More Matisse

On artist like Matisse that I cover more frequently than some artist, I try not to duplicate the artwork exactly the same.  I do this for several reasons.  One, is for me.  If I'm going to spend 3 maybe 4 weeks on a project with a grade level, I want it to feel fresh.  Change is good and it makes it more exciting for me, if I'm more excited about the artwork, the kids will be more excited! 

While it is hard to see, these Matisse collages here are built up with pieces of cardboard, so that it has a low relief aspect to it. The pieces of the collage are the same, but instead of a long vertical piece like the examples I posted several weeks ago, these are more square.  Large 3-D pieces are hard to store but low relief projects like this one are more manageable with big groups of kids. 

Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl, Lucy!  Hard to believe she is already 2.  I know God blessed me with a true little angel.  I love you Lucy Piper Lee, LP2!!!

I'm 2 today!!

Saturday we enjoyed a family gathering for diner at Lucy's Fried Chicken in Austin. YUM  

Lucy trying out her new ride!

And trying out her other new ride :)

Elmer's Makeover

As a literature infused art lesson, kindergarten watched the animated version of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.  Once we were done watching the youtube video, we discussed all the patterns, colors, and line designs we saw in the video.  I gave each student a copy paper Elmer I made and let them go to town on their own designs.  I figured we would be done in one class time, but some of these kids took up to 3 days designing their elephant, and some who maybe spent less time asked for a second chance once they saw what their classmates were dreaming up.  I love that they self initiated this!!  Then, the kids cut out their Elmer designs and started on the background.  We used construction paper crayons and finished with the touch of grass in front.  

  

Bubbles and Jellyfish

This was a fun warm and cool color study with 3rd grade. We used liquid watercolors with dish soap and students printed bubbles they blew from a straw.  I had them partner up on this, one student blew the bubbles and the other printed, then they would flip so each got to blow bubbles and print, (have partners choose two different color straws so they don't get them mixed up!).  I did one table at a time so I could monitor the printing and help more readily.  While one table printed the other tables water colored their backgrounds with cool colors.   If they were done with water colors, they could move on to the tentacles of the jellyfish, which is warm colored tissue paper.  I encouraged them to add lines of glue rather than dots, the lines looked more like part of the tentacles. As the bubble paper dried, they drew out the jellyfish head on the back, and added it to the paper.  I asked each student to outline with two warm colored sharpies.

Matisse Cutouts

This is a recent project from 1st grade.  We started the lesson by watching several youtube short biography video's and montage clips on Matisse.  I love doing these Matisse cutouts, because it  challenges them to use their cutting skills.  You can really get an idea of the students motor skills and hand-eye coordination.  We talked about some of the types of cutouts Matisse did, like the starburst, splash, spirals, zigzags and wavy lines.  Students kept both positive and negative cutouts and could use both parts of each of their shape as part of the final arrangement.  We spent a total of 4 days and ended the lesson with one of my favorite art books,  When Pigasso Met Mootisse, by Nina Laden.

 

Art Display Panels

About 12 years ago, it was suggested that our district was getting larger and it was becoming more difficult to find a facility that had enough wall space for all the schools to display artwork.  Someone found these fabulous display panels for us.  They were rather inexpensive, and the best part was the ease of transferring them from place to place as well as assembling them.  They are very sturdy and made of aluminum.  If I have all my artwork assembled out on paper, it takes about 15 minutes to assemble, put the art work up, and secure the panels and artwork.  It is a sinch!!  Another plus of this display system, is the ability to arrange the panels in several different formations. The panels are 6 by 3', exactly the size of school butcher paper.  We roll out 12 foot panels, fold them in half, and mount the work for either side of the panel. If you are looking to purchase any kind of display panels, please give them a look.  Many of the schools in our district have these, they get used over and over and stand the test of time and being thrown in the back of an art teachers van or truck (even recently a small VW sedan!)

http://www.graphicdisplaysystems.com/panels.htm


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Wayne Theibaud Milkshakes

Who doesn't love Wayne Thiebaud?  We started the lesson by watching a couple short youtube clips about the artist and a montage of his dessert artworks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAHuOkhvAhg 

The kids were literally cheering!  That is the kind of excitement you want, when you are starting a lesson.  I chose to do a tribute to Thiebaud's milkshake art.  Here is what my 2nd graders came up with. 

I think I need to make a visit to Dairy Queen, I suddenly have a sweet tooth!!