2nd Grade Flower Vase

 Our last 2nd grade project was paper relief.  First students decorated a paper to look like a table and a window.  Then they had to add a vase that popped off their page.  Finally we created construction paper and tissue paper flowers to fill their vases.  I loved these so much they currently fill 2 display boards at school.  Each is unique and each is beautiful.

First Grade Easter Eggs

Our Clay Project in first Grade was a pinch pot Easter Egg.  Pinch pots start as a ball of clay and students pinch their ball into a small bowl.  Then we used paperclips to draw patterns onto the outside of our bowl to make it look like an Easter Egg.  Once these were fired through the kiln the were painted.  (A note to parents:  If you want the bowl to shine you can polish them with floor wax or shoe polish or they can be enjoyed just they way they are.   I love the patterns and the details in these.

1st Grade Symmetry and Color Mixing

 As first graders worked on their clay projects we needed a project for kiddos who were done early with the different stages of clay.  So since it feels like spring some beautiful butterflies seemed appropriate.

 These Butterfiles were made one half at a time.  On the first half I had students use oil pastels and think about what kinds of cool patterns and details they could out on their butterfly.

 On the second half students used tempra paint.  The had to try to mix their colors to match the colors they used with the oil pastels and paint neatly to recreate their patterns.  It was a really tough lesson but they did a great job, matching the colors and the patterns to create symmetry is not easy but it was great to see them try.

Kindergarten Bunnies

With Easter on it's way we were thinking about spring and bunnies in kindergarten.  Students began by looking at the basic shapes we could use to create a bunny.  After drawing and coloring those we added a blue sky and garden and then finally framed the project on a bright spring color and decorated the frame.  I had intended on hanging these up as school, but the kids were soooo excited to take them home I let them go.  

Kindergarten Hearts

Somehow in the craziness of warm spring sunshine and fluke snowdays this post got missed.  Oh well better late then never.  Right before Valentines day Kindergarten looked at the work of Artist Jim Dine and then we created Hearts in his style.  I love the simplicity of these and the colors.

Kindergarten ibook

Kindergarten students have been working hard learning about Eric Carle one of my favorite author illustrators.  I love the way he works, with so much texture in his paint.  The kindergarteners loved that too.  We had fun making patterns with paint and then just like Eric Carle we cut apart our texture paintings and used them to create our animals for our book.  For this project kindergarten students work collaboratively so the animals do not belong to one students but were worked on by both class.  Finally once we finished our animals we designed backgrounds.  

Thankfully we finished this project just in time for March, (if you didn't know March is READING month.)  I hope you enjoy the story and the art work they created the book is available for free download from the itunes store.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1083127837

Art Honors

I wanted to let you all know that 4 students from West Elementary represented Grandville schools at the Regional Art Exhibition this weekend.  (Our region includes all schools in Kent, Ottawa, Ionia, Allegan and Montcalm )

Two of the students from west made it through the regional level so they have the honor of their work hanging at the GRAM (Grand Rapids Art Museum).  There will be a reception for all regional students on Thursday February 11 from 6-8pm at the GRAM.  The work will remain on display there until Thursday Feb 25th.  

This show has already been judged and both students who made it to regionals will continue on to the State show.  Congratulations West Elementary Artists.