Shrinky Dink Skeletons

Here's a small selection of Shrinky Dinks that I'm getting ready for the oven. Fifth graders practiced skeleton drawing then  when they got one they liked they put the Shrinky Dink plastic on top and traced with a Sharpie.  To shrink them, line your pan with parchment paper so they won't stick and bake at 250 degrees.  Keep an eye on them...it will take 10 minutes more or less.  You'll know when they're close because they will curl up and you'll think they're ruined.  Don't worry. Be patient and give them more time in the oven and they will flatten out.  You can bake them just as show, but trimmed around the skeleton and punched a hole with a hand punch.  A jump ring finishes off the charm. Kids love 'em.
Sorry I don't have the after pics.  They didn't hang around long enough.  But believe me they were over the moon cute.

Thumbprint Pumpkins

Loved this. Thumbprint pumpkins and third grade.  Kids loved printing their fingers and then creating a cast of Pumpkin-Head Characters.  I had some examples from my sixth graders to show them for inspiration. That got the creative juices going.  We used liquid water color paint for the finger and Flair pen for the details.  In my opinion you can't go wrong when you hand a third grader a nice pen, but this project is engaging for any age...even adults joined in.  There's something meditative about the process.  Most third graders finished three rows in one class, but a few will need a finish up session.  They look lovely mounted on orange paper.  Happy October!

Fifth Grade Observational Drawings

Here are a few of the drawings my fifth graders did this week using the still life bin below.  Aren't they lovely?  

Observational Drawing Center

When I surveyed my students at the beginning of the year I learned that some of my students love drawing from life.  Fall harvest makes lovely opportunities for still life drawing and I set up this bin solve the problem of keeping a still life center stocked with fresh items each week.  The green bin contains my fall still life center and includes a small clip on spot light, three mason jars, a table cloth, and a bucket of flowers; everything needed to set up a center.  The bin makes it easy to transport and I carry it with me form school to school. On a small cart or table I set up the spot light, the table cloth and several small flower arrangements.  At the end of the session I switch off the light and  pack everything back into the bin.  The bin is tended at home and replenished from the garden as needed.    

Can you see the sunflower seed heads are plentiful in the garden now?  I cut the stems short enough to fit into the mason jars.  Even after their petals have fallen they make great still life objects. Can you guess what artists I might reference with this center?  Van Gogh and Gaugin are great choices.

Apple season is next...can you say Cezanne?  

Rewarding Positive Behavior

I'm always on the lookout for fun and engaging activities to offer students as a reward for all the effort and good behavior they demonstrate week after week, and also as an incentive to keep up the great work.  I'm not a big fan of rewarding kids with "things", because it's just not in my budget...but special activities are another story.  I use the Whole Brain approach to classroom management, and my classes can earn one point in the "art bank" each day they successfully complete the scoreboard.  After they have four points we take time for a reward activity.
Koo Koo Kangaroo is our current reward.  The dance is easy, lively and  a whole lot of fun.  Kids really enjoy learning the steps and stomping it out.  This is a keeper.
What incentives do you use in your art room, classrooms?  Please share.

Hawaiian Sunset

The long winter must be getting to me, because I find myself fascinated with all things tropical lately. So, aloha friends.
Today I'm sharing a little bit of the aloha spirit and also my Hawaiian Sunset lesson.  Aloha is more than a word, isn't it?  It means hello, goodbye, but also carries a deeper meaning.  The aloha spirit signifies giving without expecting anything in return.  I means accepting each as a valuable part of the whole, living peacefully in the present, and being one with the natural world.
Students made these beautiful tropical sunsets for our PTG fund raiser this year. They'll send them away to be printed on various items.  To make them we first made a watercolor wash to make an ocean sunset.  We used liquid watercolors, but you can use what you have.  Then we used our backgrounds to create a beach silhouette.  Students really loved this lesson.  We used this video to practice drawing our palm trees (not a native species in Vermont). How to draw palm trees And we used this video to practice our hula. Aloha Music.

Aren't they fun?  Don't they make you want to create a little aloha spirit of your own?

Student Art Goes Up

There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to stage a show.  Mounting the work, labeling, sorting, and finally hanging the show.  Here's the 2013 student art show going up at the Southern Vermont Art Center.  I was so appreciative to get a little extra time at school this year to get student work ready.  Usually I do a lot of this work on my own time at home.  This year I was able to get a lot done at school, and although I still ended up putting time in at home to pull last minute things together, it was much better this year.   I hung the show on Thursday.  Enjoy.