Georgia O’Keefe

This week we have started our unit about the artist Georgia O’Keefe.  After reading a book about the artist and looking at some of her famous paintings, we introduced a work for the children to try creating large flower paintings of their own.  Using 9x12 watercolor paper, we used the circle and oval metal insets to trace a large flower.  The tracings were done in crayon and colored in.  After their designs were complete, they used watercolor paint to do a color wash over their entire painting.  The children were very excited to do this work and each child took great care in the design and creation. 

 

Here is our oldest student, RM, hard at work:

Her finished painting:

EH and SS are working together:

 

Here is the painting completed by SS:

This has become a popular two person work.  Here MG and YMG are hard at work:

More finished paintings:

Action Painting!

The painting materials have arrived and we completed our “practice” canvas together today!  Each child had a turn to try splattering paint onto the canvas in order to develop a feel for the technique before painting their individual works!  The kids were beyond excited!

They gathered around the canvas as we prepared the paint cups and brushes:

Some of the kids in action:

A red admiral butterfly landed on one of the children while he was painting and then fluttered down to the canvas!

 

Here is our completed Jackson Pollock canvas.  It measures 4’x3’ and will hang in our classroom.  Each child will now get to paint their own cnavas to take home!!

Last Pollock project before the BIG paint

Today we completed our last project in the Jackson Pollock series before our final canvas painting.  We used puff paint and foam core posters for this work.  Each child chose the colors they wanted to use, and made abstract designs.  Some children with less hand strength/coordination could not squeeze and wiggle the bottle at the same time, which was interesting.  Some children loved watching the paint ooze from the bottle so much, that they become transfixed and ended up with large piles of paint on their posters.  This project will give the children a feel for the abstract squiggles that we will use on the larger canvas later.

 

 

 

A selection of posters that showcase very different styles:

More abstract art!

Today we completed our second to last project in our abstract expressionism unit!  We created paintings using enamel paint floating on water.  This technique creates an amazing marbleized pattern that had the kids gasping in delight!  Each child created a unique print and we were all thrilled to see the finished prints!

 

  

YS selected his paints and used an old pencil to stir them together in different ways.  The finished print is amazing!

 

  

AL was very thoughtful as she carefully stirred the paint.  We were all silent as we watched the paint flow around the pan!

 

WOW!

Jackson Pollock continued….

Today we learned that our fundraising project for our mini art unit was successful!   We will be able to order a very large cotton canvas for each student to do their own Pollock inspired “action” painting.  We will be ordering the materials in the next few days, and in the meantime we have a few more lessons to complete.

Today we discussed the different tools Jackson Pollock used to create his paintings, including some of his wife’s kitchen utensils!  We made Pollock inspired paintings today by driving matchbox cars around our papers!  The children were captivated by this process, and many of the children spent 15 or more minutes quietly painting away.

      

 

    

Jackson Pollock

For my mini-unit in art, I chose to focus on abstract expressionism and the artist Jackson Pollock.  Last week I introduced the artist to the chidlren during line time.  I had printed out several pictures of the artist working in his studio to pass around.  I told a story about Jackson Pollock and how he discovered his special type of action painting.  Then we looked at several of his famous paintings in a large book I checked out from the library.  After that, I showed the children several canvases of abstract action paintings that I have made over the years with other students and my own children.  I asked the children to describes what they saw and there were some interesting answers.  Most of the children described the colors they saw, some children described lines versus squiggles.  The most interesting answer was from MG who said the paintings all looked dirty!

 

Today, we introduced the first Jackson Pollock style project in our series.  By rolling a marble dipped into paint over a paper, the children were able to create abstract patterns that are similar Pollock’s style.  We placed five small plates with paint and one marble in each next to their work space.  The children were able to go at their own pace and choose the colors in any order and amount that they chose.  The children were very deliberate in their color choices and calm in their motions.  It seemed to be almost meditative to some of the children!

 

    

 

    

 

Craft Project – Make a Cardinal

This week we began our study of birds.  We chose four birds that are common to our area and started with a more in-depth look at the Male cardinal first.  I found this great craft project that the children can do nearly independently!  The picture below shows how I have set it up at a table.  I posted a sample as well as a photo of a real cardinal to the right.  The child selects a plate template and colors it, then snips on the black line, and arranges the pieces according to the sample.  The child calls the teacher to check hi work and assist with stapler.  This is a terrific work and has helped reinforce our new vocabulary of beak, wing, body, and head.

Proudly displaying his completed cardinal!

Painting with two primary colors

This work was inspired by a lesson I saw on Fang’s art display!  I had previously introduced color mixing with water and with playdough, but not with two colors of watercolor paint!  The children loved it and it has been in use all week!  Thanks Fang!

Here is EH beginning the work just after have a lesson.  You can see my sample in the upper right hand corner of the work area:

In progress:

Winter Landscape Painting – Sample Activity #8

This week we introduced landscape painting for winter.  We had our first real snow of the season, and the easel is right near a window with lots of snow covered trees for inspiration!  The first day, I put out a broad bristled paint brush, and the children used it to simply cover the paper with lots of apint.  We called them snow storm pictures.  The next day, I replaced the brush with a much thinner one.  This required more dips into the paint pot, but also resulted in more detailed (and slower) painting techniques!

Here is day one with the broad brush:

 

And here is the same child (4yr old) on day two with the thinner brush:

 

Here is a six yr old girl working on a very detailed snow landscape:

Sample Activity #7 Craft Project – Sponge Painting

Sample Activity #6 Print Making With Styrofoam Tray