Happy Snowcation!

Well it has been quite the week with the unexpected snow and the whole week off of school!  I know the kids may be getting restless and possibly some of the parents as well :)

I wanted to share with you a fun activity that takes place at the VMFA on select Friday nights. The nights are called Friday Family Art Nights and the next one that is coming up is NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT!  This looks like an excellent family outing and I encourage you all to take a look at these opportunities. Please let me know if you attend and share your thoughts and experiences with me!

Here is the link to the Friday Family Art Nights for you to check out!  Let me know if you have any questions that I can help you to answer! Enjoy!!

Happy New Year!!

Justin Bieber came to the art room to welcome everyone inside as we start this new and exciting year!

Today is our first day back from a very nice and long winter break!  For me, it was almost too good which made it hard to wake up on this chilly morning, get ready, and head to the CSES art room!  It only took a moment, however, to get into the hang of things when my first class came in all bright eyed and ready to finish up their artwork from last year! ;)

Most grade levels are bringing in their work from our Culture unit into this new year.  With all of the performances, two-hour delays, field trips, etc. this time of year projects feel like they take forever to complete.  But as long as the students are engaged and happy to complete them, so am I!

Here are some images of what we have been working on in the art room the past month or so!

Kindergarten: Students painted their pinch pots and made wrapping paper using images and patterns to wrap their pinch pots up to give to someone as a special gift.  Hopefully they made their way home to you and you opened up this special gift over break!! :)

First Grade:  Students finshed their American culture inspired artwork right before winter break.  Here, we focused on the artist Peter Max and his paintings of the American flag and Statue of Liberty.  Students learned about other American symbols as well such as the Bald Eagle and the Liberty Bell and they chose which symbol they wanted to incorporate into their paintings.

Now that we are back, we will learn about a Japanese art called Gyotaku (fish prints!).  Come back to see images of this fun artmaking adventure!

Second Grade: Students have been learning about architecture around the world and using some of the specific structures such as columns, domes, castles, etc. as inspiration for their own architectural creations. Students have been busy creating clay collages and also paper collages of their designs to ink and turn into collagraph prints.

Thirs Grade:  Students have been learning about Folk Art and looking at the textile Mola Folk Art of Panama. Students have been working so creatively on their bright patterned drawings/collages in the style of this beautiful textile art. But we still have a couple of classes to go to finish them!  They are looking great!!

Fourth Grade:  Getting MESSY with paper mache!  Students are learning about Folk Art and the cool Oaxacan woodcarvings from Oaxaca, Mexico.  Instead of wood carving sculptures, students are making paper mache sculptures of animals of their choosing.  After we are done with paper mache, students will look to these fantastical woodcarvings for isnpiration when they go to create their surface designs.

Fifth Grade:  Students are learning about a Folk Art from Mexico called Amate Bark Paintings.  Using the visual characteristics of this unique art, students are creating beautiful paintings on brown craft paper of animals in their habitats.  We have everything from desert animals to ocean animals in these paintings!