Art Projects from MN Art Gal

projects, projects, and even more projects...

2012-02-07T09:05:00.001-06:00

With the creation of Pinterest, how can one manage a blog and do so much looking on the web??!!!Here are a few projects we have been working on in the art room...

Kindergarten Magic CarpetsLines, patterns, and still learning how to glue!

First Grade TurkeysThe sticker eyes really make these look so fun!

First Grade OrnamentsDrawing with curved lines, creating patterns with shapes, coloring our best with crayons.

Second Grade Texture CreaturesUsing texture card rubbings and those so fun eyeball stickers the kids created these creatures.

Fifth Grade ZentanglesStudents used metal to create a Zentangle, colored with permanent markers, attached to a square black paper, extended their continuous line from the metal onto the black paper and filled in using construction paper crayons. Love, love, love these.- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

first projects of the year...

2011-10-01T06:28:00.001-05:00

Owls, owls, and even more owls!!

Second grade collage owls.

Fourth grade black glue and watercolor owls.

Kindergarten paper owls.

Mosaic frame for first grade owls...

Once all of these awesome projects are complete I will post more pics!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

time flies...

2011-07-11T21:12:00.001-05:00

Wow...I can't believe the lack of blogging that I have been up to. I suppose I better get-to-getting! I wanted to share with you some of the pictures that I took while in Chicago attending the National Education Association Representative Assembly. It was my first time in Chicago, so obviously I had to get to the Chicago Institute of Art. It is sure amazing seeing some of the art that I have been looking at in books or on the internet for so long and there they are, the ACTUAL pieces!!! Truly a natural high for me...some of the paintings even brought tears to my eyes. Once again, this only confirms that I am definitely in the right profession.

guess where I am...

2011-07-02T14:03:00.001-05:00

So once again I was nominated to represent our district and state at the National Education Association Assembly! Today is the first day of voting and introducing new business. As of yet, nothing has come along the path on art education. I will keep you posted if there is anything that is of great concern for our field.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

it worked!!!

2011-05-22T20:43:00.001-05:00

Wow! Technology is so cool sometimes. I have been using my iPad2 so much more than my laptop lately, I can do just about all that I need to with my new toy.

OK, so here are some pic of our last few projects of the year...enjoy!

experiment...

2011-05-22T20:30:00.001-05:00

Well, this is an experiment...I am trying to create a post with my iPad. Here is one of the clay projects that we have done recently.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

i love paper...

2011-04-28T06:15:00.005-05:00

Well, I know this post isn't about anything that I have been doing in the classroom, but, I just
HAD TO SHARE!!!

Ever since we moved into our home about 10 years ago, one of the things that I just had to change was the dining room chandelier. Ugly, old, and cheap looking. Shiny "gold" chain, plastic "crystal" pieces and overall screaming 1980's decor!
It looked something like this:

We have planned on changing this gaudy chandelier many times, I had even bought a new one. The challenge that we faced was how the heck to get up to the ceiling, 20 feet high, to actually change out the old one for a new one. So, we just figured forget it, we'll do it another time.

Having to look at this ugly thing for so many years and disliking it so bad pushed me over the edge. I looked up DIY chandeliers on Google and didn't find anything too exciting. Frustrated, I came up with my own solution - using my addiction to scrapbook paper I created this A-W-E-S-O-M-E hanging piece of art. And I just love, love, love it!!!

I knew all that money that I spend on scrapbook paper would pay off sometime!

Oh, I also wrapped the so expensive looking "gold" chain with this really cool beaded rope/string thing I had picked up somewhere knowing that I would eventually use it! :)
I put our bar high dining chair on top of our bar high table and attached the beaded string to the end of a stick and carefully attached it to the chain. Let me tell you how shaky my legs and chair were!!! I told my kids to call my friend down the street and then 911 if I fell!

ccw...

2011-04-08T08:56:00.006-05:00

CRAZY CLAY WEEK!!!
(CCW)

If you were to talk to my art colleagues, they could tell you that I am the worst procrastinator when it comes to clay! And I don't know why - once I get into it I really enjoy it.
It's the preparing, finding space to store fragile clay projects, and having my room be so darn D-U-S-T-Y.

So, this year I had this brilliant idea - aahh - that I would designate a whole week - since I only see my students once a week - just for clay projects. Yep, that would be kindergarten through fifth grade, all in one week. And today is the LAST day!!! Well, kinda. The fifth grade are creating masks which take a bit longer, plus I have them watch the Peggy Flores mask making video before hand. But, after today I will have ALL K-4th grade clay projects made and drying.
I will post pictures of our projects soon. They are turning out so GREAT!!!

See that little purple-eyed fish down at the bottom of the pile? That's how I feel right now with all the clay related things going on in my room. Ugh...TGIF...

aztec suns...

2011-03-28T09:11:00.002-05:00

First grade students learned about the Aztec Calendar and how important the sun was.
We looked at a variety of Aztec artworks and talked about using simple lines and shapes on their own sun.

Students used black paper and construction paper crayons, I love the way those crayons look on dark paper - at least Crayola makes one cool medium that doesn't cost an arm and a leg!! (And they don't dry out!!)

Overall, this project took two art classes, which is about two hours, to complete.

really!?

2011-03-23T10:02:00.002-05:00

YEP, SNOW DAY TODAY.
REALLY?
WE HAD TO WAIT THIS LONG...WHEN THE SNOW WAS ALL GONE YESTERDAY MORNING...NOW THERE'S A GOOD FIVE OR SIX INCHES AGAIN...MY POOR PURPLE JOHNNY JUMP-UPS THAT HAVE BEGUN TO SHOW THEMSELVES IN MY FLOWER GARDENS...
REALLY?
TACK ON ANOTHER DAY IN JUNE.
really...

magazine bowls...

2011-03-21T08:40:00.005-05:00

Love, love, love this project!!!
All the magazines that I have in the art room proved to be a goldmine!

Fold the page, glue it, tape it, roll it tightly, tape again. Repeat. And repeat...

