Silly Snowmen (Kindergarten)

Kindergarten used simple shapes and crayon to create simple and adorable snowmen!

Snowflakes (2nd Grade)

2nd grade learned new cutting and folding skills to create symmetrical Geometric "snowflakes"! 

Wayne Thiebaud Cakes (6th Grade)

Students learned how to create 3-D cakes in the style of Wayne Thiebaud!

Turkey Puppets (Kindergarten)

Kindergarten practiced cutting and gluing to create these adorable turkey puppets in time for Thanksgiving! They loved showing these off and I think they turned out so adorable. 

Torn Paper Pumpkins (1st Grade)

1st grade used torn paper to create pumpkins to help them practice fine motor skills. We discussed complimentary colors (blue and orange!) and practiced drawing pumpkins before tearing orange and green paper to "color" them in! The students really enjoyed being able to tear paper into smaller pieces and were able to practice their gluing skills.

Value Pumpkins (6th Grade)

6th grade learned about how value can create the illusion of 3-D form by creating a value scale using different colored crayons on drawings of pumpkins!

They viewed the artist exemplar shown about to see how value plays a key role and showing the direction and intensity of light on an object. They were encouraged to add details to their pumpkins such as stems and vines, and also were reminded to always go from light to dark from top to bottom. They also practiced blending colors to create a smoother value scale.

Goofy Face Pumpkins (Kindergarten)

Kindergarten practiced cutting and gluing while making pumpkins with funny faces! Students drew and cut out their own pumpkins, decorated them with lines and mouths, and were then given eyes and teeth to glue on to finish their creations.

Directed Drawing - Bears (2nd Grade)

Students completed a directed drawing (a drawing where they follow along with the demonstration) of bears and were encouraged to add their own details, clothing, accessories, expressions, etc. I've found that students really enjoy directed drawing as they are able to "learn how to draw" and practice forming shapes and contour lines. Step-by-step instructions make these drawings accessible for many different age and ability levels.

Typography (6th Grade)

Students learned about typography and different "fonts" and practiced a graffiti-inspired writing style that has 3-D elements. Students viewed different kinds of fonts and discussed serifs, bubble letters, and block letters. Then they watched a demonstration of forming 3-D graffiti letters and then practiced their own with a cheat sheet to help them. They were then expected to form the word "ART" using these letters.

Radial Symmetry (2nd Grade)

Discussing symmetry with 2nd grade and found these awesome radial symmetry printables online (teacherspayteachers.com). I ended up buying a pack of a bunch of different designs and I tried out the butterflies and umbrellas this week! The students loved seeing the designs come together to make bigger compositions and they look really colorful and pretty in the hallway!

Vocab: symmetry/symmetrical, radial symmetry, collaboration

Fish & Habitat (3rd Grade)

Did a quick drawing project with 3rd grade of some really cute, unique fish! I did a step-by-step demonstration of how to draw a simple fish and we learned about their anatomy and habitats (oceans, rivers, ponds, lakes, etc.). Students were encouraged to add other underwater animals and plants to their composition and to draw BIG!

Op Art Exercise (6th Grade)

Did a short exercise with my older students who did an Optical Design project earlier in the year. The process for this project is very simple, and most of the students were very successful. Some students started coloring their designs and they look awesome!

Ndebele Inspired Designs (5th Grade)

These beautiful symmetrical designs are inspired by the house painting of the Ndebele tribe. The class discussed the meaning behind the Ndebele house painting and how their designs are comprised of Geometric shapes and bright, bold colors. Then each student created their own symmetrical design! Some of these are unfinished, but I'm happy with how they're turned out, especially since this was my first attempt at teaching this lesson!

Vocab: symmetry/symmetrical, radial symmetry, geometric, organic, shape, line, color

One-Point Perspective (4th Grade)

Introduced 4th grade to one-point perspective, which involved a simple composition. Hoping to use the skills learned in this exercise to complete a more advanced project in the future with this group!

Vocab: vanishing point, horizon line, one-point perspective, form

Kandinsky Trees (2nd Grade)

Optical Design (5th & 6th)

5th and 6th grade are learning all about Op Art! As part of this unit, they must complete an optical illusion of their own and add color to make it look 3D. These are just rough draft pieces, but they show how students have already progressed in their use of line, color, and value.

2017 PGCPS Art Exhibition

Despite my recent absence I was able to collect about nine pieces for the PG Mall art show this year! Here are the finished panels: