so everyone can reminisce.

I also had a slide show of my students' work on Artsonia projected on to a screen.

We had 4 Hands-On Activities for the kiddos. Sorry, I can't post any more pics of them because the kids are in them, but they included Blow Paint Monsters, Faces on Film (oil pastel on overhead film), Butterfly Mosaics, and Bird collages (seen below)

Yes, EVERY one of my students has a project in this show. Tons of work, but well worth it!

So that the parents know which project to look for, I send home the following note the week before the show. It tells them exactly which project I put in and where to find it.

Finally, my FAVORITE part of the art show is seeing what artistic flower arrangement

my hubby has come up with! Gotta love that!!

Whew! Thank you for looking through our art show photos. I had over 200 pics this year, so it was hard to edit them down. I'm sure many of you also had art shows this month. Hope they were as successful as my Apache Kids' show!

Bulletin Board, Showcase, and a Giveaway WINNER!

2011-03-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished this bulletin board today in our school atrium. (Click on the photo to see an enlarged version.) We all have to take turns decorating it. Well, since I am on a bird themed kick, this is what I came up with. I painted the branch right on to the bulletin board paper and the kids were FASCINATED watching me as they went to lunch. It was so cute.

Continuing the bird theme, I added these quetzal birds made by my third graders to the display boards, also in the atrium.

They drew a cage on to white tag board using a black Sharpie marker. The quetzal was drawn separately and colored with oil pastel. They were then cut out and glued to the cages so that the birds are "uncaged," or free. This was an extention of our Mexico theme.

I also added our clay projects to the showcase, all bird themed, of course.

There are owls by first grade.

There are also clay bird tiles by fourth grade.

Here is a close-up of one of the tiles.

And there are those wild and wiry birds by second grade.

Which brings us to the winner of my Wild & Wiry Clay Bird, chosen by Random.org.

And the winner is...

Congrats! I will need your address so that I may send you your prize. Please shoot me an email.

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support and kind words. I will have to do another giveaway once I reach 300 followers!

Birds, Birds, Birds! ( GIVEAWAY!!!)

2011-03-26T17:36:00.001-07:00

So, it seems that birds have been finding their way into my life lately, as evidenced here: I went in to one of my favorite shops yesterday and had to buy this little guy, who is now perched next to the flowers my husband designed and sent to me at the Arts Festival.

I also had to have this plaque, which also features a bird.

Imagine my surprise and delight when she package everything in this adorable bag!

Even my own art is not immune.

Then there is one of the hands-on activities from the Arts Festival, featuring, of course, birds.

Some of the projects featured at the Arts Festival featured birds as well.

Fifth grade carousel animal done in oil pastel.

Third grade uncaged quetzal birds done in oil pastel and black marker.

Student working on her quetzal.

Clay owls made by first grade. You can find the directions here.

And Wild & Wiry Birds made by my second graders. (The word balloons were added just for the art show)

So it only makes sense that I give away this little guy.

I got the idea from a photo on Flikr and have come to find out that a similar idea was featured in Arts & Activities magazine. My student teacher, Kinsey, and I modified the bird to make it our own style. While I will be blogging instructions for these very soon, this is your opportunity to have one, in hand, so you can see all the details up close.

In order to be chosen to receive this ceramic bird, all you have to do is leave me a comment giving me some feedback about my blog; something you have enjoyed, something you would like to see, something that really annoys you, etc. I will randomly choose the winner on Wednesday, March 30th. Good luck and thank you for following Mrs. Picasso's Art Room!

~Denise

Art Show, Sneak Peek, & A Giveaway!

2011-03-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! I have been so very busy getting ready for my Fine Arts Festival that will be held this Thursday. I miss blogging, but making sure that I have over 550 mounted art projects is a huge undertaking. I promise to be back with more fun art projects very soon!

The picture above is a sneak peek of the next project I will be blogging about. I am in LOVE with these little clay birds made by my second graders.

Finally, I see that I have reached over 200 followers. YAY!! To celebrate, I will be having a giveaway this weekend. Look for it!

Thank you for visiting!

Denise

Clay Heart In Hand

2011-03-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

My Young Fives (little kinders) made these clay hand plaques for their mamas. Aren't they adorable?