I did this project with third and fifth grade because I wanted to find out which grade this was going to work with. Fifth was the winner!

There are a few "how-to" pages if you Google "magazine bowls."
The kids really enjoyed this project and the end result is way cool.

ahhh shucks...

2011-03-13T20:41:00.007-05:00

How NICE is this!? I was given The Versatile Blogger Award by Lolamouse at Mouse Droppings. Thank You!! You will have to check out her creative spark at her site.

There are some rules that go along with this award -

The Rules to accept the award are as follows:

Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.
Tell 7 Random facts about yourself.
Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers.
Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you’ve done so, and let the giver of your award know you accept it.

Here are 7 random facts about me...

Besides the two pet mice we have, I am the only female in my home, which includes my husband, two sons, two dogs, two cats and two minnows.
I so want to ride through the rain forest on a zip line!
I am deathly afraid of heights - my hands sweat just thinking about that zip line!
Being a lifeguard at a local beach was the best job I ever had. My first job, which comes in a close second, was being a dog groomer. My ultimate job is what I am doing now, teaching art.
I can't sit long enough to read a book, no matter how good everyone says it is.
I love animals of all kinds. My friends call me the "Animal Whisperer." One even says my Native American name is "One Who Runs With Squirrels," only because I got bit by one last summer trying to save it's life!
Lastly, I have four tattoos and would get four more in a heartbeat!

So, now onto the 15 (YES-FIFTEEN!!) new bloggers that I need to pass this award onto. Hmmm...as I have looked through the bloggers that I follow, I am choosing the ones that are fairly new to this exciting blog world and show some great talent, and I have chosen a few that I think they have awesome blogs that show some F-U-N ideas! Enjoy...oh, and check them out!

AND FOR YOU ART TEACHERS WHO WANT A GOOD LAUGH AND DON'T GET OFFENDED EASILY, CHECK OUT MY NUMBER 15 - Art Teachers Hate Glitter

Well, there it is. A few random things about me and 15 blogs that I follow and want you to check out. I love our little blog community.

spring chicks...

2011-03-13T18:51:00.002-05:00

When is the warm weather coming???
Maybe by making these cute lil' chicks will help!!!

My kindergarten kids LOVE cutting, ripping and gluing so much! They don't even know that all that fun is helping their hand/eye coordination and their small motor skills...he he he.

For the bodies on these chicks I had the kids trace their foot, with their shoe on. We talked about the features that should be on their chicks, including legs and feet.
Just look at the legs on that one! Now those are some drumsticks!!!

I think the feathers on top of their cute little heads add the perfect touch.
Enjoy!!

diva's weekly challenge #12...

2011-03-08T17:39:00.003-06:00

The Diva's Weekly Challenge is to add some blue. Living in Minnesota, I LOVE to travel to the ocean, so immediately I thought of water and waves when I read the challenge. Blue is also my favorite color...along with anything waves and swirls! I may add another drawing to the challenge if I get the time!!
Remember to check out The Diva's Blog and a whole bunch of awesome art!

diva's weekly challenge #11

2011-03-04T21:19:00.004-06:00

This week's challenge was "monotangle." This was my third attempt at this week's challenge. Once I began drawing this one out I knew it was the one to share! I felt it needed something else, so I added a splash of color.

If you haven't checked out The Diva's Weekly Challenge, I highly recommend it! Even if you aren't into participating in the challenge, you will see some awesome art!

Enjoy!

twist on pinch pots...

2011-03-03T19:51:00.004-06:00

With first grade, we added those awesome little mosaic pieces to "jazz up" our pinch pots.

The students could use a pattern if they chose, but it wasn't a requirement.

Most pinch pots were very successful, although I did have to mend a few because the mosaic pieces were pushed into the clay too hard.

Glazing all these cute little pots was a bit much for this art teacher, so I may have to bribe some volunteers to help me out. :)

mosaics...

2011-03-02T06:32:00.002-06:00

How fun are these!
The fifth grade created tiles out of white clay and little mosaic pieces. Mindware had donated hundreds of mosaic kits to our district so we have a zillion little mosaic pieces to have fun with.

This project works best if the clay is a bit dry, rather then sticky wet.

Once all the mosaic pieces were down, I slapped clear glaze over the top of each tile and then fired them slowly.

getting itchy update...

2011-02-28T18:25:00.002-06:00

Well, as of right now I have found the design that I like. The only thing that I don't like about it is that the "blogger" navigation bar is no longer across the top of my page. I will have to figure that one out.
I am going to get started on the Diva's Weekly Challenge...are you??

getting itchy

2011-02-28T10:04:00.003-06:00

I am getting that itchy feeling of change. Even though we still have SO MUCH SNOW and the temperature isn't cooperating with us Minnesotans, I need some change! So, please bear with me while I play around with some new design ideas.

Does anyone have a favorite site they use for free blog designs that you could share? So far I haven't found what I am looking for. I am a swirly gal who like color and swirls, swirls and a few flowers here and there. I will keep looking until I find that perfect fit for me.

Oh - like how the heck do I change the words on those little tabs right about here, and how can I use them? There isn't a way for me to do that on the editing page. Can't there be something so easy and pretty and fun that all I have to do it add the html and be done with it!?

Enjoy your day!

plaid...

2011-02-23T19:38:00.004-06:00

In first grade we learn about different lines. So, I was given the idea from another colleague about making thin and thick lines to create plaid.

One fun way to show plaid was to create cute mittens with blowing, snowy wind.

They turned out great!!

zentangles...

2011-02-21T19:42:00.006-06:00

So, I am sure most of you have already heard the buzz about Zentangles. I have been tangling and tangling so much that I can't seem to do anything else! seriously...

Back a few months ago I was searching around the internet for doodles and came across the Zentangles website. You can see it here. Since then, I organized a group of art teachers and had one of the CZT (certified zentangle teacher) out to our district to give us a class. We had a blast, although it went by way too fast!

