Working on Another Blog....

   Blogging has been a great outlet for me in the past 6 months.  I can't believe 73 people follow what I write.  I love being a part of this art teacher community. You guys are great and I am very thankful!
   I have been struggling with the idea of starting another blog that is mainly for my students.  I wanted to be able to put up pictures of the kids working and links to neat art cites.  Here is what I have come up with so far... http://dundeeart.blogspot.com/
  I would love to hear your feedback and any recommendation for fun art websites for kids.  Some of the posts are modified repeats from this blog, but others are not.  I have found that loading pictures as a album has been a lot easier too.  Thanks!

Origami Pictures

 Third graders are learning about art around the world.  We recently studied Japan and the art or paper folding, origami.  As a class we created a cat and dog.  Then students were allowed to try other simple animals.  Then they turned their origami animals into a picture.  Here are just a few examples....

Check out this website for more origami ideas….

http://en.origami-club.com//easy/index.html

Magnetic Paintings…Inspired by James Rizzi

  The past couple months I have been running an after school art class inspired by the art of James Rizzi with 3rd and 4th graders.  One project that I was excited to try was magnetic paintings.  Since I had a small class of 12 students it was feasible. 
   First we looked at some of Mr. Rizzi’s magnetic paintings (Click Here).  What is neat about these paintings is that the viewer can interact with the work.  There is a background and then several magnetic pieces that can be rearranged to make different pictures. 
  Students used a 12x18 piece of tag board and made a background.  On each back corner we added a strip of magnet.  Then using poster board the students drew and cut out accessories.  Each item also had magnets put on the back.  Then the students arranged their picture on a magnetic surface. 
Below are my students’ examples…






  If I did this project in the future I would try to use stronger magnets.  At times we had trouble getting the small pieces to stick.  Overall, I thought it was a good project, and exposed the kids to new kind or art form. 
  Soon, I will be sharing  my students' Skype interview with James Rizzi.  Once, I get the huge file to upload to YouTube