Thank YOU!

This week all of my classes created Cards of Thanks to give to someone that they are thankful for.

We started out looking at some beautiful fall landscape images for inspiration. Students then drew trees using colored pencil and used their fingers to print leaves in fall colors onto their trees. Many students added some special touches and the air was filled with talk about who these special cards would be delivered to!

This was a fun quick project for a short week but an important one in helping students to realize the power of using their own art outside the art room and to communicate with others!

And finally, one more card for YOU!

 
Thank you to all my students for putting your best effort into your art and for coming to class ready to learn and full of inspiration. Thank you for inspiring me and being open to new experiences.

Thank you to my students' families for supporting your child and the arts and for giving me such a talented group of artists to create with.

Happy Thanksgiving!

More Rocks!

My third graders just finished up their Aboriginal Rock Art Unit and the results are stunning!

After learning all about Australian Aboriginal Rock Art, students created their own mixed media rock art pieces illustrating a special celebration. Students spent some time digging deep and brainstorming all the details of their celebration before beginning their artwork.

Using oil pastel in a limited range of colors similar to what was available to the Aborigines we studied, students drew their celebration using traditional Aboriginal symbols and their own drawings.

Students then added watercolor and we learned how painting over oil with water creates a resist.

Everyone rockified their pieces by cutting out their own rock shape and crumbling up their drawings when they were done. This step was a little scary!

I couldn't be happier with the results! I heard about so many special family traditions from fall hayrides and Halloween parties to cutting down Christmas trees and special family dinners.

Students then got to try their hand at painting on actual rock just like the artists we studied.

Students did a little exploring and brought in their own rocks to draw a family portrait on. Everyone was asked to draw a picture of their family doing something important to them.  Many students utilized traditional Aboriginal symbols to give the viewer more information about their family and what they enjoy doing together.

We then painted these pieces using acrylic paint in a full range of colors to bring our ancient art form into 2014!

See if you can tell what the third graders in the art room like to do with their families!

 
Finally students came together using chalk pastel to create a collaborative image using hand prints, symbols and images, similar to some of the ancient art that has been found painted on rock walls and inside caves around the world!

I love to see students working together creatively in the art room!

Next class we will take a look at all of our work and do our first in class critique. I can't wait to hear what students have to say about their classmates artwork!