I have incorporated "Tangle Time" into the art day with all the kids in my school. I set aside a whole week (remember, I only see the kids once a week for an hour) to teach the art of Zentangle. I am SO happy that the kids love this "new" art!!! So, back to "Tangle Time," instead of the dreaded "Free Draw" station I made a "Tangle Time" station. I have an index card box with laminated index cards that have different tangles on them. The kids can tangle in their sketchbooks, use a blank square piece of paper to create their own Zentangle, or choose from a variety of empty Zentagle tiles I have already made. So far, so good! Kids love it, I love it and even some of the assistants are getting into it! YEAH!

Check out a few of my Zentangles and Tangles that I have been working on...I will post some from the kids soon...enjoy!

This first one is for The Diva's Weekly Challengle, week 10. I thought I would give the challenge a try..."The Space Between." Check out The Diva's Blog, I know you will enjoy it!!!

i heart hearts...

2011-01-12T09:11:00.003-06:00

From one holiday to another...

The kinders are working on Valentine's Day projects and I just love the creativity! It's nice that this age enjoys making hearts and Valentines.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to you...

2010-12-24T20:51:00.002-06:00

We have a lot of snow in Minnesota so far this season, and I love to play outside if it's above 20 degrees! Here is me and one of my dogs, Henley, enjoying the snow.

art teacher blog directory...

2010-12-11T09:05:00.003-06:00

Art Teacher Blog Directory

Do you want to join an art teacher blog directory? Add your link and then copy and paste the whole thing to your blog. Pretty soon you will be linked up with art teachers from all over the world.

1. Marcia Beckett	2. Greg Percy	3. Mini Matisse	4. Barb's Students	5. The Teaching Palette	6. Artspiration
7. eleni	8. Mrs. Picasso's Art Room	9. Trish ackerman	10. Use Your Coloured Pencils	11. Art Makes Kids Smart	12. Draw, Paint, and Cut
13. LeAnne	14. Katie Morris	15. Art on the Move	16. The ART of Education	17. Rachel Motta	18. Tami Smith
19. Waitsfield Elementary Art	20. Fayston Elementary Art	21. Barb's Thought of the Day

Click here and go to Vivid Layers to register your blog.

metal masks...

2010-12-06T19:48:00.003-06:00

Oh do these ROCK!
The fifth grade love creating these and I love to see the creativity and imagination flow out of the students.

To achieve these wonderful decorative masks, each student begins by folding a piece of paper in half and sketching out half a face. Using our document camera as a light table and the windows to filter the light through the paper, the kids trace their drawing onto the other side of the paper.

Opening up their paper, they tape it to a piece of metal, lay it on a piece of foam (the kind that you would cut and create things out of) and use a colored pencil to trace over their drawing on the paper. Using a colored pencil ensures they don't miss any lines.

Using a dull pencil and a rounded clay tool, the students begin indenting the metal and pushing the metal to create areas that pop out and a variety of textures.

Lastly, using either glass stain or permanent markers color is added carefully, keeping it symmetrical. We used our scissors to carefully cut them out. I stapled the masks to a piece of paper, hung them in the hallway and waited for the "Ooohs and Aahhs" from staff and students.

snow...

2010-11-18T20:32:00.003-06:00

This project was so simple for the second grade the make!
We discussed and practiced how to draw a "stick" tree with no leaves, adding a few branches here and there.

On the blue paper, student drew out two trees and a horizon line with a pencil. They used brown and bronze metallic tempera paint to carefully paint the trees.

On the second day the students used white tempera for the snow and grey for the shadow of each tree. Some student added snow on the branches as well as snow falling down.

yawn...

2010-11-13T22:43:00.002-06:00

So what do you think? I have been working for the last 3 hours experimenting with different blog templates. Holy Cow! I think that I changed the design at least a dozen times! I am always up for change!

I am not quite finished with the new look yet, but I HAVE to get to bed, my eyes are getting buggy from looking at a computer screen so long. Let me know what you think about the new look.

oohh, we are just all so awesome...

2010-11-13T09:15:00.004-06:00

Thank You, Thank You goes out to Erin from Laugh, Paint, Create! She selected my autumn paintings project as a favorite to share on her blog. She began a new feature called Feedback Fridays where she chooses two favorite projects from us art teacher blogs to share. What a nice compliment! Make sure you bop over to here blog and give it a whirl - she has some great lessons to share!
I just love all of us art bloggers sharing ideas! We are awesome - pat your back now.. :)

Yeah, yeah, I know the picture is a bit wacky, but hey, I was so waiting to use it sometime and I felt what a great time to share! Gotta have FUN!

the times are a changing....

2010-11-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

If you are feeling like you need to check out what is going on in the educational world besides the arts, I suggest you check out vice president of the National Education Association, Lily Eskelsen's blog. When I attended the National Education Conference this summer I enjoyed listening to her speak about education. She had a sense of humor and she didn't sugar coat issues, she told it like it was.
I just thought you may like to see her blog and read some of her posts.

autumn paintings...

2010-11-12T06:18:00.005-06:00

There is something to be said about using quality supplies - when your budget can afford them!
My fifth grade used high quality watercolor paper and liquid watercolors to create these AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL pieces.

As the leaves were turning colors, I collected a variety of maple leaves with interesting colors and a variety of sizes. The directions were to trace around 5, 6, or 7 leaves - which is not the easiest thing to do! Then after a demonstration of watercolor techniques the student began using red, orange, yellow and green to paint the leaves. I suggested that they look at the actual leaves to get inspired when they paint.

When the paper was good and dry, the student moved onto the negative space using blue and purple. This project took three, one hour classes to complete. Of course there were a handful of students in each class that needed an extra day to complete, which was fine with me because these all turned out so AWESOME!!! I had purchased the frame paper a few years ago through Triarco and I am so happy that I remembered where I had put them! The frames really finish these paintings.

kinder self portraits...

2010-11-11T16:59:00.003-06:00

Today the kindergarten kids had so much FUN looking into a mirror to draw their self portrait! The intense concentration of them peering into the mirror to see what color their eyes are or if they have any freckles that needed to be added to their drawing was an amazing sight to see.

