Friday, December 17, 2010

Painted Paper Robots



Third graders had a great time using colored, painted, and metallic papers to create these little robots! We painted papers for our first 55-minute class period and spent the next two class periods cutting shapes for our robots.





Thursday, December 16, 2010

SNOW!


Kindergartners just created the cutest snowmen in Art class! After reading books like The Snowy Day, Snowmen at Night, and Snow, students used torn and painted papers to assemble a snowman. They were able to practice following multiple directions, put together lines and shapes to make snowflakes, and use their fine motor skills to cut, tear, and glue. It was a very successful project for us!

Egyptian Blue Faience Hippos




Tiny blue hippo figures were created long ago in Ancient Egypt. To the Egyptians who lived and travelled along the Nile river, hippos were considered to be the most dangerous animals in the world and presented a constant danger! The Egyptians believed that to appease these animals, offerings and charms needed to be given to render them harmless. Tiny hippo figures were made from clay and decorated with plants that live along the river. These figures were also buried in tombs with pharaohs when they died. Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art website to find out more about William, the famous blue hippo/mascot of the museum! http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/FAQ/htm/willy.htm

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Zentangles



I recently discovered Zentangles, a calming, creative process developed by Suzanne McNeill. Her blog is http://blog.suzannemcneill.com/. Zentangles are doodle drawings that help you to focus and relax your mind! They can take a shape or they can also just travel across a paper. Some designs can be shaded in, some can be left in line! The purpose of this activity is to find calmness through a creative process. Zentangles can be made anywhere!

I haven't purchased any of her books (there are a few listed on Amazon) but I did check out her blog. Some other artists describe this process as Zendoodles. Taking time to search the internet will provide you with many resources. I made a handout for my students with ideas, and after explaining this process to them, they couldn't wait to try! I turned on music, told them that for 45 minutes they could let their minds relax, listen to music, and let their imaginations carry them. They LOVED this process and we had such a peaceful art class. I think from now on when I have students finish early or I have a substitute, Zentangles will be the favored activity!