Saturday, February 26, 2011

More Inspired by Grandma Moses

With repeating house shapes, this artist leads the viewers eye up the path and into the space she created in her painting. 

More work-in-progress landscapes inspired by Grandma Moses.  The first two are Currier sixth grade examples.We're really working the watercolors.  This artist's work demonstrates careful planning in the sequence in which she applied her paints. Working slowly and with a plan is key to avoiding color bleeds. 
With repeating house shapes, this artist leads the viewers eye up the path and into the space she created in her painting.


Rhythm and movement are created by combining flowing lines and repeating sets of shapes in this fourth grade artist's landscape.

Kids will be putting the finishing touches on these this week.  Nice job Currier!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Anna Mary Robertson Moses

grade 2 work in progress


We analyze the work of Grandma Moses in terms of subject, space, and style.  We work out the rules of simple perspective (size, placement, overlap) and identify examples.
 


We brainstorm a familiar scene and complete a rough draft.  We begin work on our folk art painting.

  

Friday, February 11, 2011

Phyl's Valentines

Here's a special Valentine for my friend Phyl.  She posted this lesson on her blog last week and it sounded like so much fun that I couldn't wait to try it.  I modified her plan a little, but essentially it's the same.  For this lesson, each child got a small piece of paper to use as a template.  (I cut a piece of copy paper into fourths).  I showed my first and second grade artists how to fold and draw half a heart beginning and ending on the fold.  Once their heart was drawn they were asked to cut it out.  When most were ready the next step I showed kids how to place the heart in the middle of a piece of bogus paper and trace around the heart.  Around my first heart I made "copy cat" lines to create a concentric design that moved out to the edge of the paper.  I asked kids what could go in the spaces (colors and patterns).  I told kids that there was a special trick to this chalk drawing and when they were ready they were to throw away their scraps and line up at the sink.  Each student chose three colors from the chalk box and carried them on a tray to their place.  Then they came back to the sink area for their paper.  Paper was soaked under the running water to get it nice and wet, and spritzed from a spray bottle as the class progressed.  Kids were encouraged to color completely.  Chalks were swapped with neighbors.  When done work was placed on the drying rack and chalks were returned to the box.
Kids loved it!  Quick and easy.  We skipped the Mod Podge step that Phyl suggested, because I wanted to hang them in time for the big day. 
        Thanks, Phyl.  Happy Valentine's Day everyone.
       Check out the complete plan at Phyl's blog There's a Dragon in My Art Room

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Ink and Bamboo Brushwork--Third Grade




Chinese New Year Celebration begins this week, and to get in the spirit we broke out the ink and bamboo brushes.  We looked at some some examples of artwork in this style, then students took a turn exploring the kinds of lines they could make with the brush.  Artists were asked to complete two practice sheets and then to develop their best ideas on a heavier weight piece of drawing paper.

Now that our paintings are dry students will be using modeling clay and red paint to make the stamp called a chop to highlight our design.





  After stamping our bamboo brush paintings, these paintings will be used to make Chinese style lanterns.  We will hang them to celebrate the new year. These are third grade examples.