The creativity was pouring out of their little hands as they continued to draw, then some erased over and over to get it "right."

Our school had some happy and proud kindergarteners that left for home today with their masterpieces in their backpacks ready to show off.

You gotta love the enthusiasm!!

owls...

2010-11-09T19:02:00.004-06:00

Are these the cutest owls! The second grade learns about different textures, so why not tear feathers! Although, I must say some of the children used scissors to cut their feathers after a long try with tearing.

These owls were actually made on black 12x18" construction paper and I had no intention of cutting them out until one student mentioned how cool they would look if we did cut them out...so after each owl was dry, I cut them out. They are so much more cooler cut out and hanging out on my homemade tree than just hanging out on a black piece of paper!
Kids are so smart, aren't they!

The eyes really make the owls - egg cartons and paint!

sunflowers...

2010-11-09T18:49:00.003-06:00

Yellow plates, pieces of twine chopped up, some glue and wa-la! Sunflowers! Of course the kinders also added a stem and leaves.

Another kinder class looked at actual sunflowers and re-created them on banner-sized kraft paper using markers. They also needed to draw some sort of border/frame around the whole paper.

These banners looked so awesome hanging together all the way down the hallway!

thanks...

2010-11-07T05:08:00.002-06:00

Teacher Salary Info

My blog was recognized as one of the top in the midwest! I guess I better get to getting on posting some more!!! You can check out some other great art blogs here.

first month...

2010-10-10T16:05:00.006-05:00

So it has taken a whole month to add any pics...so sorry. Blogger has been very slow when I upload pictures - it's a bit frustrating!!!!

These are the projects we have been working on so far this year...Enjoy!!!

Obviously we have been doing so much more then I have here, just wanted to show a smidgette... We are having an art show on October 28th, so I will have much to post when that is over.

tomorrow is just the beginning...

2010-09-06T20:29:00.003-05:00

When I left the cabin last night to drive home, the lake was calling me back. The calm, fresh, crisp Northern Minnesota air was hard to leave behind. I had to take this parting shot to remind me what really matters most. The cycle turns and turns and now my children are creating their own memories by exploring the same forest I did when I was their age, taking time to respect nature and look at it from their artful eyes that they have learned from me, just as I had learned from my dad who is a retired art teacher. It is so fun to watch and listen to them.

So, tomorrow is just the beginning of another school year...with my husband also being a teacher, our house if filled with mixed emotions: excitement, nervousness, sadness, quiet moments on the couch, and of course, comfort. Even though it will be a new school year for all of us, we know what to expect. We will see our friends again, meet new ones, chat with teachers and eventually settle back into our routines.

For those of you who have already started this new school year, I hope all is going smooth and you are having fun! For those of you who are beginning this new school year tomorrow, remember to smile and make the kids laugh! That is what they will remember. Enjoy.

the days are getting shorter...

2010-08-18T06:24:00.003-05:00

Well, when we start to find these cute monarch caterpillars on the milkweed in the back yard, my family and I know the summer days are coming to an end. My brain begins to turn on the gears and pull ideas from the back and place them slowly to the front. My pile of "school stuff" keeps getting closer in view...whispering for my attention.

These days are so bitter sweet. Enjoy the last few relaxing summer days before we turn on our teacher modes and teach the best subject ever...ART!

more from the New Orleans Art Museum...

2010-07-15T08:04:00.003-05:00

This sculpture was down by the famous Cafe Du Monde. Each sculpture had a different school related theme. Fun and whimsical!

Georgia O'Keeffe, one of my all time favorites. I love seeing her work just inches away; it's so awe inspiring to remind myself that she put those colors on that canvas and those are her brush strokes.

This sculpture was created by Rene Magritte. I only know his work as surrealistic paintings, it was neat to see something different by him.

This painting was so cool to see because I do a similar project with my fifth grade! Sorry, I don't remember who the artist is on this painting.

Rene Magritte, again. I hadn't seen this one before, either, and how cool is it! I envision a fun idea for a perspective project!!!

2010 NEA National Representative Assembly

2010-07-05T07:48:00.004-05:00

WOW!!!

My district nominated me and my husband (who is also a teacher in my district) to attend the National Education Association Representative Assembly.

We have been in New Orleans, LA, since Wednesday, June 30 and we go back home on Wednesday, July 7. What an incredible experience this has been thus far. The people, the food, the music and the people watching have been great!

I visited the New Orleans Art Museum and Sculpture Garden and wanted to share some of what I had the pleasure in viewing.

wow...

2010-05-29T06:59:00.002-05:00

Check this link out and watch the whole thing, it's about 20 minutes, but for all us creative minds in education, I think you may enjoy it.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Thanks to Kathy at B Art Z - Elementary Art. Another art teacher blog!!!! We are on a roll people...keep it up!

william wegman...

2010-03-27T06:22:00.005-05:00

These HAVE GOT TO BE one of the most fun projects to do!!!!! Not only for the kids, but for ME, too! If you have a SmartBoard in your classroom, I have a lesson for this project with links to You Tube which I can send if you would like to use it. There are some great short clips on You Tube with William Wegman and his dogs.

Throughout the entire calendar year, I am scouring magazines for dog and cat pictures that can be used for this project. I have a huge file folder full of them! I also talked with my veterinarian and asked him if I could have any old and out dated Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy magazines. So, needless to say, I am set on pics of dogs and cats for a while!

Here are the list of things that the students had to have included in this project:

1. A theme
2. One, two or three dog or cat faces
3. The student's own drawing
4. Use colored pencils
5. A title

For each project that I introduce to my students, about 90% of the project have a direction sheet that I have created so that not only are the students hearing about and looking at the examples of the project, but they can have the direction sheet with them to refer back to when they are working. This is something that I have done for a while so I have a couple file cabinets full of direction sheets for numerous projects. It sure helps with planning!!!!

As you can see, this project was super fun for the kids and I think they all did an awesome job!! I am sure Mr. Wegman would be impressed.

scratch art - hand made!

