Clay Dali Portraits

This is was one of my favorite lessons in Kindergarten this year. I don't think myself or my students have ever laughed so much during a class period before.

I decided to introduce my little kinders to my absolute favorite artist, Salvador Dali. We viewed some of his surrealist paintings and discussed how imaginative they were. I also showed them a few pictures of the famous painter himself and they fell in love with his mustache!

Then came the giggles. I did a demonstration for the kids on how to roll and pinch their clay into a flat oval for the portraits face. We used rolled paper for the nose, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners for the mustache. The kids loved it!

I only have one picture of this particular project from the art show, we were having too much fun to stop and take photos during work time!

The students still talk about this project and how much they love Dali. He's now an artist they will never forget!

Routines

I really enjoy doing this project with high school students as it is very open ended and the students are free to choose what relates to them using a wide variety of materials.

As a class we discuss different types of daily routines that the majority of people do every single day. Getting up in the morning, going to school, eating lunch, household chores, and the list goes on. Once the students have compiled some ideas, I ask them to choose a specific daily routine that is personal to them. They can represent their routine any way they wish including charcoal, paint, photography, and any other techniques that we have practiced and implemented through out the school year.

The students have always come up with something completely different and I feel like it is a very successful project. Here are a few examples of the finished projects below:



 

   

3D Identities

As an introduction to sculpture this year, my combined class of freshman and sophomores completed a three dimensional self portrait.

They were instructed to choose six things that represented themselves and would then construct those items using clay, paper mache, or cardboard. The background was finalized by their choice of materials.

 I thought this was a great way to start learning and experimenting with sculpture and constructing three dimensional pieces. Overall it was pretty successful and each final product was unique!

Crazy Splatter Painted Hair

I really love doing abstract art work with younger grades. Most of them are not afraid to jump right in and explore with colors. This year I wanted to try something new with my second graders and this lesson is what inspired me: Art Projects for Kids.

To introduce the lesson I read the book "I Aint Gonna Paint No More" by Karen Beaumont. The book has great splatter painted illustrations and is bright with patterns and color.

After the story the students and I discussed the different facial expressions and emotions associated with them. I prompted them with the question, "How does art make you feel?" Based on that question, the students began drawing an expression of their choice at the bottom of their paper.

The rest of the paper was saved for the best part- splatter painting! Straws were used to drip paint near the top of the portraits head and the paint was then blown upwards. When the paint was dry, the students finished coloring their background and wrote a sentence about their chosen expression or feeling.

           

           

           

My students and myself loved this project so much. I feel like it could be done in a variety of ways and can be adapted for other grade levels. I even used these in the final school art show because they were so funny! The students different personalities can really be seen in each individual portrait. 

Kindergarten Architecture Prints

I stumbled across this art lesson while trying to come up with some new ideas for printmaking with my Kindergarten students. The original lesson can be found here: Smartest Artists. I really liked the idea of using simple materials to get a bold line for the architecture print.

At the beginning of the school year I had ordered a great book called "Roberto: The Insect Architect" by Nina Laden and have been wanting to share it in my classes for some time. I thought it would go great with this printing lesson! However, the book is quite lengthy for a Kindergarten class, so we mostly talked about the fun illustrations and different types of architecture seen through out the story.

After our book discussion, I asked the students about the different kinds of houses that they know. They described shapes, sizes, and materials that houses are built from. I then did a demonstration of how to print different lines and shapes on the paper to create a house.

Kindergartners began printing after the demonstration. They were really enthusiastic and the only materials used to print were different sizes of cardboard and recycled bottle caps for circles.

During the next class period we reviewed the different types of architecture discussed during the story and colored in the printed houses with crayon.

             

            

Recycled Maasai Dolls

As mentioned before I love Africa, especially Kenya. Every year during our culture unit, I do a project about African art with the elementary grades. A favorite in the fifth grade classes are the Maasai tribe dolls.

The students learn about the Maasai culture and way of life. We view and discuss the traditional clothing and adornments that are typical of the tribe. The kids really love the bright colored fabrics and intricate bead work that the Maasai are famous for.

After discussion, the fun begins! We start making our own class "tribe" of recycled dolls. I have found that they best way to start the doll is simply with a plastic water bottle. The students fill the bottom of the doll with sand, which is so easily accessible since we are in the desert! Filling the bottle with a bit of sand keeps the doll from falling over when adding decoration.

Once the lid is put back on the bottle, the head of the doll is then attached. The students receive a pre-cut square of black fabric that they stuff with polyester cotton, and add a rubber band around the cap to keep the fabric from popping off.

The students are then free to add their own decorations including fabric, beaded necklaces, hair, and shields if they wish. I have done this project with fifth grade boys as well and it is always a hit!

In order to further the discussion on recycling, I usually show this video to my students while they are working: Recycled Art in Kenya. The students find it incredible that such amazing art work can be made from something as simple as a discarded flip flop!

Japanese Jewelry Boxes

So, I have been saving these cool cream cheese boxes for over a year for this particular assignment. The project idea popped into my head while I was making some cream cheese frosting for a delicious pumpkin cake that I had baked.

The boxes that come with this particular cream cheese product slide open and resemble a jewelry box. Once I had enough saved, my fourth graders took a look at the history of Japanese art. The students were then introduced to Japanese calligraphy. They practiced making symbols from hand outs that I had previously gathered, and then we began to paint!

The boxes were first opened all the way and painted a solid color. Some students chose black, others red. 

