the very eric carle project

This week we learned about Eric Carle and how he illustrates and writes his children's books. Although I love them all, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are two of my favorites.

I remember creating a class book based on Brown Bear in kindergarten. (My mom was my teacher, so that might be how I remember so much from that year!) We each came up with a page by drawing a different colored animal. She wrote the words, laminated the pages, and assembled it to create something we were all proud to share. After she moved to a different grade level, I got to keep it. I still have it in my special box of school things from elementary school.

After learning about how Eric Carle makes his pictures in last week's class, it was our turn. We started the process by covering large pieces of white paper with streaky paint and textures. After they were dry it was time to take out our drawn design and trace the pieces we needed to cut out. I applied all of my pieces by layering them and attaching them with a glue stick. I used a black sharpie to add little details and add text.

"Yellow duck and blue donkey saved the day at the farm."

An extension activity for this project would be write an entire children's story like one of Eric Carle's or write about your favorite Eric Carle book.

Have a creative day!
Marissa

van gogh's got it

The second project we completed for our study of Van Gogh had a modern twist. We created a cityscape with varying skyscraper heights. First we cut out tissue paper in "swirly" and "moving," organic shapes and applied it to our background sheet of construction paper. I chose to tack down my many pieces with a little Elmer's glue before I sealed it all. After I applied all of my pieces of tissue paper, as well as the skyscraper silhouette, I used the medium to seal it all. The medium dries to a plastic. It is comparable to Mod Podge. After the piece was dry I used a silver Sharpie to create line and movement in the design. You could also use oil pastels. I think I may have gotten a little carried away with the Sharpie on mine, but I really enjoyed the process! After the project is trimmed and framed, it is important to press it to create a nice, flat, finished project.
An extension activity that would go well with this project would be for students to write a narrative about the scene they created. Perhaps this is the view the main character sees from their window at night, they are on an adventure in the city, or they dream of the big city lights. I think students would really enjoy creating a story to accompany their beautiful Van Gogh inspired scenes.
I encourage you to check out my blog list to follow the link to "NSU K8 Art Methods 2012" blog to look at the projects of my classmates! The "ArtSavesLives" blog displays the work from the Mixed Media class I am in this semester.

Have a creative day!
Marissa

it's a starry night

The work of Vincent Van Gogh was our inspiration this week. At the beginning of class we viewed this video of his work and also a PowerPoint presentation sharing information about his short life. Did you know that Van Gogh did not learn to paint until his late twenties and he died at the age of 37? He only sold one work of art in his lifetime. Today, his work is very recognizable and he is a favorite for many. I have many of his prints hanging in my home.



We used our fingers to paint this week! The assignment was to imitate the brushstrokes of Van Gogh and to use bright colors like those seen in his later work. It was interesting to watch my classmates find it difficult to let go and use their fingers. For so long we have practiced controlled, neat art, so it was fun to be able to experiment and use our fingers to apply the paint to the paper. We were to be sure to include a foreground, middle-ground, and background to create our landscape scene.
Following the activity we were asked to write about our painting. I like this idea because it allows students to reflect on their work. Here is the caption for my painting:
"My scene is from a small city that overlooks a large park area. The buildings in the foreground are closest to the viewer who may be standing on a balcony. The open area of grass in the middle ground is the city park that is cherished by the community. The shapes in the background are more homes on the edge of town. The sky from the beautiful sunrise."

I really like the idea of having an artist of the week in my classroom. I see great value in students knowing the name of famous artwork and a few interesting facts about the creator. An extension activity for this project would be for students to create a running book of the artist of the week. They can include images of famous artwork by that artist, interesting information, a portrait, and perhaps artwork of their own that imitates the artist. The class could also create a collaborative book of the artists that are covered.

Have a creative day!
Marissa

let's go on a hunt

In class this week, we continued our discussion of the elements of art and the principles of design. Although I was working with oils in painting class last semester, it was nice to revisit the tempera paint and review the basics of color.

element: space; subject: window reflection

There's just something about the smell of tempera paint that gives me flashbulb memories of those elementary school art projects. Crayola crayons will sometimes do that to me, too. I'm excited to create memories of art projects for my students some day.

element: unity; subject: Bananagram tiles

To complete this week's assignment, we were sent on a scavenger hunt to find examples of the elements and principles in the world around us. After we compiled our images and wrote definitions, we were to create a PowerPoint for future students. I chose to make mine for the third grade, but I feel it would work well for any of the lower elementary grades because I tried to keep the definitions as basic as possible.

element: value; subject: hay bales

I do not have any experience with the camera past the basics of point-and-shoot, but I really enjoyed looking for ways to creatively capture these elements and principles.

principle: contrast; subject: sign post

The photos here are five of my favorites from my hunt as I looked for the principles and elements of art in the world around me.

principle: emphasis; subject: doorknob

Have a creative day!
Marissa