I pre-cut some circles for the backgrounds using a large cookie cutter. By the way, I now have a slab-roller and it has made my life SOOOOO much easier! I LOVE it! I highly recommend purchasing one. Ok, back to the topic at "hand." *groan*

Using a tapestry needle, the students cut around their own hand from a slab of clay. Finger lines were added using the needle also. Then, they pressed a heart shaped cutter in to the clay, making sure that they don't cut all the way through.

I demonstrate scoring and slipping next. They use the needles again to score the clay surfaces.

The students then add the liquid clay slip to both pieces and wiggle their clay hands in place on the circle.

I go around and add two small holes for hanging using a milk straw.

After firing the plaques, the kids glazed the hearts using Stroke & Coat glazes and the circles using Crystalites. The hands were left unglazed, although I added a clear glaze to the entire piece to add shine.

Great job, Kinder-Smarters!

So this one has an etra finger. Oops! Too cute, though.

Musical Mandalas

2011-02-15T14:08:00.001-08:00

A mandala is... An integrated structure organized around a unifying center. ~Longchenpa

Aren't these spectacular? Can you believe that they were made by fourth graders? A-ma-zing. And, as a bonus, there is a math tie in and, as one of my smart followers pointed out, Social Studies!

MATERIALS:

images of Mandalas, posterboard or matboard scraps for background (I use the back of Flawboard), ice cream lid and cool whip lid to make circles, old CDs, hot glue gun, pencil, protractor (larger ones work best), ruler, permanent markers- thin black and regular sized colored

ENCOUNTER:

Step 1: Discuss Mandalas and show examples. Some great resources are Mandalas of the World, Mandala coloring book, and The Mandala Project online.

Step 2: Using pencil, trace around the two lids to make concentric circles- these will be used as guidelines and may be erased later.

Step 3: Hot glue an old CD (blank side up) in the center of the circles, making sure it is centered.
(Notice that there are no circles drawn around the CD in the photo below? I realized much later that it is easier to draw the circles BEFORE gluing on the CD.)

Step 4: Using the fine tip permanent marker, draw a dot in the center of the CD.Line a ruler up with the dor and draw a line across the CD.

Step 5: Find the hole at the bottom of the protractor (shown by the arrow in the 1st photo below) and line it up with the dot in the center of the CD. Make sure that the black lines on the protractor's bottom line up with the black line that has been drawn across the CD (shown in 2nd photo).

Step 6: Keep the protrator in this position and make a mark at every 30 degrees (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180). Flip the board around and repeat steps 5 and 6 so that the CD is marked every 30 degrees all the way around, as shown in the 2nd photo below.

Step 7: Using the ruler, connect the marks at 90 degrees so that you now have perpendicular lines (math term!)

Step 8: Continue connecting the marks all the way around to make 12 equal 30 degree sections. *Note: be sure to remind students that when they line up the two marks, they also should line the ruler up with the center dot. I have had students connect the wrong marks! If a mistake occurs, whiteboard cleaner on a kleenex will remove the permanent marker.

Step 9: For this step, use the fine line permanent black marker. Focusing on one wedge, draw a simple design using lines and shapes. Use the center circles to help space out your design.

Step 10: Repeat this same design in the remaining sections. Remind students that the design uses Radial Symmetry (math term!), meaning that it is the same all the way around. Again, use the circles as a guide to line up the design.

Step 11: Using the ruler and PENCIL, lightly extend the sections out on to the board, past the edges of the previously drawn circles. Remember, these are guidelines and may not be kept, depending upon the design.

Step 12: Using the previously drawn lines as guides, draw another design in one of the sections. I have the students use pencil at this point.

Step 13: Once the design is decided upon, trace the lines to be kept with the fine line permanent marker.

Step 14: Continue the design in the remaining sections, making sure to line everything up as carefully as possible. Use the guielines to help space things out. (Oops! Someone got antsy about coloring before taking the photo!)

Step 15: Have students choose 5 or 6 colors to use in their design. Explain that dark colors should not be placed next to other dark colors.

*Note: Have the students make a mark using each color on the BACK of their board so that they may match them up during the next week.

*Note: Colors will show up lighter on the CD than on the board.

