Mouse Paint!

I have to admit I found this point on another art education blog but totally fell in love with this lesson! I have been doing Mouse Paint for years to introduce coloring mixing but really liked how this teacher incorporated two author/illustrators.

After reading both stories, student doing a coloring mixing worksheet they can use during their painting portion of their lesson.

Let the coloring mixing begin!

Paper Sculptures

PK, Kindergarten and 1st grade artists took their lines and shapes into the third dimension! They created paper sculptures, thinking about different ways to change and manipulate their flat piece of paper to turn it into a 3-D line or shape.

We began by learning about the difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. We thought about how we could change a piece of paper from 2-D to 3-D, just by using our hands. We came up with a few different techniques, including folding and bending the paper. We learned how to fold it to make a zig-zag line, and how to fold the ends of a curved piece of paper to create feet to help it stand up when glued. 

We experimented with paper before beginning to work on our own 3-D sculptures. Starting with a cardboard base, we added colorful 3-D lines and shapes by changing the paper. We discovered even more ways we could change the paper, and creative ways to connect and add them to our sculptures. We also focused on using the appropriate amount of glue!

As we were building, many of us realized that our sculptures reminded us of playgrounds and amusement parks! 

Line Challenge!

We have been learning about line across many 

different grade levels. Lines are a basic element of art, and we noticed that once we started looking, we could see them everywhere around us!

PK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade artists drew a variety of different lines in their "line challenges," using crayons to draw straight lines, zig zag lines, and even some lines that they invented from their imagination:

During the next class, we explored what happens when we add paint on top of our crayon lines. We realized that we could still see the crayon lines showing through, because the wax-based crayon and water-based paint resist each other.

Jim Dine, Hearts

This project started as a study of color mixing and making painted paper for our Eric Carle unit. But with Valentine's day right around the corner and soooo many beautiful painted papers we looked at the painted hearts by Jim Dine and then created our own. The results were gorgous and

each one unique!

 

 

Kinder's Funny Face Pumpkins

It is that time of year where pumpkins are everywhere! What a better way to introduce a little color mixing (red + yellow=orange) and cutting and gluing skills in Kindergarden.

Kandinsky's Lines

As the Kindergartens have been studying line, we are finally getting to paint! They are so excited! They were also introduced to the famous artist Kandinsky.

 

First we had a directed lesson where students were told which line and what direction to paint their line. The purpose of this was to learn about different types of lines but also to see how different everyone's composition would still be  even given the same directions.

 

Here are some final results...

My Family

In the beginning of the year, I ask our Kindergarteners to drawing a picture of thier family or who they live with as we have a very diverse student body. We then talk about where we live or a favorite activity we do with our family. After our art talk, we then start with a perment marker drawing which we then turn into a wax-resist painting. It's always a good first lesson to undertanding where my students come from on so many levels.

Dream Playgrounds

Studnets love this lesson! After our unit on line, we take what we know on drawing different types of lines and make it 3-D. Students learn basic paper scultpure techniques while letting thier imaginations run wild. These are some of the simpler ones.

Under the Sea

Students about the art element of texture and words to describe texture. They then created wax resist texture paintings. After we read My Visit to the Aquarium by Aliki, Students then started leaning about free form or organic shapes by looking sea creatures, especially octopi.

Winter Blues

It's winter and its cold. This lesson helps students understand that colors can have feeling. We talked about the warm and cool colors and how they made us feel. Students then learned about monocromatic (meaning one) color. Using this knowledge, students created a multimedia collage with different tints and shades of blue.

Texture Shape Collage

Kindergartens loved learning about texture and the way things feel. As an introductory lesson, I have them explore my texture boxes. These are boxes that have different textured objects hidden inside. After our review of texture words(smooth, bumpy, hard, soft, etc) we describe what we left in the box. After every box has been described, I reveal what was inside. From here they then create texture rubbings using oil pastels and waterolors. After our wax-resist texture paintings are dry students practice their cutting skills. Student then create a collage using these textured shapes.

Primary Patterns

In this project, students used geometric shaped sponges to create a sponge print using their knowledge of patter and primary colors. They then created a picture frame or boarder using construction paper squares using pattern.

Primary Line Design

Students look at the work Of Wallisky Kandinsky as an inspiration for their line designs. First the had a review of differnet types of lines. Then in a directed lesson painting black lines on thier paper. The next step was students used the primary olors and found shapes within their line paintings.

Lines, Lines, Lines

The first art element we look at and study each year is the element of Line. Here students create a line quilt using all the different types of line that they know.