          

When the boxes were dry, students began painting their chosen symbols on the tops of the boxes. 

          

Wahlah! The finished product turned out beautiful!

            

The girls had a lot of fun with this, even the ones that did not necessarily "like" jewelry. The project itself took a lot longer than I had anticipated, it took about four 45 minute class periods. The students really took their time painting the symbols and decorations. Either way, we all had a blast and ended up with something really special. 

High School Grid Portraits

Awhile back I had posted about my high school girls' portrait unit, and I haven't uploaded their final assignment.

At the end of the unit, students experimented with the grid method of making portraits. They chose a photo of someone they admired and enlarged the photo onto an A3 size paper using a measured grid. The finished product was then colored and blended with oil pastels.

Here are a few examples below of their work. 

             

Most of the students chose movie stars or singers that had inspired them. Overall I thought the students did a fantastic job!  

Moai Statues

I recently discussed Easter Island with my third grade students to fit in with our current culture unit. They were amazed by the huge Moai Statues that cover the tiny piece of land off the coast of Chile. There is not much recorded history of the people that once inhabited Easter Island, so after viewing a short video clip describing the statues, my students and I discussed the possibilities of how and why the enormous carvings are where they are today.  

We also discussed the features of the Moai Statues. Their long noses and heavy eyebrows, with their long frowns carved deep into the rocky surfaces. Why would they look this way and how can we tell that they are supposed to be human faces?

After our discussion the students were in for a surprise. I had previously made sand clay the night before in order for us to construct our own miniature Maoi Statues. The recipe is actually very simple and calls for only a few ingredients, it worked out perfectly! The finished product really resembles the stone that was used for the real statues.

I demonstrated for the students how to roll out their clay, pinch details with their fingers, as well as make dents and carvings with their clay tools. When the students were finished with their statue, we painted them with glue and glued them onto a decorated cardboard base. The project was a huge hit!

Gyotaku Printmaking

I have done this project with second grade students multiple times, and  as always we had a blast this year!

Gyotaku is a Japanese form of printmaking that began in the mid 1800's by fishermen. The fish were printed on rice papers as a record of the fishermen's catch. This type of printmaking is still being done today and is regarded as an art form. The prints themselves are actually very beautiful and detailed. 

I showed my students a video of a contemporary Japanese artist who practices Gyotaku printing. We then discussed how printmaking works and what kinds of materials are used. After questions had been answered, we began painting a background that would later be printed on top of.

The following class period is when the fun really begins. We print with real fish! There are so many gasps of excitement and surprised "eww's" from the students when I demonstrate what we will be doing.

Here are some photos of the different times I have done this lesson. The kids always have a great time and learn a lot about a new culture and art form. It is always a class favorite!   

Texture Projects

I recently introduced the art element of texture to my Kindergarten classes. I began by passing around different items (cotton, sand paper, etc.) and we discussed how each different item felt. I then described how in art there are two types of texture, actual and visual.

For our first project we worked with visual texture. The students used plastic textured templates to rub with crayons underneath their paper. They were so excited as the patterns became visible. I also encouraged them to use as many different colors as possible and cover all of the white spaces on their papers.

The next part of this project I actually saw via Pinterest, and it really worked out great with the students. I passed out small pieces of clay that were to be rolled into balls. The students then pressed them into their plastic templates to see and feel the texture. We then glued the clay onto the papers. It was really an awesome way for the kids to see both actual and visual textures. 

For our next project, I wanted to start using more clay. At the beginning of class I read the book The Mitten by Jan Brett. We talked about each animal and how it would feel. My favorite animal in that book is the hedgehog, and what a great animal to discuss with texture! 

I demonstrated for the students how to roll and pinch the bodies of their clay hedgehogs. Eyes and toothpicks were then pressed in. During the second class, we painted them. I absolutely love how each one looks so different! 

                       

Both my students and myself loved this project. They are hilarious! 

Ugly Dolls

My middle school art classes only meet for one term. It always seems incredibly short, and I try and fit in as many fun projects as I possibly can.

My sixth grade girls class was absolutely wonderful, so for their final assignment I decided to finally try out the Ugly Doll project that I hear other art teachers raving about. 

The original Uglydoll was made by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim in 2001. Their line of plush dolls has become increasingly popular and their designs are so unique. Kids love them! My sixth graders had a great time designing their dolls and sewing them together. Below our some of their final ideas. They turned out great! 

                     

           

                                   

Maasai Shields

I have been to Kenya Africa a handful of times. I love everything about that country. The landscape, the variety of people, the noisy cities, and most of all the markets and handicrafts. Every time I am able to make the journey, I purchase myself a new piece of artwork. Not only do I enjoy having it, my students enjoy seeing it and experiencing it for themselves.

In my second grade classes we learned about Kenya and all the wonderful things about the country. We also discussed the well known Maasai tribes that live in Kenya. The second graders loved looking at their beautiful fabrics and beadworks.

The students also loved (one of my most prized possessions) the Maasai shield. The shields are made of leather and painted with striking black, white, and red colors. After "oo-ing" and "ahh-ing" over the object, we made shields of our own! Some of my students literally cheered from their seats when they realized what we were making.

My enthusiastic second graders started with a precut cardboard template in the shape of a Maasai shield. As a class we talked about the different shapes and patterns that are seen on these works of art. The students then drew their own patterns and shapes with pencil, later filling it with paint of traditional Maasai colors. 

The finished product turned out great, and no two shields looked the same!