Finished Mandala

Some totally engaged students:

Some finished masterpieces!

View our gallery of Mandalas on Artsonia.

Cupid's Weave

2011-02-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

This is a fun lesson to do with my kinders and serves as an introduction to weaving.

Materials: 9" X 12" construction paper in various colors, scissors, pencil, weaving strips, decorative papers (for smaller weaving strips & small 3" X 5" pieces for heart shapes), heart templates cut from posterboard/cardboard, glue,

For mounting: paper fasteners, 1/8" hole paper punch, posterboard

Encounter:

Step 1~

Have students choose one piece of 9" X 12" paper and fold it in half, as shown below. Along the opened end, have students draw a pencil line accross the top, about 1" down from the edge. Students should write their names on the line. Once weaving begins, it will be important that their names are on the edge, rather than in the middle.

Step 2~

Students begin cutting from the bottom (folded) up to the line and stop. Repeat cutting approximately every inch or so apart. It isn't necessary to measure; just remind students not to make their cuts too close together or they will have more work later, during weaving.

I tell the students that their papers should look like a hula skirt or car wash when they are finished! My students respond well when I give them visual imagery like this.

Step 3~ Have students open up their papers and demonstrate weaving. I tell my kinders that their papers are like dirt and the weaving strips are worms. The "worms" are going to go under and over the dirt until it reaches the other side. Then, the next worm goes over and under- just the opposite of the first worm. I then tell them that their worms have to snuggle up next to each other so that more worms can fit. I often walk around and help with this part as they work.

"The worms."

Before they begin weaving, I show them how "Mr. Wrong" does his weaving, demonstrating several mistakes. They enjoy catching these mistakes and often giggle and yell out, "No!"

Step 4~

In the next step, students will add the "baby worms" to the weaving. They slide a thin paper strip through their weaving, one on top of each "mama worm." Yes, I tell them that each mama needs a baby!

To make these smaller strips, I simply sent some decorative paper through our school's shredder.

A student's weaving with the "babies" on top of the "mamas."

Step 5~

Pass out several 3" X 5" pieces of decorative paper to the students and have them choose 3 different ones. Students trace around the heart templates and then cut the hearts out. Remind students to use the back of the paper to draw on so that their pencil lines will not show in the finished product. All scraps are saved for a future project!

Step 6~

Students glue their hearts to their weavings. Their weavings may be turned either direction, but all hearts should be oriented in the same way. Remind students not to be "glue monsters"- a little bit goes a long way. *smile*

Step 7~

I have my students turn their papers over (on the floor) and "rub their backs" to make the glued on pieces lie down.

Finished student project.

Step 8~ (optional)

To display the students' weavings, I punch a small hole in each corner and, using paper fasteners, attach them to pieces of white posterboard. The vivid colors really pop against the background.

Happy Heart Flags

2011-02-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

Today is my husband and my 19th wedding anniversary. I decided to create something homemade this year, so this vignette is what I came up with. Bonus- it doubles for Valentine's Day. I have directions for the flags at the end of this post.

This cool banner is from Lisa Frost. Love her work!

The flags are homemade.

I also made the heartstrings, based on Little Birdie Secrets' blog post.

My husband wanted cupcakes, so I bought this cool holder at Wal-Mart.

I put candy in the jar to hold the branch in place. The branch, by the way, is glittered.

More decorations came from Meijer.

How to make the flags:

Step 1: Get an old book, preferably one that has been discarded from the library! Using an X-Acto knife, carefully cut along the spine to remove the pages.

Step 2: Cut each page into a triangular flag shape.

Step 3: Notch each top corner. I have shown where to cut by adding black lines here- you should cut on these lines. *Note- by adding this notch, the edges won't show when it is folded down in a later step.

Step 4: Collect a bunch of really cool papers. Have I mentioned that I LOVE paper??

Step 5: Cut some hearts from the decorative papers and glue one heart to each flag.

Step 6: Add a line of glue along the top (notched) edge and lay a cord or string in the glue. *Note- do not cut this cord- keep it on the spool so the flags can be strung up.

Step 7: Fold the notched edge down over the cord and press to seal.

Step 8: Get some cardstock or heavy scrapbook paper to use as backing.

