Color study with Kandinsky

  I have to say that Kandinsky is probably my favorite artist.  I had the opportunity in college to go to Munich, Germany and went to a small museum/ house that displayed his art.  There were four rooms of Kandinsky art and I was blown away.  I love his use of color and movement. So with that being said, I love teaching Kandinsky.  I especially like sharing his Farbstudie painting.

  I have done this lesson several times before and I always mix it up a little. This time around I had first graders use tempera cakes and then add finishing touches with oil pastel.  I pre-folded 12x18 paper into eighths and had students use a tracer for the first circle and then make the rest. 

  

Here is another version I have taught.  In the pictures below, we drew out our designs with oil pastel first.  Then the students used liquid watercolors to complete the background. 

One last note… Kandinsky can be a tricky name for the kids to remember.  Anytime I teach a new name with my first graders, we clap it out…KAN DIN SKI.  We do this several times in different high and low pitched voices.  This will get giggles, but I know they enjoy it!The next week they come to class they usually remember. 

“Ugly Dolls” Photo-Shoot Take 2

Last month I shared some of the photos my 7th graders took of their plush friends.  Here are some more photos of their creatures shenanigans….

 

Hanging out in the gym

Supporting education

Reading periodicals

     Chilling with friends
     Getting a drink

Terrorizing poor Santa and his reindeer

We “Heart” Art…

  I was reading the blog The Elementary Art Room! (which is a great blog) and Megan got me thinking about Jim Dine projects I have done in the past.   I have to admit, I was really pumped my first year teaching when I discovered there was a famous artist who painted hearts.  If I am going to do a holiday project, I want to make sure there is good content.

  

      This project I have done with 2nd and 3rd.  I show a PowerPoint with all Dine’s various hearts.  Then the kids use mixed media to create  there own.  The kids are very creative.  One year we started in tempera and then added finished designs with oil pastels.  Last year we used squirt bottles full of tempera to outline and add finishing touches.  When the bottles got near empty they  splatter paint and the kids liked that effect.

Another project I have done, and thought was successful, was using tissue paper pieces/squares to decorate a background.  Then the kids would take black oil pastel and  and draw a big  heart.  I also gave them white oil pastel to add a highlight.  This project is inspired specifically by Dine’ confetti heart.  Sadly, I can’t seem to kind a picture of this project

Just imagine colored tissue paper glued down with black drawn on top.  I guess Dine’s will have to do…hehe

After School Art

For the last few years my school has been able to offer some after school classes.  Last year I taught Japanese Art and Eats and Storybook Art.  It was a fun experience for me.  I had small classes sizes and could experiment with new projects. 

This year I am going to co-teach an African art class and also teach a class devoted to James Rizzi (both will be 3rd and 4th grade).  I am pretty excited.  So I thought I would ask for your input…MY WONDERFUL ART TEACHER BLOG FRIENDS.  So far I know I want to do something with African masks (not sure what media), Ndebele dolls, and  a textile project (but not Adinkra because I will be doing that is my regular classroom).   I also saw some sort or wire push toy and can’t remember the name of it…I think it started with a “G” (real descriptive…I know)


I know I am going to do this lesson from we heart art.  I just love it….http://ourartlately.blogspot.com/2010/10/ndebele-dolls.html

So do you have any great ideas?  Feel free to leave a link to your blog.  I also know some of you are just getting to know James Rizzi’s work, but I would be interested in your ideas about him too.  I don’t want to repeat any of the lessons I taught last year.  I am thinking about clay houses, maybe a mural, and so on.  I will make sure to post the projects too!

Thanks!!!

Watercolor Winter Landscapes

4th graders were introduced to different watercolor tecniques.  We started class by making a practice page.

Next, students painted a sky using the watercolor teniques leanerd.  Using salt gave the illusion of snow.  We finshed this the first class.

On our second class, we looked at pictures of birch trees in the winter.  We discussed space and perspective. We cut strips of white paper and made different size trees. We also looked at at the snow and discussed how it wasn’t all white.  Shadows made other colors appear.  We added shadows to our trees.

On the last class, we used oil pastels and tempera cakes to add fences, animals, snowmen, and/or snowballs.  Students also added snow in the sky and on their fence. 

I adapted this lesson from several similar ones on Artsonia.

Architecture …. Design and Color!!!

This is a successful lesson that I purchased and adapted from Deep Space Sparkle.  I rarely buy lessons, but I like how Patty formats her lessons and adds worksheets.  I really liked this lesson, because I was able to teach design elements (line, patterns, and texture), color theory, and architecture (St. Basil).  I also showed my students Zentangles designs for inspiration.
 
Here are a few finished examples.  I have not done this lesson with all my 5th grade classes yet. 

I

Tis the Season.. for Great/Cheap Art Prints!!!

Every year I try to buy calendars on sale.  I find that this is the most economical way to build my art print library.  Barnes and Noble seems to always have calendars 50% off right after Christmas.  I like buying online because there is a better selection.  Here are a few of the calendars on my list for this year…

I  googled Barnes and Noble coupon codes and got a few extra bucks off too (and free shipping of course)!!!

Marshmallow Prints

This is a quick lesson I did with some 1st graders right before break.  They were already using white paint to decorate their gingerbread houses, so they made prints as well.  I showed them how to not make the paint thick, so they would try in time to decorate with oil pastels.  If I do this again next year, I will not rush them through the decorating process. 

I made sure to save extra marshmallows for eating too!

Christmas Cubism… with Tints and Shades

I really was happy with this lesson.  My students learned important concepts, while making a fun Christmas project.  I got this idea for this lesson from the blog Kids Artists and adapted it for my 2nd graders. 

1) We briefly talked about Cubism and Pablo Picasso.

2) We used rulers to draw a large triangle on 12x18 paper.  We then added a trunk and star.  Next we used the ruler to break the picture into different segments.

3) We went over our pencil lines with black oil pastel.

4) Then we began to paint.  I introduced the students to the words tint (adding white to a color) and shade (adding black).  We also reviewed how to make green.  I gave each table a plate with yellow and blue.  They mixed green and painted a section of their tree.  Then I gave them a dab of white paint to make their first tint.  They painted another section.  We continued this process until we made 4 tints.  The next class we continued this process but made shades.  Then we repeated the process with red. 

5) In the final step we used oil pastels to decorate the tree.  I also had students go back over some of their black lines.  This project took 3 class periods.




In the future I think the kids would like to had sequence for ornaments. I also hope to get them done in time to hang them in the hallways.  Live and learn!