2nd Grade - Keith Haring figure paintings

Students loved posing for each other in this Keith Haring-inspired painting lesson.  They used their sketchbooks and drew at least 3 different poses - many did more because they were having so much fun!  Then, they used those sketches in their final painting.  They added patterns, designs, and a lot of color!

6th Grade - Plaster Relief Sculptures

My 6th graders really enjoy this lesson because it's something completely different than what they are used to.  We begin by looking at pictures of relief sculptures in Greek and Roman art/architecture.  I talk them through the brief version of the entire process so they can understand what they have ahead of them.  Next, I choose a theme, and this year it was animals, and they do a sketch of the animal, which will be the relief part of their sculpture.  The shape of their mold has to have some association with that animal (for example, a giraffe inside of a leaf shape, or a penguin inside of an iceberg shape).  Next, they begin building the mold out of plasticine clay (tip: we use a microwave to soften hard clay).  They start with forming the shape of their mold, and then carve out their animal.  Lastly, they form 2" tall walls around the bottom of their mold.

Working with the clay is definitely the hardest part.  After that, they love pouring the plaster into their molds.  We let those set until the next art class.

 

What's great about using plasticine clay for the entire mold, is that it peels off the plaster in one or two big pieces.  Then, they use a variety of carving tools to "clean-up" their sculpture.  They also can use sanding blocks to smooth their edges.

The whole process is a huge mess, but they love it.  I just make sure I give them extra time to clean their tables and sweep the floor!  The last step is optional, and that is to add color with watercolor paints.

2nd and 3rd Grade - Printmaking

This year, my second grade students used small styrofoam plates to carve out an animal and print with one color of ink.  They printed them in the center of a larger black paper.  When dry, they added a border with oil pastel around their print.  They also had the option of adding more color on the printed area.

 

Third graders learned about non-objective art before starting their printmaking unit.  Then they used a variety of plastic printing plates (cut from plexi-glass and thick overhead sheets) to practice additive and subtractive monoprints.  For additive, they painted ink onto their printing plate with a paintbrush.  For subtractive, they rolled one color of ink onto their plate with a brayer, and scraped away their non-objective design using a q-tip.  They were asked to explore both types of printing, and make at least three prints total.    They also added oil pastel to the dried prints.

 

 

5th Grade - Wood Sculptures

Here's some more pictures of the finished wood sculptures.  Students could choose to make their sculpture either realistic or abstract.  They used up to 9 pieces of scrap wood and glued them together with wood glue.  During this project, they found out just how important balance is to a piece of artwork!

 

]

]

Snow, snow, snow!

Today was our third snow day in a row, and sixth total in a month!
This is the snow drift by the front doors of the school...

Needless to say, we haven't gotten too much completed in the art room.  However, there's some great starts to some fun lessons!
One of my favorite lessons is underway - wood sculptures by the 5th graders.  I'm really lucky to have one of the paraprofessionals donate bags of wood scraps to me every year for this project.  Here's some pictures of the works-in-progress.  As you can see, some are close to finished, and some are barely started thanks to the snow days.  Keep posted for more information and pictures in the next week or so!

 

6th Grade - Plaster Masks

The 6th grade mask-making lesson is probably the most anticipated project of the school year!  As you can see, the students get to lay on the tables as their group members apply the plaster gauze strips to their face.  To protect their faces, we simply begin by placing a damp paper towel on them, of course with a hole torn out for their nose.  Group members work quickly to apply about 3 layers of plaster gauze to their face.  Once everyone has their masks made we discuss the history of masks, uses of masks and  various options for them to use when creating their mask design.   A sketch is completed and painting begins.  Some students create other pieces out of paper, cotton, fabric, etc.. to apply to their mask as well.  Results get better every year and there's always such a wide range of masks made.

 

4th Grade - Animal Pots

4th graders had 3 requirements for their animal pot; it had to be a pot/container, have a lid that fits, and had to somehow be transformed into an animal.  They did a sketch before beginning.  The pots all started as a pinch pot, and animal parts were added on by slipping and scoring.  Lids were made from either slabs or pinch pots.  Fired pieces were painted and clear glazed.  They were all so fantastic I couldn't just choose a few pictures!