2010-03-23T18:20:00.007-05:00

Well, I saw this in one of my "art projects" books and decided it was time to try it. I had all the materials needed, so what the heck. Fifth grade was a good fit for this project.
I instructed the students to make some curvy lines going from one side of the paper to the other and then make that line thick by adding another line next to it. See my example below...

Using oil pastels, I encouraged the use of many bright colors to fill up the spaces in between the lines. I also mentioned that this project won't have that magical effect if they didn't push firmly and get a thick coating of oil pastels on their paper.

Notice that the curvy lines are not colored in as they will be black when the project is finished.

Once the students have completed coloring with the oil pastels, they bring their paper back to the inking station (just a few thick pieces of paper layed on the counter with a paint brush and some India ink in a cup - oooh, fancy!).
Using the paint brush, I figured out that the ink should be dabbed on, not brushed across the paper. I found that if you brush the ink across the paper, some of the oil pastel particles come off the paper, plus you want a thick coating of ink over the pastels.

Using some sort of stylus or clay tool or a found plastic stick thing like we did, you begin to scrape away the black ink revealing the color underneath. Each of my tables had a variety of patterns and shapes to look at to use on their projects. They needed to use a different pattern in each shape. Let me say this, some of the ink didn't scrape off and I have no idea why. Maybe the oil pastel wasn't thick enough or the ink was laid on too thick. For what ever reason the end result was beautiful and individually unique!

Wa-La!!

ahhh...

2010-03-20T13:10:00.003-05:00

Ricco, the male mannequin in my art room, wears this shirt with pride!
I tried out picnik.com

where you can have
SO MUCH FUN
with your pictures!
Enjoy!

water slides and roller coasters...

2010-03-18T18:33:00.007-05:00

You know how you have SO MUCH left over paper from cutting and cutting and cutting??!! I decided to turn those scraps into strips that would help teach the kindergarten kids about line. When they first walked into the art room they were given one long strip of paper. Sitting on the carpet area we discussed the types of lines that we saw in the room.

Holding the strip of paper in their hands, we manipulated it to make a curved line, then a wavy line, a zig-zag line, and lastly a loopy line. Obviously, the hardest line for the kinders to make was the zig-zag line. But with some patience and assistants, we all got through it.

A quick demo on where to put the dot of glue and counting until "16" while holding it down. Sixteen is my favorite number and one that the students probably don't usually stop at, which kinda kept their attention.

So, back to their tables to work as I passed out five more strips of different colored paper at a medium pace to fill up the whole hour. Teaching for 14 years has taught me to slow down and do things in little steps for the kinders - they work so quickly!

Oh - the kids thought these creations looked like water slides and roller coasters!!

tints and shades...

2010-02-15T19:46:00.009-06:00

Third grade gets hit hard with color families and learning about color value in our school's outcomes. There are so many awesome projects to teach these outcomes that I usually try something different each year. Although, there are those projects that are my favorite that I keep going back to. This is one of them.

We discuss and look at cityscapes as well as talk about the horizon line. The students choose one of the primary or secondary colors to use for there cityscape. Before they actually paint on their drawn out cityscape, I have them experiment with values. Some students are surprised to see the changes the white or the black paint makes.

Obviously, I have the students mix their values one at a time and paint the building one at a time. One pet peeve I have is the rinsing of the brushes in water then directly putting the paint brush into tempera paint to get more. I ALWAYS remind my students to have a paper towel next to them to dry off their brushes BEFORE they put them back into the paints. Tempera paint should be opaque, thick and velvety, not transparent and runny. :)

Once the painting is finished, students use black Sharpies to trace around the building to clean them up and I give them the option of adding a few windows.
Enjoy!

echo flower...

2010-02-07T20:25:00.000-06:00

A little retro and contemporary, and very pleasing to the eye! These flowers look so great hanging in the hallways when Spring arrives. They just brighten up the place!
To begin, we discuss contour line and look at a variety of flower pictures. We then looked at a variety of drawn flowers, both realistic and cartoonie. For this project I explain that the best shape of a flower would be one that is pretty plain and simple. Once they begin drawing the outline of their flower, I make sure to remind the students to draw big and fill up the paper!

Once the flower is drawn, the student bubble trace around the flower in one continuous line. They repeat that until they run out of paper space. Using the warm and cool color families, they choose one family for the flower and the opposite for the background. With regards to the background, the students must create a pattern.

(I LOVE Sharpie markers!!!! We go through a lot in a school year...)

Students used a black Sharpie to trace around the pattern in the background to "clean it up" a bit. Lastly, the flower was carefully cut out, the background glued to a black paper and the flower attached to the paper with little black accordion folded strips to make the flower POP!

texture dragons...

2010-02-07T19:40:00.001-06:00

My second graders had a blast with these and they are so creative!!! We started out talking about texture and gave lots of examples, felt our pants and shirts, looked at the trees outside and talked about the pets we have.

I gave each table black crayons (yeah, I know the picture shows lots of colored crayons, but we only used black), texture cards and a white 12x18" paper. I demonstrated filling up the paper with a variety of textures using the black crayon.

Once that step was completed, I then told the kids that they were making dragon skin. Wow - they thought that was SO cool! We used the cake tempera paints to fill up with lots of colors.

The next art class the students either used tracers for the body, head and tail, or they cut them out themselves. I had them trace or draw on the back of their painted paper and finally cut the pieces out. They glued the three together and used a variety of colored construction paper to create the eyes, nostrils, legs, spikes, and flames.
And, WA-LA! Instant texture dragon!

A bit frustrated...

2010-02-04T12:08:00.002-06:00

Well, when I have extra time during the day - yeah right - I have been trying to squeeze in a lesson or two, BUT the pictures that I have been trying to upload are not showing up!! We have some tech support here at school and apparently everything is fine on their end. OK - so does anyone have any idea what is going on? Could it be blogger? Do any of you ever have this problem with uploading images? I have some cool projects that I want to share, but since I do teach art, having a picture would help!!!! I guess I can always try to upload at home, when I have the spare time....

Wowzerzz...

