It is working....

This semester I have a student teacher and he is doing great.  However some of my classes are taking this opportunity to push the limits.  It is really hard for me to not "step in" during some of the classes.  BUT since we all learn best from doing, I step back and let him work on it.  Last week we talked about this video I had watched a few years ago from the Organized Classroom and we thought he might give the cups a go...

I found some cups at Hy-Vee and we stacked them up.  Of course as the classes came in, they all wanted to play with them and they had a million questions about them.  But after explaining how they worked the kids bought right into it!  

It is working really well.  It fact after one class he said, "should I let them talk a little?"  I definitely think this is something that will stay in the art room even after he is finished with his student teaching!  

p.s. they don't work very well for color mixing... I was hoping but the colors just are vibrant enough (and I don't have blue).

Celebrating Creativity Dale Chihuly

The Students always love Dale Chihuly's glass work... and it is hard to miss it at the Joslyn!

So for our first Celebrating Creativity Night we created artwork inspired by him.  

Students started by coloring "Chinet Cut Crystal" Clear Plates with permanent markers.  

We then laid them on top of the kiln.  Then we "hit them with the heat."  I use my hubbys professional heat gun, but my small scrap booking one from hobby lobby also works... just not as fast.  We let them fold and bend as the heat says to.  This year I did a few "tweaks" at the very end.  I love them!

It can get a little stinky if you are not working in a well ventilated area... so make sure you are!

While they students were waiting to melt their plates we also created some large "Chihuly Inspired" drawings.

And thanks to my student teacher (that is him above in the red) we even have the display done.  

Celebrating Creativity at the Joslyn

This year we did another trip to the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha for their celebrating creativity day (see last year's post here).  Once again it did not disappoint!  We started the morning with some really fun classes... collagraph printing, drumming, special effect makeup, photography, stencil printing, dancing and more.  They also did a tour of a least one section of the museum.  I loved the students who toured "European Art" just so they could see Degas' Little Dancer.

photo courtesy

I also loved that the current exhibit is "Under Pressure:  Contemporary Prints from the Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation."  The students who toured it were able to see Chuck Close, Red Grooms, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Ellen Gallagher and so many more.  I have so many ideas for our Celebrating Creativity Classes.  

Here is a small collage from our day of fun!

Magic....

For the sake of my student teacher, we tackled a quick clay project

 (nothing like 300 clay anythings to help someone learn about teaching art).  

We quickly reviewed the story of Dumbo and how he could fly... thanks to his magical crow feather.  

image courtesy of Disney Clip art

We then created magical clay feathers.  We walked them through forming them by hand manipulation and then drawing in the details.  I have to say... they are looking pretty magical!

Check out our Artsonia site for even more...

Weekend Art Projects

Every year our local newspaper sponsors a "hide Gary the turkey" contest and my kids love to do it.  Today while my husband and son were out "looking for honkers" (goose hunting), my daughter and I made our turkeys.  She hide her turkey in a Jewelry box and I so proud of her.  At the start of the year she could barely write her name... now she spells anything.

I made mine to look like Keith Haring got a hold of it...

It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Stuck in a Hole

We did the first two days of perspective drawing going down a hallway and thinking about Alice in Wonderland... the last two we got "stuck in a hole."

We started drawing the same as if it were a hallway but then I challenged the students to think about it being the bottom of a hole. . . and they were going to be stuck in it.  I took pictures of the students sitting on the floor while I was standing on a table.  After finishing their images (one day with pencil shading and one day with colored pencil shading), we cut out and glued in their photos.

don't worry... we got them all out. 

Alice in Wonderland

Awhile back this post from Miss Katie at Artopotamus caught my attention because of this awesome Alice in Wonderland drawing.  

I got to thinking, that would be a fun way to do one point perspective.  

So we started my 6th graders by reviewing one point perspective.  While they were working I was taking photos of them.  

We worked together to draw their hallways and add a few details... then they were on their own.  

One day finished their images with pencil shading.  

Halloween definitely influenced this one...

Love her steps... wish the ceiling would have used converging lines.

The next day finished their's with colored pencil