Pictures of today's 2nd grade performance can be seen at....

http://secondgrademurchplay2009.shutterfly.com/?role=-2

New List of Items Needed for 2010

Here is a list of recyclable trash items we'll always need in the New Year.....

Spools for construction units

Balloon leftover from old parties (never inflated only, for prek planet pinata unit)

2009 Calendars (for all classes)

Interesting paper (for all project)

Small jewelry boxes (for construction units of any kind)

Animal model toys (for animal sculpture unit, 3rd)

Halloween skeleton (to teach about how our bodies bend for sculpting unit)

Old costume jewelry (for biography sculpting unit, 2nd)

Wood pieces for construction units

Shoe Boxes

Cardboard -for painting units

Shelves- to display 3d work around the building

Toilet paper tubes/paper towel tubes for puppet making unit

Corks for construction units

Non-print bed sheets for murals

Yogurt cups for all painting activities

Leftover birthday treats for behavior incentives

Buttons for eyes for puppets and construction units

Pizza boxes for large painting projects

unsuccessful canvas paintings......we can reuse them around the school

Sally Foster Boxes----love them!!!! they are the best for so much!!

Baskets- They look better than shoe boxes to store things in

Plants- I am an environment person.....my art room needs to have a great feel!

Cigar boxes- construction unit, great as stand alone frames and sculpture stands.

Tin Foil-all used foil can be used for mache sculpture base....just rinse out and bring it to me.....

Wire for sculpture/mobiles

***Dearest parents....your donations are what makes each art so unique.....there is not one project that does not have a donated item at it's core.

Opposites Collages created by Pre-K kids

Children worked on their knowledge of opposites while creating "opposite" collages.

Children used:

long and short pieces,

hard and soft pieces,

shiny and dull pieces,

thick and thin pieces,

thin and chunky pieces.

2nd Grade Play Backdrop

I painted this backdrop for the 2nd grade play....some of the 2nd graders helped put in the initial shapes and I added the details. The work was inspired from an artist I found online named Renie Britenbucher. The mural was painted on two bedsheets donated by Murch parents

Four-Legged Animal Sculptures-3rd Grade

These are SO adorable! the kids begged to take them home for the Holidays so I will not be displaying them at school.....here is the only place you can see them.

Watercolor Guest Artist Volunteer needed...

I am looking for a volunteer watercolor artist to come visit my 4th grade classes for 45 minutes total and show their work and talk about their technique. We are working on wet on dry and wet on wet techniques and would love to show them the thinking behind these 2 techniques. You do not need to have been in a gallery, or sell your work....but you need to have at least 4-5 watercolor samples to show. If you know someone who paints in watercolor please send them this post. You and your work and website will be featured in the Murch Art Blog!!

The times I have when you can visit the classes are:
Mondays: 1:45-2:30
Tuesdays or Fridays st: 1:45-2:30
or
Wednesdays at 1:00pm

please contact me at Miriam.Cutelis@yahoo.com if you can come for a visit.

Trash Call- Need calendars

Although I came with an arsenal of images to use with the kids. I am trying to further build an image library for you can never have enough examples of images from which to learn from. Calendars are a great source of large clear images. If you are throwing away your 2009 calendar and it's appropriate (just trying to be funny), consider dropping it off in the art room......thanks!!

Look for these this week K!!

kids in K are taking home their self-framed pop animal drawing/ Paintings rolled up with a ribbon in the form of GIFTS next week.....some kids are taking home their black and white trees or a large painting of one animal....enjoy!

Set almost done for 2nd grade play

I am creating the set for the 2nd grade play next week....here is the work in progress:

1st Graders continue construction unit making mice homes

Here are two sample shoebox homes being created by one first grade team. Due to the lack of storage space and shoe boxes young artists are collaborating in making their mice homes. Although this might mean that ultimately only one child gets to take it home, it can be recreated at home with some very simple recycled items and some grown-up only hot glue gun.

5th Graders Begin Filming their friendship movie for the prek/k classes next week

Children worked in groups and had to collaborate on making a movie about friendship to be viewed by the prek and K classes.

a sample script typed by a child for their group.

One student creating the credits list

These are initial sketches of their ideas.

a child writing his script for the group.

creating the scenery for the claymation group.

scenery from another group.

creating a list for credits

4th Grade begin their watercolor unit

These are the initial explorations we did in watercolor with the 4th graders. They used 2 types of brushes. One to lay on the general shape and another, a detail brush, to add on the smaller aspects of the painting. We will continue to create other paintings to become more familiar with this varied media.