2010-01-14T18:10:00.003-06:00

The robins have been eating the crab apples off the snow-laden trees around my house these last few days. When the sun comes out, so do the robins. I thought they migrated south for the winter? Maybe they enjoy the winters in Minnesota as much as us crazy ones who have lived here all our lives!! It was in the low 30's today!! I took this picture out my kitchen window, thought he was cute.

It's been way too long since my last post. I might have to actually make a New Year's resolution this year to update my blog weekly. (Or bi-weekly, depending on the projects that are going on.) I just LOVE skimming through the blogs that I follow to see all the new ideas and inspirations. Most of you that follow me, I follow you!! So, thanks for the fun, awesome, artsy postings lately! It has helped me get out of the winter slump...

I've been taking lots of pictures of the super projects that my kiddos have been working on. I promise I will post some new stuff soon...

fun backgrounds!

2009-12-22T18:19:00.003-06:00

How fun is it to be able to change the background of your blog with just a touch of a button! I didn't realize there were so many to choose from. Kinda like my own house with all the paint jobs it has seen over the years. I get tired of one color and move onto another. Can you relate?? Must be the artist in me!! ha!

neutral color trees...

2009-12-02T14:15:00.017-06:00

Browsing through Flickr one day, I came upon a project that incorporates using neutral colors. I thought it was really neat looking and gave it a whirl. They turned out awesome!!

Students started with a 12x12" white paper, drew a simple straight line border around the paper, and filled in with a variety of sizes of circles. Next, they created the rings that you would find when a tree has been cut down.

Using black crayon, the students colored in all of the open space that was left around the circles. They also used a variety of neutral colors to trace around the circles and rings.

Now is the fun part - mixing colors with watercolor paints! After demonstrating ways to create neutral colors with brown, black, orange and yellow, the students began painting.

The crayon acts as a resist, so the students didn't have much trouble with the colors bleeding together. When one neutral color was created, they could use that color over and over again around their paper.
After the circles and rings were all painted in, the students chose one color - any color - to paint their border with. Check these out...

monday...

2009-11-16T12:53:00.002-06:00

Ever have one of these days??? My grades are due on Wednesday - all 1,500+ of them - and I still have some artwork to grade! Yikes! I always tell myself at the beginning of the year that I am going to be on the ball and grade projects as they get done, but then something happens and here we are again, waiting until the last minute. Ughh...

paper weaving...

2009-11-08T19:16:00.007-06:00

For a super quick review on weaving, along with the warm and cool colors, my second grade students created these cool paper weavings.

This project is really quite simple to make, yet the results are all so unique. Using watercolors, each student painted two pieces of paper - one paper for the warm colors and one paper for the cool colors.

Once the paper is dry, children fold one of their papers in half and begin cutting on the fold until they reach a line that I have already drawn for them about an inch from the end of the paper. You know what would happen if they cut all the way through!!! Then they take their other paper and cut a strip off and begin weaving it. They continue to cut one strip at a time and weave until they have no room left. I have them cut and weave only one piece at a time so that the design on the paper they are cutting is put back together correctly in the weaving. Get it? I know what I mean, but hard to put in words. :)

To make sure the paper all stays in place, students add a dab of glue to each end of the strip. I mount these colorful weavings on black paper and display them horizontally.

sunflowers...

2009-11-06T11:14:00.004-06:00

I had a bunch of yellow plates that I was going to use for another project, but never got around to it, so I came up with this texture project for second grade. Using twine, the students glued it to the middle of the plate for the seeds. To give a neat look with the twine, they spiraled it - and used A LOT of glue to keep it in place!!! Next they cut the edges of the plate to make petals and lastly added a stem with some leaves using tag board.

germs...

2009-11-06T11:03:00.006-06:00

With all the crud going around the school, I thought it would be fun to have the kindergarten students show us what they thought germs look like! Check these out!!!

And one more...

jack...

2009-10-30T12:19:00.005-05:00

These cute pumpkins make me smile and giggle every time I walk by them in the hallway. How can you not love these!? The kids mixed red and yellow to make an orange dot on their papers. Those papers were set to dry until the next art class.

During the second art class, the students needed to cut out a mouth, teeth and eyes. I didn't tell them what they were for or how big they needed to be. Afterwards, the big reveal came when I showed them the examples and they began cutting out their pumpkin from their orange dot. They glued everything together, glued the pumpkin to a blue paper, added some blades of grass, and wha-la!
Each one of these pumpkins are so unique and special in their own way - sort of like their creator! Enjoy!
I found this fun project on Flickr. Click here to see more.

robots...

2009-10-28T15:31:00.007-05:00

The first grade students have been reviewing their basic shapes such as square, rectangle, circle and triangle. Students identified these shapes by pointing them out on a variety of robot pictures. Using a white 12x18" paper, the students were instructed to use these shapes and create a robot of their own. I encouraged to draw large on the paper and to fill the paper up.

Once the drawings were complete, they took a black crayon and traced over all the pencil lines. Using gold, silver and bronze tempera paint, they carefully painted their robots.

To complete their artwork, the students used watercolor paint to paint in the background.

where does the time go?

2009-10-28T15:16:00.004-05:00

Wow - my last post was so long ago! I am so busy hanging art projects, creating new ones, and grading everything that I have left this blog for too long. I have some wonderful, creative and fun projects to share. As Katie from Oodles of Art says on her blog, "please remember this blog is not my career, teaching art is, which keeps me very busy." AND SO TRUE! I really love the blogging and love sharing my ideas with all of you. I especially enjoy the comments and encouraging words that you leave me. So onto some projects!

my art room...

2009-09-17T12:48:00.007-05:00

Here are a few pictures of my art room that I shared with The Teaching Palette blog. I am very lucky to have a whole wall of windows that face the courtyard - so much natural light! The painted colors behind the sink area was the result of my being bored one workshop day. It really gives off that "art room" look. Enjoy!

dumpr.net

2009-09-16T10:56:00.003-05:00

Art Museum by dumpr.net

This is a FUN, FUN, FUN site!!! Check it out! I loaded one of my own photographs and now it looks like it's hanging in a museum!!! Easy to use - think of the possibilities for the classroom...

playing with new flip video...

