ART for 1170

I projected a painting by Grandma Moses on the white board so students who finished could use the dry erase markers to find lines and shapes in the trees.  First and second grade students learned about the different limbs of decidious and evergreen trees. We have had a crazy amount of snow this year in Michigan. Record amount of snow days and low temps so as much as I was ready to say good bye to the snow I thought I'd embrace our visual environment. Students used cardboard edges to dip in green or brown paint. The next week the students added snow as it piles up on the ground and branches. This week they cut out red cardinals of their own design to add to the landscape. Promise to post those by next weekend. Here's looking forward to Spring!

The third grade studied different kinds of sealife. The completed sketches and then selected one to draw with a dull pencil into our donated foam. We covered the "plate" with printing ink and then laid the paper on top of the foam. It's great if you have old spoons to rub the back. Make sure they don't rub too long or the heat will make removing the paper difficult.

I'm still coming up with lessons to do with the stacks of donated styrofoam.  I had fifth graders come up with a design using hearts. As you can see some asked to use my table mirrors so they could write "love" messages!  I really like the white printing ink on red paper. Oh, last year I ran out of printing ink and tried tempera and acrylic...huge mistake.

Several posts back I talked about texture plates. I have never met a class that doesn't LOVE them. When I demonstrate how to use them I actually get applause, like a magician, it's too funny. Well the next class I bring out all the tops from liquid detergents that I have been begging for in newsletters, super thick cardboard wedges and anything I've saved for interesting printing.  I put out paints that won't turn muddy if mixed and have the students roam the tables experimenting with the stamps on their textures. We review printing techniques and I have the students stand up and HOP like a bunny or frog and then we do the "Twist" as a reminder not to rub or paint with their stamps. I believe my technical word is not to schwizzle.  I think this lesson is perfect for the beginning of the year when the students are so anxious to get back to painting. This is also a good lesson to bring up how much is TOO much. Know when to stop. Is your artwork becoming ove...

One of my favorite projects, and yes I'm known to say that about several but really these are beautiful.  The great story about these is that the foam was FREE! Yes, always ask parents what they do or where they work! This year I was given over $200 in foam that would have ended up in a landfill and now two grade levels at THREE schools are making some incredible prints.  These were made by Third graders at CE and PKE.  I have two schools of 4th grade right now that are working on sea animals in a larger pieces of foam.  In the past two weeks I was given some wonderful color paper, a large amount of mosaic tiles, paint chip samples and tablecloths.  Last summer I was given over 1,000 plain tiles.  Storage is often an issue but the money that is saved and of course I feel as though we are being good stewards to our planet! YES, huge fan of UPCYCLING!