Warm & Cool Leaves

These are always a fun and easy fall project. 

Kindergarten and 1st grade students use oil pastels and tempera cakes to create textured paper using warm and cool colors. After the paint dried, we learned how to cut leaf shapes from the warm paper and collaged them onto the cool backgrounds. The final step was to use neutral colors to add details like veins on the leaves and motion marks in the background. Always love seeing these! 

 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

 I recently shared a video I made for my online classes on how to create a “Very Hungry Caterpillar” collage using painted paper or construction paper. Check it out, share with your students, or make one yourself! :)

Art Vocabulary Wall

Being consistent about teaching art vocabulary has always been a weakness of mine. This year I made sure to have a dedicated space in my room for vocabulary and I was sure to make it changeable. I created and printed out definitions of words commonly used in my room. Then I added a small bit of magnet to the back and pinned them onto the Word Wall with a tack. When we are doing a project that uses the word, I can easily remove it from the wall and stick it to my board next to the standards and example.

This has really helped me remember to mention the words and the kids are starting to catch on that the words change with each lesson and they read them on their own. Little steps, but I am getting better. PDFs of these are available in my TPT store and I will be adding more to the collection as time goes on. ^_^

Chameleons

As part of our jungle study, 3rd grade created clay chameleons and leaves to match.

We followed the lesson posted by Cassie Stephens to create these lizards. I love how different they all are, so much personality!

Heartworks

Kindergarten texture hearts are always a favorite project! We use oil pastels and texture sheets to create a paper background showing implied texture. Then we used Crayola Model Magic on texture plates to create the hearts. Super simple one-day project, gorgeous results! 

Surprised! Tigers in the Jungle

5th grade viewed the works of Henri Rousseau, especially Surprised! 

We used a wet-on-wet watercolor technique to create a stormy sky. I love the lightning effect these got where the watercolors ran on the page!

After our papers dried, we followed a video from Art for Kids Hub to draw our tiger. Then we cut and collaged with scraps of green papers to create the jungle. 

The Very Busy Spider

Because you HAVE to wear a spider dress with this lesson. ^_^

This lesson is a new addition to the kindergarten curriculum this year as a study of secondary colors. I adapted this lesson after seeing it on Artolazzi's blog. We started by mixing secondary colors from primary colors and used texture combs to make the papers more interesting. I cut their papers into different shapes before we painted so that they could be used for the spider's body, head, and legs. 

The following week, we worked together to cut the oval body, circle head, and stick legs for our spider. We used horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines to create a spider web drawing for our spider's home. Adorable, will definitely do again! 

Kusama Paper Sculptures

We tried out a new project in our Yayoi Kusama unit this year. 4th grade used paper sculpture techniques to create these 3D pumpkins. We started by using a ruler to create even lines on a piece of paper. Then we added the dots. After that, we cut the paper into strips and glued them in a "star" formation. 

Then we joined the strips after curving them upward to create the pumpkin shape. We placed them on a base and added a stem to complete these. 

And have I said how much I love my new display cases?

Kandinsky Marker Paintings

I tried out a new technique in kindergarten and first grade this year. We were using diffusion to create paint from washable markers. After viewing the works of Kandinsky, we used Sharpie markers to trace circles and rulers for straight lines. Then we outlined those with primary colored washable markers. After the lines had color, we used wet paintbrushes to spread the colors. 

They loved the magic of water and markers and we got an introduction to color mixing when the colors overlapped. 

Aluminum Foil Prints

We had some extra time in 5th grade, so we experimented with aluminum foil printmaking. They drew a design of their choice with a Sharpie marker on their paper. Then we used washable markers on foil and water to turn the markers into paint. Then we took a monoprint of the color onto our papers. Interesting results and it may be a technique we incorporate into future projects. :) 

Marbled Paper Starry Night

Shaving cream marbling is always so fun and creates amazing results! 2nd grade used this technique to emulate the movement we see in Van Gogh's Starry Night. 

After the paper dried, we used black paper and yellow & white oil pastels to add scenery to our artworks. 

Van Gogh's Sunflowers

5th grade used a simple pinch pot method to create bowls. Then we added petals using the slip & score technique to turn them into sunflowers inspired by Vincent van Gogh's paintings. 

When a student asks if they can add a turtle in their sunflower, you don't say no. ^_^

This is my first time in many years using a kiln and my first time using glaze. All went well and they turned out super cute! You can find more information about this lesson and other Van Gogh lessons here. 

New Year, New School!

Most of you know that this year I moved from Tennessee to Kansas. I am starting my new school year in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools District! Excited to share my lessons with new students and meet the local art teachers! ^_^