2009-09-12T08:04:00.005-05:00

Ok, I know this has nothing to do with my classroom or teaching art, but I am playing around with the new Flip Video that our school has purchased, so I thought I would share this video with you. So far it's pretty easy to use, upload to my computer, make a fun movie, and post on a website. Enjoy!! (Just think about the fun commercials that this could be used for - how to glue properly, how to use a paint brush properly, making short claymation movies, etc.)

p.s...this video is of my dog, Henley, who was rescued from a shelter in another state. He was born in a kennel, on a concrete floor and really had no human contact until he was rescued around a month of age. He has become greatly attached to myself and my family, but unfortunately he is terrified of strangers because of his early experiences with humans. We have had Henley about nine months now and has been doing agility classes with me and loves it! I read that was suppose to help shy and timid dogs...anyhow, this is Henley fetching in my yard early on a Saturday morning. (I found him on petfinder.com)

sandwich art...

2009-09-08T19:21:00.003-05:00

Wow! I just found this on another art blog and HAD to share it! Is this fun or what!? Check out the site and view their gallery. I am sure it will put a smile on your face...
Funky Lunch

kandinsky...

2009-09-08T17:52:00.011-05:00

Did you know how difficult it can be to tear paper!? Fifth grade students enjoy the end creation of these Kandinsky inspired concentric circles, but some of them don't like the tearing part.

It's a fun project in that we only use paper and glue - no scissors! I have added some glitter glue as a final step to add lines or dots or to trace around some of the rings in the past, as a choice, which really makes this project colorful.

We use an 8x12" white paper as the base to glue the colored rings to. I chop up a variety of colors into 4x4.5" rectangles and show the children how they will eventually fit onto the white paper. They each choose six different colors, folding each one in half the same way.

Using our thumb and pointer finger as pinchers, they begin tearing a letter "c" beginning on the fold and ending on the fold, otherwise they will end up with two separate pieces instead of a ring. Some of the children will use a pencil to draw the lines that they need to tear on so it's easier to see where they need to go. Each color should have at least three rings torn out of it, saving the little inside piece as well. Once all the colors are torn up, they begin to layer the colors on top of each other creating some sort of composition.

The last step is to glue all the piece down to the white paper. When the project is dry, I instruct the children to go back and look for any pieces of paper that may need to be glued down more or better so that these paper rings are flat. This project really pops out when mounted onto black paper, or mounted onto white, then black paper. Don't forget the glitter glue!! (I believe this project is from Blick.)

back to school already...

2009-08-31T17:56:00.003-05:00

Well, today I returned back to school...not that I am unhappy about it - I really DO LOVE teaching art - but my family and I had such a super summer! One of our travels was to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Ten days of sun, sun, sun! But now I am looking at an unorganized room full of boxes from Triarco that have to be unpacked. Little piles of who-knows-what and stacks of art posters that need a home on the wall. And what am I going to do for the first projects??!! Guess it's time to pull out my examples, surf the web for new ideas and get my brain back in school mode. Once that artsy brain of mine goes on a roll, it's hard to stop, so watch for some new and exciting art projects in the near future!!! Enjoy!

Tana

shaving cream fun time...

2009-06-13T13:59:00.003-05:00

The last day few days of school, as most of you know, are made for cleaning! A ritual I have begun over the past years is using shaving cream to clean my big art tables. The kids think is it the cats meow! They can't get enough of the stuff! Not only do they get to "play" with the stuff, they are also cleaning the tables. The room smells so good when they are done. And for a dollar a can, this fun time is priceless...

wayne thiebaud cakes...

2009-05-28T12:57:00.005-05:00

These cakes were inspired by Wayne Thiebaud. There is a super neat video on You Tube from the CBS Sunday Morning. Once I figure out how to load that video, I will attach it for you.
So back to the cakes...we practiced and practiced that elliptical and turning it into a 3D form. Getting the "slice" into it was also a feat to master! One thing that I did to help them out with the elliptical was to have them get off their stools, stand directly over the top of the stool and use their hands to "outline" the circle in the air, holding their hands in the air. Next, I had them squat down and look at the top of the stool, use their hands to "outline" the top of the stool and they saw the elliptical. Kinda neat.
The students used oil pastels because it made texture that sort of looked like frosting. We all made a cake stand together on this awesome silver paper that was donated a few years ago. Lastly, the kids carefully cut out their cake, cut out their cake stand and glued it to a contrasting color.

clay blow fish...

2009-05-27T21:24:00.005-05:00

Third grade just finished painting these with watered down tempera paints. I think the colors turned out awesome! I have done so much with glazes in the past years and I haven't been able to get such brilliant colors with them, that's why I have used the watered down tempera and the acrylic paints. I suppose that the fun glaze colors are not lead free, and I know that the ones that are can be so draining on an art budget.
I have always called these blow fish, I guess because their mouths are so large. So simple to make! I give the kids a chunk of clay, cut right off the 25 pound block, and they make a simple pinch pot. Setting the pot on it's side is what creates that large mouth. I demonstrate a variety of tail shapes and of course we go through the big shpeal ( how do you spell that anyways?) of scoring, wetting and wiggling the clay together to make it stay. The eyes come next and the kids are free to add any other embellishments they want, as long as they score, wet and wiggle it together. And wa-la, the hour is over and it's onto the next class waiting at the door to come in...

collage people...

2009-05-27T10:04:00.004-05:00

What are you going to do with all those paper and fabric scraps that get accumulated over the school year? COLLAGE!! The kindergarten kids were so creative and loved cutting up the fabric. The only rule was that they had to make themselves. Some of the kids made the body first, then added the clothes while others dug in right away without making the body. Either way, the project was successful, enjoyable, and made for really no mistakes.

guess what our favorite saying is...

2009-05-26T21:17:00.000-05:00

I found this somewhere surfing the web and quickly made a poster for my classroom!

clay foot bowls...

