Great characters....a gallery walk of all mixed-media 4th Grade portraits

I am so very proud to present the 4th grade portraits for this year. They are mixed media works done using watercolor, crayons, cray pas, and pencils. The began by drawing proportionate faces, then practicing specific features using mirrors. They then brainstormed specific personal characteristics they would like to portrait in their portraits. They then studied color theories and specifically looked at Van Gogh's use of compliments. This is the culmination of weeks of skill building and it shows!

To see in-process images and posts of this project, just click on 4th grade on the search list on your left and you will see a whole gallery of the entire unit.

If your child's portrait is not here they have not yet finished them and need to set up time with me aside from class time to finish it.

Children used mirrors to see where their skin appeared darker and lighter.

Using Cray pas on our hair allowed them to appear textured.



We discovered that our upper lips appear darker than our bottom lips. Why is that you think?










Inspired by Va Gogh's work using strong complements we too used equal amount of complements as a way to draw in the viewer.

5th Grade Wesrward Expansion Update (step 2 and 3)

These 5-7 inch figurines are halfway done. Each child needs to match the details they add to their figurines to what they know about their historical person. These fabric you see used here have all been donated by Murch parents. Keep themc coming. The children love the wide variety of options they've got to work with.

1st Grade Community-and all classes work

All children in 1st Grade are working on a very huge project. They are all working together to create one community.

Here are the 'people' of this community. They will be paper mache-d and clothed within the next week.

These are trees trucks.
These artists are making tree tops.
...and roads.
....and the playground.

Tall, tall Kindergarten Sculptures go metallic (Bickart)

Look what we did with all those toilet paper and paper towel tubes and containers you have donated to the art room. Children LOVED this project. Mostly because they got to make their sculptures tall, tall!

By painting the entire sculpture one color we create a unified look. These do look like metal sculptures.
These went home, YET, you too can do this at home. All you have to do is save al sorts of recycling. Buy glue by the gallon and use a glue tub and a brush to connect the pieces. Allo to dry before you paint it with 'metallic' paint (sold at Utretch or Michael's). Enjoy!

We still need all sorts of recyclables for future projects. Check the recycling link on your right.

Hair, hair everywhere-4th Grade

In preparation for our totem poles, 4th grade children have been cutting and gluing paper to create the affect of hair, fur, scales or feathers. These 'swatches' then become valuable resources for all children in making their totems. We are very much still needing about 50 oatmeal containers for this project. Please make sure to bring them in.

Quilt practice continues -2nd Grade

Children had voted for this specific design for their class quilt

This table insisted on having their picture taken.
Children used diamond shaped stencils to cut our dozens of cloth-shaped diamonds.




Kids working together to lay their diamonds down in the pre-agreed pattern.
Parents donated ALL the cloth you see in these pictures. Thank you. As always your donations make a huge difference in our projects.