Step 9: Glue the flag to the backing , lining up the top edges.

Step 10: Using some fancy edged scissors, cut the cardstock so that just a small edge shows around the flag.

Step 11: Continue until you have your desired length.

Marble Painted Hearts

2011-02-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

This is a quick & nifty little project that I pull out for my Young 5s (pre-K) classes.

Materials: 9" X 9" white paper or tagboard, 6" X 6" white paper or tagboard, tape, scissors, tempera paint, cups or bowls for paint, marbles (I found mine in the floral department at Wal-Mart), spoons, tray, spray bottles filled with liquid watercolor, metallic markers.

Step 1:

Fold the smaller square piece of paper in half and cut a heart shape. I have used pink paper in my example so that it will contrast. Usually, I have my students use white paper so they end up with two painted heart pictures.

Step 2:
Attach the smaller square to the bigger square using pieces of rolled tape.

And... place it in a plastic tray (or shallow box).

Step 3:

Place out small cups of paint in Valentine's colors. Heck, throw in a few non-traditional colors as well! Place a marble or two in each color.

Step 4:

Using a spoon, roll the marble in the paint until it is completely covered.

Step 5:
Spoon the paint covered marble in to the middle of the heart.

Step 6:

Gently rock the tray back and forth so the marble rolls accross the paper and adds color to it.

Step 7:

Repeat steps 5 & 6 until much of the paper is covered in paint.

Step 8:

I have found that the marble paint on its own is not enough to form the heart- students get bored after awhile with rolling the marbles. So, I came up with the idea of using a spray bottle to add more color. Mix some liquid watercolor (we used red and turquoise in two separate bottles) and water in a spray bottle and have students hold it parallel to the tray. Spray twice.

Step 9:

Turn the tray and spray twice with the second color.

This is an idea of what it will look like after step 9.

Step 10:

Allow the painting to dry completely and then remove the smaller square.

At this point, the paintings can be finished and if you used white paper, you should have two very cool paintings that you can mount on to colored paper.

But... if you like to add some bling and pazaaz to the painting, use these markers.

Step 11:

Using the metallic markers, outline the heart shape (students can do this before smaller square is removed) and the square shape.

Step 12:

Using the metallic markers, add designs to the negative space around the heart.

Some pre-K examples to LOVE:

Crayon Muffins

2011-02-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

And what did YOU do with your day off due to the blizzard of 2011?

I spend countless hours making crayon muffins.

Step One: Peel the paper off hundreds of crayon bits. After getting tons of crayon bits under my fingernails, it finally dawned on me to use a razor blade to slice down the crayon and peel the label off. Ahhh, much better! *Disclaimer: do not let children use the razor blade! The crayons I had were very old (up to 10 years!) and the labels wouldn't come off easily. Hopefully, your stash is much newer and easier to peel.

Step Two: get an awesome baking pan. I also have a heart shaped one. Both are by Wilton and cost under $10.

Step Three: Pile the crayon bits into the pan, making sure they are slightly mounded. They will melt down and fill the gaps between the crayons.

Step Four: Bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely and they will pop right out. Have fun- try different color combinations!

PeNGuiNs!

2011-01-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of these fellas floating around on blogs. Here are my Kinders' version.

I taught them to make a "Glue Sandwich" when gluing on the earmuffs; put glue on one oval, add the other on top to make the "sandwich", pull them apart, and each has the perfect amount of glue. We work REALLY hard not to be "Glue Monsters"!!!!

The beaks open up- they loved that part!

Ribbon from a discount store ($1 a roll) made the perfect scarf.

I must be crazy- each of those snowflakes were hand punched by me!

See our entire "Rookery" of Penguins on Artsonia.

Frosty Friends

2011-01-11T18:04:00.001-08:00

How to make a Frosty Friend:

Start with a large snowflake. I found these 12" foam ones from the Dollar store (5 in a package).

Add a hat and scarf made of scrap fleece. (I have a parent who donated TONS).

Next add a carrot nose, wiggly eyes, a star sticker for the hat, and punched out dots for the mouth.

I suggest using tacky glue for this project.

More Frosty Friends:

Visit our entire gallery of Frosty Friends on Artsonia.