Kindergartners combine basic shapes to create animal families

Kindergarteners learn how to combine basic geometric shapes to draw familiar animals. This is a super lesson for kinders. They love being able to better draw the things they love.

4th graders begin exploring the makings of a stencil

I ordered spray paint and exacto knives..... This focus on stencils is a further extension to our printmaking unit. I wanted to give them a unit that went beyond what they've already done in printmaking in 2nd grade. In 2nd, they did scratch foam. This year, I want them to walk away much more knowledgable about the other branches of printmaking. 

Final samples of Oaxaca-inspired paintings

Oh!!! I am SO in love with these works. They look so rich and fun. I am most proud of the fact that all the secondary colors and tints and shades were created by each child. I never gave kids anything but primary colors, white, black and brown. All secondary colors, tints, and shades, they make on their own....

Ways to help with writing in the art room

Collagraphs ready to print -4th grade

          We used artificial flowers. The students sketched at least 5 different flowers in our sketchbooks. They then chose one or a few to use as inspiration for their stamps. Children used mirrors to help them write their words, if they chose to use them. 

In 2nd grade children used scratch foam to create their stamps. We discussed the difference between scratch foam and collagraphs. 

I showed them several Vincent Van Gogh drawings and showed how details add to the work. For their second class children added details and/or textures to their backgrounds. 

3D construction faces made from wood and cardboard

Inspired by the work of Joyce Owens from Chicago. Children used their gathered skills in face making from the past 2 weeks to create these faces. Materials are both wood and cardboard. It's important NOT to use anything else but wood or cardboard. If you use plastic and use regular Elmer's glue, the pieces fall off easily when done. Of course you can splurge and get Tacky Glue and that will glue anything....and I mean anything. But, I stick to regular glue and items that glue easily. 

Children used a visual checklist to check off each face part as they added them. Their prior work in making a face college helped make this project successful. 

Children added details to their faces. Smaller, easy-to-glue items were offered on their second day to add to their faces. 

Children used one class to paint their faces into 1 chosen color. For the second painting lesson, children detailed their work  with 6 colors and again were asked to accentuate their main facial features. 

Here are the children working on their detailing using small detail brushes and permanent paint. 

Here are some of the finished pieces. 

In preparation for their 3-D abstract wooden sculptures kindergarteners practice making faces with all appropriate face parts

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children are getting plenty of practice in creating a face. 

Each child gets a visual checklist so that they can make sure all the main facial features are included. 

Here are some sample finished facial collages. 

Kindergartners use a visual checklist to make sure they included allparts of the face in their portrait

Second-grade skill building and painting

We begin the unit with some line exploration

We discover what happens when we combined red and yellow paint

The uni them extends into some color mixing practice. Yellow, Red, Blues.....and making and labeling primary and secondary colors. 

The next day children explore how to make green by combining blue and yellow. This is done right on top of last weeks explorations of red and yellow.

Since all the lessons are purely exploratory in nature for each new color mixing lesson children JUST paint over last class' painting. 

The lesson then extends to uplifting some drawing skills. Combining basic shapes to make more complex structures and creatures