Reflections on the Year

As I think about the past year, and begin to get ready for the new year, I am very pleased with what we were able to accomplish, and am looking forward to new explorations in the coming year. I have learned so much from watching my students create, and sincerely hope that they have learned from each other. Many of them are very pleased to see themselves improve, and are so proud of themselves when they find ways of making what they want to make - using found materials, and with creative solutions to problems. I love to see the light in their eyes when something that they have tried works, and have been particularly pleased with the many collaborations between, two, three, and even four students. We spent more time than I intended to on certain aspects of art, culture, procedures, and history, and therefore didn't get to some things that I had hoped to include, but the extra time spent was at the direct request of the students, and therefore worthwhile. Next year, through our continuing growth together, we will try to get to those things that were skipped this year. Our curriculum will continue to spiral around the stations that we have used for the last two years: drawing; collage; paper puppets and masks; paper sculpture; cardboard construction; papier mache`; weaving; stitchery; painting; printmaking; conceptual building with reusuable sets; and clay. I received a grant for our classroom for an architecture station from the Union Education Foundation in the spring, and have spent a lot of time researching what activities and materials I would like to include in this station for next year. We had several students show an interest in architecture this year, which led me to apply for the grant. I am excited to begin our third full year of allowing students to choose subjects, methods, and materials.

Printmaking

Kindergarten stamping

First grade gadget printing

In the spring, in each of our first through fifth grade classes, we did a printmaking rotation. First and second grade did gadget printing, third grade did monoprinting, 4th grade did screen-printing, and 5th grade did styrofoam block printing. Kindergarten had been doing stamping all year, but in the spring we emphasized stamping patterns. Unfortunately, in the rush and changes of schedules at the end of the year, I did not get pictures of all of these activities.

Hand puppets

Tyren's dog
Emma's Tinkerbell
Teddy Bear
Madeline's dog
Bride

At the end of the year, many of the students were anxious to finish their hand puppets and stuffed dolls. I was pleased to see how many of them made characters from stories, or created their own character that had a story to go with it. These are just a few of the ones made in 4th and 5th grade.

5th grade art work in the art show

Jorddeah's paper mache' mask

Adelaide's oil pastel dog.
Briana's Indian.

2nd grade collaborative mural - War of the Worlds

Jack, Cole, and Isaac started a collaborative drawing about a space battle one day near the beginning of the year. They were so excited about the way that it was turning out, that they asked if they could add another piece of paper. Every day for a couple of months, they would come in, get another sheet of paper, tape it on, and continue the battle, until they ended up with 24 sheets! They would have started with our big mural paper if they had known how fast their ideas would flow. Every class period, I would only see the tops of their heads as they were bent over their work and drawing excitedly.

4th grade art in the art show

Mason and Aaron made a "stretchy maze."
Jacob and Alex made a colorful non-objective.
Saketh worked for days on his haunted house.
Joseph, Hunter, and friends worked on their collaborative work about good and evil.
Annalise made her church out of clay.

3rd grade art in the art show

Emily's Pollock-style splatter painting

Kimmie's oil pastel drawing of a jewelry counter
Dylan's painting
Brandom's drawing of race cars

2nd grade art work in the art show

Murtaza's dinosaur
Lexi and Brianna's collaborative painting
Anah's white charcoal pencil drawing

Jacob's football player

First grade art work in the school art show

Tallon's rocket ship
Casey's men fighting mammoths

Ashad's space battle
Isaac's army helicopters with birds
Payton's race cars

Slideshow of some of the art from the show

http://slideroll.com/?s=mz305828

Copy and paste this address to view many of the pieces of art from the spring show.

Spring All-School Arts Festival, 2007

These are kindergarten artworks from our recent spring all-school art show in which we had over 600 pieces of artwork displayed.

1)Kiana's collage castle for her grandparents, in which she started with a paper bag. 2)Susie's painting done with 3 colors of paint in spray bottles, torn-paper shapes, and a paintbrush. 3)Sydney's mixed-media collage, which she started with a painting using spray bottles and a brush, then added specialty papers and ribbons. 4)Latiana's painting of a dinosaur.

This robot's mouth was made from a parmesan cheese lid. How creative! It also made a perfect location for the robot to have three eyes!

Elizabeth made a papier mache doll using a plastic bottle as armature. After she had painted it, she dressed it with fabric, added yarn hair, and a hat from our collection of "beautiful stuff."

Gala masks

We have these unusual shapes of cardboard donated by the packaging company where my husband works. They make great gala masks using mixed media and "beautiful stuff" (anything that can be used to decorate).

Construction plus!

Madison, a third grade student, started at the construction station to made this chapel. Then she chose kraft sticks to make a bride and groom, and yarn to make their clothing and the bride's purse. At the front of the chapel is an urn with flowers. Madison worked on this for several class periods, painting the chapel and adding accesories until she got it just right.

Non-objective Painting

Madison told me that she wasn't sure what she was painting, but I told her that it was a beautiful non-objective painting!

3-D masks

Doesn't Taylor's mask remind you of a little old lady with her Easter hat on? She even has a black lace shawl.

First grade students love to paint!

China is very proud of her flowers growing in the rain.