2009-05-26T18:18:00.001-05:00

Putting a twist on the old pinch pot - adding feet! Along with adding feet, either two or four, the kids could add embellishments with the clay. Some added belts, spikes or balls along the top. Instead of glazing these, we used acrylic paints and finished by spraying with a clear acrylic spray.

clay pendants...

2009-05-26T12:36:00.002-05:00

There was a lot of extra clay left over from various projects this year, so I decided to have the kindergarten students make a pendant for their "someone special" on Mother's Day. I cut out the clay into rectangular shapes and they used a variety of items to add the texture. Once fired, I watered down some tempera paints and used a clear varnish over the top once dry. Attached some cord for the necklace and packaged them up in little envelopes with a small handmade card. Lots of Oohhs and Ahhs!!!!

the dot...

2009-05-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

Have you read this great book, The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds? The story is wonderful. The kindergarten kids love Vashti and her quest on becoming a better artist. After we read the story and discuss it I demonstrate different ways to create a dot. The students use crayons and watercolors to make their own dot paintings and want to keep making more and more!

gyotaku...

2009-05-25T17:47:00.000-05:00

Third grade fish prints! I introduced the Japanese art of fish printing called "Gyotaku." As I am showing the kids the Smartboard presentation I keep referring to printing real fish. I notice that a lot of the kids keep looking around the room for a real fish, I have even been told that the room smells like fish! Well, as we begin the printing process, the big let down comes as we print with fake fish. Those art catalogs have the best things! Rubber fish!!
The kids painted an underwater scene after a long discussion of things that we could find underwater if we went scuba diving. The fish were cut out and glued to the underwater scene to complete the project. One addition to the fish this school year was to paint in the eye of the fish with tempera paint and give it a reflection dot to make it look real.

linear landscapes...

2009-05-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

Oohhh - love these! Linear landscapes. I found this project in School Arts Magazine sometime ago and it has been one of my staples each year. Black paper, glue and construction paper crayons. That's it. The students learn about the foreground, middle ground and background as well as patterns, lines, warm colors and cool colors. The glue is applied after the lines are drawn and when the glue is dry, then the coloring begins.

contour line drawings...

2009-05-25T09:37:00.000-05:00

Fifth graders love this project because they get to be the "models." Since this concept is so abstract for this age, some have a hard time grasping the idea. Although, the final projects still turn out awesome!
Before the students do a final drawing on a 24x36" paper, they have to do a series of smaller ones. I choose students to come on up to sit on the stool, that is way up on the counter, and pose for the rest of the class for about 7 minutes. The final project is done by choosing a partner and posing for them and vise-versa. Using oil pastels and watercolor, the students must only choose three colors to use for the whole project.

Georgia O'Keeffe...

2009-05-25T09:26:00.000-05:00

So these are Georgia O'Keeffe flowers. Third grade does a huge study on the color families and these are a great way to use the variety of families. The rule here is to have the flower be big enough to touch each side of the paper. I have used a variety of mediums for this project through the years and these are colored pencils. Watercolor pencils are also so fun to use for this project.

birch trees...

2009-05-25T08:41:00.000-05:00

These birch trees made by my fourth grade are so easy and look so great when finished. They simply drew the outline of three trees with a couple branches, making sure the trees were extended off the paper, painted the background as they wished, and used black tempera paint with a small piece of cardboard to give the trees their bark. Before the students gave the black marks on their trees they practiced on a piece of scrap paper first. The easiest way to create the marks of birch trees is to dip the cardboard into the paint, set it on the side of the tree and slide it in towards the middle of the tree. Enjoy!

sunflowers...

2009-05-22T15:30:00.000-05:00

We've all done the famous Van Gogh Sunflowers, but these second grade ones turned out so great! What made them really pop was the way that the students put a reflective twist on the vase. Along with actually popping out a flower or two.
Using oil pastels, the students drew and colored three sunflowers, varying the sizes. As a group, we did a follow along drawing and coloring of the vase and instead of writing Van Gogh's name, the students wrote their own.
Collage is so fun at this age! Putting it all together consisted of creating a table to set the vase on, cutting out the vase and gluing it on the table, cutting out the sunflowers and adding some cardboard tabs to the back, gluing the flowers down and lastly adding the stems. The cardboard tabs were glued to the back of one or two flowers to make them pop out after gluing.

peacocks...

2009-05-22T15:19:00.001-05:00

First grade students created these adorable peacocks! Learning about Eric Carle was so fascinating for them; they really enjoyed watching his video Picture Writer.
Using watercolor paints and looking at the color wheel we talk about the warm and cool colors, the students painted one paper with the warm colors and one paper with the cool colors. Next, they worked on the peacock body adding the eyes, beak and legs. I gave them some ideas on the shape of feathers and they were to cut out feathers with the cool colors and add warm colors for decorations. The feathers were glued behind the body and lastly, we glued an actual feather on top of the peacocks head.

'lil artists

2009-05-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

Fun project for kindergarten! These were so cute hanging in the hallways during conference time, there were a lot of positive comments made by parents.
I took the student's picture while they held a large paint brush and told them to pretend they were painting a large picture - they were in front of my SMARTboard. I then gave each child a 6x8" white paper and told them they could create anything they wanted, I reminded them that they were artists! Using tongue depressors, I glued three together onto a black piece of paper in an A-frame to create an easel. The students glued their artwork on top of the easel and I cut out each student's picture and glued it to the paper to make it look like the they were actually painting their own large canvas. Enjoy!

Well, here I go...

2009-05-22T08:41:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my world! After much surfing around the internet, I have decided, by much inspiration of many wonderful bloggers, that I will begin my own art blog. I guess this means that I should remind myself, by putting it on the calendar, that I NEED to try so very hard to update, update, update!!! Hopefully the summer will give me the chance to do that.
For all you artists, educators, moms, dads and crafters, I hope you will enjoy the art projects that I have successfully taught to my elementary students. Don't hesitate to ask questions!

So lets the good times roll...