May the 4th Be With You.

I may have had a little fun preparing for May the 4th. Over the years this date has become known as Star Wars Day so you might hear someone say, "May the fourth be with you." Our school has been preparing for this day by hanging banners and artwork on doors. My students have been studying the Vikings so they were using paper mache to build their own wearable helmets. I decided to demonstrate the use of paper mache by working right along with them. Instead of a Viking helmet, I created the helmet worn by my favorite Star Wars character Boba Fett. Most of my sculpting work was done after school so any left over paper mache and cardboard was used to assemble the bounty hunter's helmet and backpack. Some of my students are dedicated Star Wars fans so they were allowed to try on the helmet and the backpack. My goal was to have fun and to inspire students to be creative.

Spring into Summer Art

My students have created art for both spring and summer. 6th grade students created art for our main hallway that is all about spring weather. 8th grade students created original surfboard art for the art hallway. Only a few weeks until summer!

Easter Mosaics

My students studied the mosaics created by the Romans. Students were then encouraged to be creative and design their own mosaics using cut paper. The process is time consuming and requires both patience and planning. I'm very proud of their artwork and I think they enjoyed this project too.

Abstract Art

8th grade students learned about abstract expressionist painters Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaler this week. Students then created art using similar methods used by those artists. Students said they loved this painting process and wanted to do more. That is always good to hear and I'm impressed by their work too!

 

Painting New Planets

6th grade students are learning about planets in their science classes. So in art class they used the fluid painting technique with various colors of tempera paint. At the beginning of each day we discussed the inner and outer planets and the asteroid belt that divides them. We also discussed the planets made mostly of gases and those with more solid rock. They wanted to make more than one so I'm proud of their interest and enthusiasm during this project.

 

A New Semester

A new semester has started, and students are designing digital portfolios for their artwork. This will allow students to reflect on their progress over time. Students are also planning a surprise for our bus drivers this month.

 

Portrait Drawing

Students in 8th grade learned how to draw portraits in January. Students could draw themselves or a celebrity using pencil. Good to know that today's generation still loves Bob Ross!