Personal Artwork

Below is a small collection of some of my own recent work. Currently, I am taking a mixmedia painting class which is very experimental in terms of materials. I will post more as soon as I take some photos.

2011 Art and Music Extravaganza

Every year the music teacher and I get together and do a Spring show and fundrasier for the PTO. This event raises several thousand dollars which then go back into our programs. It's a wonderful evening for the celebration of the arts and to bring the school community together.

Clay!

I make the kids wait until the spring to do clay. Right after April vacation I turn my whole room over into a ceramic studio and do clay with the entire school. We all start out with a rules and play day where guidelines and rule are gone over and they get to play with the clay and get all the "ooohhs, aaahhhs, and icks" out. The following week we have a practice week with their project where I give a demo and they practice making their person, animal or pot.  I do this because I don't have time or space to keep work wet enough to be workable over a week's time. I tell them they have to be able to create their piece in 1 class time. Of course if they are stuggling they can try again the following week.

The 5th graders make clay portaits where they have to show themselves doing something they like. The other requirement is that the figure has to be standing or sitting independentely without supports. The starting construction method is the same.

The 4th graders create animals. These animals can be real or imaginary but have to have 4 legs. Again,they all start again with the same construction method and have to be standing or sitting independently of supports.

3rd graders create coil pots. This is their first big clay project. They learn the coil method of constuction along with the glazing process.

All-District Art Show 2011

It's time again for our annual All-District Art Show. Below is a slideshow of the pre-hanging pre work to the post hanging. Opening reception is Monday evening, March 28, 6-8pm. The links are the centerpiece this year. This unique installation piece created by our middler schoolers inspried by there awesome teacher Ms. Smeglin.

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.

Fantasy Cakes

My Pre-Ks loved this lesson. We talked about our favor cake flavors and our "dream" cakes. Here are the results. So fun!

Impressions of Monet

I honor of Spring approaching, I introduced the Impressionist Artist Claude Monet. First we watched the movie "Linnea in Monet's Garden". Then students looked at many examples of Monet's work. They learned how the impressionist were some of the first artisits to work outside and how they had to work quickly to get the impressions on what they saw before the scene changed. We then recreated one of Monet't paintings using sponges and tempera paint.