Selfies and Still Lifes and Landscapes... OH MY!!

There is a LOT happening in the art room now that school is in full gear! Here is an update on Kindergarten, Second and Fifth grade artists :)

Kindergarteners are making art about very important people... themselves! We are having a blast learning about the differences between portraits and self-portraits so ask your kinder if they can tell you the difference. They have gotten so art smart in the past three weeks, I am SO proud! We are really focusing on what makes us unique and incorporating that into their self-portraits. This is important because these unique qualities are what make our artwork self-portraits rather than just plain portraits. Take a look at some of the artists in action!

 

 

Second graders are learning about the Still Life genre of art and being able to identify the differences between a still life, portrait and landscape. We have been really LOOKING because that is what artists do when they create still life artwork. They have been focusing on the importance of observation and taking the time to look at the shapes they see in front of them. We have also been looking at the difference between a 2D shape and a 3D form so see if your second grader can tell you the difference! The first week, students worked together at their tables to set up the blocks at their tables, observe the shapes they see, and then draw from their observations.

 

 

 

The next day, we discussed the difference between geometric and organic forms and noticing that organic forms come from nature while geometric forms are mostly human made objects. Students took their observation skills from the first class and used them to draw their fall themed still life set ups! They are doing a fabulous job drawing from observation!! Take a look!

 

 



 

 

Fifth graders are learning about landscapes though atmospheric perspective. We have been discussing perspective and how we see things as they get further away. Ask your fifth grader if they can tell you what happens to the way we see things that are further away. We have been really focusing on the fact that objects that are further away loose their color saturation due to what we call atmospheric perspective. In preparation of our atmospheric perspective landscapes, students have been learning about monochromatic color schemes by creating tints and shades of one color. Don't know what tints and shades are, ask your fifth grader! Take a look at their color mixing practice!

 

 

This week we will be applying what we know about tints and shades to create atmospheric perspective in our landscape artwork!

 

What a great few weeks in the BES art room! If you want to get in on the fun, fill out a volunteer form in the front office and come have some fun with us when your child has art! I could always use an extra hand during painting, clay and paper mache days ;)

 

Making Our Mark!

Today Monday September 15th is International Dot Day! This day was inspired by the book "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds which is about a girl whose teacher inspires her to make a mark on her page and challenges her to see where it takes her. The girl makes her mark, a dot, and continues to grow artistically and eventually inspires another child to make their mark.

Me and the 3rd grade team here at BES collaborated to celebrate Dot Day with our 3rd graders. In the art room, we read the book and talked about the importance of taking chances and seeing where it takes you. We talked about how everyone's dot would be different and why. We looked at dots created by people all over the world in celebration of marking their mark on International Dot Day. Then, the students were able to create their own dot that will be displayed in the hallway with the rest of the 3rd graders' dots!

Take a look at the creativity we discovered by making our marks on Dot Day!

 

And our hallway display! A tree to show how each of our third graders are making their marks together!

 

 

Our First Week Back... All Hands on Deck!

What a wonderful week back in the BES art room!! It was great to see so many familiar faces and new smiling faces as well.

I always make time for students to create AND learn the art room procedures and expectations on the first art class of the year. This year, the students were able to explore how the art room connects to their leadership goals. Since our theme this year is "All Aboard the Leader Ship", I created my own play on words through "All hands on deck" to help students understand how important it is to all work together and help each other find the leader within themselves each and every day.

Older students traced their hands and wrote their leadership goals and/or leadership skills on their hand drawing. Kinders and first graders just had their name on their hands. To add the artistic touch, we talked about symbols and how we could use them to express our individuality and interests. Afterwards, students cut their hands out and added them to the Leader Ship out in the main hallway in front of the art room. Take a look at the amazing display of All Hands on Deck showing everyone who enters our school that we all have a hand in creating a school full of leaders!

 

 

After our creative activity, we discussed the Art Leadership Roles second through fifth grade students have in the art room. These leadership roles make every student have a hand in helping make every day in the art room a success!

 

I am SO excited for this school year! I can't wait to start our art units this week.

 Stay tuned to see what is in store for our little artists!

I'M BACK!!

It feels amazing to return to BES as the one and only art teacher! That is right, each and every student at our school will have the same art teacher for the first time in five years!

Where did I go?
I spent the 2013-14 school year teaching full time at another elementary school in the county. I had a wonderful experience teaching at Cool Spring Elementary School and meeting over 700 new young artists! You read me right... over 700 students! The school was double the size of our little BES. My experience last year really helped me grow professionally and I enjoyed every second. However, the moment I heard Beaverdam would be finally going full time I knew in my heart that I had to try to get back. I am so thankful to be back!

What has changed?
My name! June 22, 2013 I got married and became Mrs. Watson.

Since I have missed a whole school year at BES, there is a whole grade level I have yet to meet. So I would like to introduce myself to those students and parents as well as our upcoming Kindergarteners and their parents! I am so happy to be your child's art teacher and help them grow as artists and understand the world around them through their art. The BES art room has an open door policy so if you ever want to come and help in the art room, you are MORE than welcome! I look forward to meeting you all at our Back to School Night September 16th!

The Art Room!
I have been super busy getting our art room looking great for our young artists to come. Take a look at this room! How can anyone not feel inspired and creative when they walk into the BES art room? I am so excited for the amazing art that will be created this year by our little beavers.

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:)

Reduce, Reuse, RECYCLE through ART!!

I don't know if you have heard but we are collecting plastic bottle caps here at CSES for the art room!  During the SOL art resource schedule, students K-5 will be collaborating to create large flower sculpture murals using these plastic bottle caps.  We have been collecting since winter break and look how many we already have!!

Did you know you can not recycle plastic bottle caps?  That is a WHOLE LOT of plastic that would have been thrown away.  With this project, we are teaching our Dolphins that recycling is good for our Earth and that there are many creative things we can do with what we think is "trash".  I am so excited to see this "trash" turn into beautiful art that will stay at CSES and make our school brighter all year long!

Thank you Dolphin parents for giving us your plastic bottle caps!!  

KEEP THEM COMING!!! 

:)

And we are BACK!

... For now?  With all of this time missed with snow days, our art resource schedule is WACKY to say the least.  And just as I start to get them all back on track... a new storm is brewing!  At least I had one whole week to introduce some new units and get our artists starting on some new materpieces!

Take a look at the artwork in the main hallway from our last unit.  The big idea was CULTURE!  Can you tell?  Talk to your students about culture and see what they can teach you about the importance of art in every culture!

Now we have all (started) to move on to our new big idea which is ENVIRONMENT!  We are looking at all of the different ways that artists are inspired from their environment.  The projects are ranging from still lifes to landscapes to portraits and even recycled art!  Take a look at some students getting started. I could tell they sure have missed the art room... and I have sure missed them as well!

And since February is Black History Month, I saved a bulletin board to display some of the work of a few famous African American Artists that have inspired some of my work and some of  the lessons I teach our little artists.

Come back soon to see how we are progressing in our Environment unit and 

STAY WARM FOLKS!!