Monday, December 12, 2011

A Partridge in a Pear Tree...

While students waited for a print making set up, they participated in a "Partridge in a Pear Tree" drawing lesson...Each one was truly delightful and unique!!
Grade 2- Partridge in a Pear Tree

Grade 2 Partridge in a Pear Tree

Festive Prints with Cookie Cutters


Grade 5 scratch-art winter scenes with an emphasis on contrast.  Classroom discoveries:  The wooden stylus tool works better on the cheap scratch art paper, and the metal stylus tool works better on the heavier weight scratch art paper!! Thanks for all of your trial and error today!  Artists make discoveries like those ones all the time!!




Saturday, December 10, 2011

Art room requests

Dear friends of the West Parish Art Room,
It is my intent to showcase projects and pictures of student work on this blog, and let friends know of art room happenings and units of study in order to better serve our students.  Please browse and share with friends of West Parish School that I might not have contact info for.  I will not be posting students faces or names for privacy purposes.  Enjoy!

Grade 5 slab vase

Grade 5 slab vase

Grade 3 Weaving

Grade 3 Weaving

Grade 3 Weaving- Students created weavings with scraps of yarn that have survived many years in the art room, and nobody complained about their lack of choices!  Students also learned the art of weaving along with me, it was my first weaving experience!  It was so fun to see students individual color sense applied to fabric/textile art!

Grade 5 Slab Vase

Grade 2- pinch pots with handles

For my first blog I would like to report that we've had a great time doing pottery and weaving in the months of November and December.  The third grade weavers amazed me.  They were so committed to their art they came to the art room several times during their recess to finish up their projects.  It is my wish that all pottery makes it home safely!  If you would like to volunteer to wrap pottery in news paper, that would be very helpful!  Parent volunteers are always welcome, Just let me know ahead of time!

Kindergarteners and first graders have also been creating works related to children's books, "The Little House" by Gloucester artist and author, Virginia Lee Burton, and "The Mitten", by Jan Brett.  In kindergarten specifically we are working on mastering the art of cutting, and tearing paper to create works of art, as well as always focusing on working as artists in a community setting.  Sharing materials, listening to others and respecting property and learning are always a major focus in the younger grades as we learn how to participate appropriately in art class.

The last week in December we are going to be making Valentines for the Troops over seas.  (To be shipped out the first week in January).  I will be looking for donations of red, white, and blue inspired scrap book materials, and perhaps words cut out of magazines- LOVE, HONOR, THANK YOU, STRENGTH, COURAGE, SACRIFICE ~ and also, stars and stripe, and valentine themed stamps for students to use in their Valentine creations.

Also, Forth and fifth graders have been creating Japanese Carp Kites.  A Japanese custom to celebrate Children's Day in Japan.  The Carp Kites are coming along beautifully, and will be displayed in the May Gloucester Arts Festival.

OTHER ART ROOM NEEDS~ (Please understand I don't want families to go out and buy these things special for the art room, but if you have an extra bit of something around the house- It would be greatly appreciated by the 400+ artists who use the art room:)

Yarn
paper towels
WIPES
paper towel Rolls
Red White and Blue/ Flag scrap book paper
Valentine, and patriotic stamping materials

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION~
SINCERELY,
Mrs. Morgan