September 15, 2010

Coat of Arms

The Coat of Arms or Family Crest is an iconic image that has been around since Medieval times. The 3rd Grade students have taken the idea of the Coat of Arms and put a modern twist on it for a 'beginning of the year' project. Each student chose their shield design and divided the space into different sections to illustrate aspects of their personalities and unique interests. They are all so unique and wonderfully colorful!

Self Portraits

I was asked to participate in a fundraiser for our school through "Original Works". Since we are limited in size and media, I decided that it would be a good idea to have the students create a Self Portrait! I've found that often times, when asked to draw a Self Portrait, many students forget some of their features--eyebrows, ears, etc. These are great because it helps the kids to learn about drawing from observation by using a mirror and focusing on proportions, space and details. The 4th Grade students used colored pencils and watercolors to create these artworks and they are turning out GREAT across all grade levels!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar



Taking inspiration from Eric Carle, the 1st Grade classes have created giant caterpillars that are climbing on the walls. I like to begin the year by introducing my 1st graders to the Elements of Art. We talked about 'Texture' first and students had an opportunity to use crayons to create texture rubbings. They painted their circle of textures with watercolors, cut it out (which helps exercise those motor skills) and added it to the caterpillar body. Thanks to Mr. Stoller at Thomas Elementary for the idea!

Adinkra Symbols of Life

This collaborative artwork was created by the 5th Grade class of 2008-2009. We learned about Adinkra symbols that are used culturally in Ghana, Africa to represent different aspects of life, love and spirit. Each student chose a symbol that they identified with and used tools to carve their stamp from an EZ-Cut linoleum block. They created their own artworks and then used their stamp to contribute this collaborative artwork on a 4'x4' piece of birch plywood. Each student also contributed to painting the border which they voted on to be the colors of the Ghana flag. This piece is proudly displayed at the end of the 5th Grade hallway for all to see.