Ugly Jug preview

I was too excited to wait... these are going to rock!
What an "ugly" bunch of ugly jugs and mugs. I can't wait to see what these look like after they are glazed.
 

Sweet Treats

In 2nd grade we learned from one of my very favorite artists, Wayne Thiebaud.  He paints things to look so delicious and REAL.  How did he get his yummy looking pastries and treats to look so ... yummy?  Well, this is how we began our adventure ... wondering this very thing. 

French Pastries - Wayne Thiebaud


As a class we came to some insightful conclusions.  1. He drew 3-D shapes (forms).  2. He added cast shadows and showed value.  3. He made the paint and decorations look like icing. 
After sketching some forms we were able to draw all sorts of things from cupcakes to brownies to ice cream cones.  Knowing how to draw forms gave use the skills to draw many things.  We took it to the next step and designed our own layer cake for a special celebration.  We painted them with value and added decorations, a cast shadow, and a space.  I looooooooooooooooove these!











 

a little reminder...

A kindergartner said this with such gusto and excitement that everyone in the whole class heard him proclaim, "Nobody is perfect!"  What a wonderful thing to remember. 

Imaginary Creatures

I mentioned these Kindergarten collages on a previous blog post and I figure it is time to share them.  They are wonderful!  I have to give credit to the PTA for inspiring me to excitedly pull these from my closet; they were looking for art to feature in our school directory. So Creek View friends, keep your eyes open.

Stories are a great way to start an artwork.  In this case, Kindergartner's listened to the famous story written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things are.  We talked about the illustrations.  Kindergarten noticed the feathers, scales, and fur, which opened the door to the element of art, "texture."  Aside from texture, we talked about and used geometric and organic shapes but most importantly, we had fun creating something from our imagination. 


What do you see? 








 

Holton Rower Relief Sculpture Drip Paintings

5th Grade made these relief sculptures.  They explored how gravity can play a part in what we make, how colors can mix and swirl and how a lack of control in what we do can sometimes give us happy and inspiring surprises.

Questions that led the way………………………………………………………>>>>
·       Who is Jackson Pollack?  Who is Holton Rower?  Compare and contrast their artwork.
·       What is a sculpture and how can I create one?
·       What elements and principles of art will I consider when planning out my design? Show me.
·       Be inspired.  How can I use my 5 senses to share my personal vision?


Holton Rower
 



 


Thank you 5th graders for cleaning up and making it look spotless. Needless to say, I figured out a way to avoid this messiness for my other 5th grade classes. Live and learn.

Crowd pleasers - well done 5th grade!








There was no right or wrong way to arrange their mat board . I love how this one really thought about gravity when gluing her pieces in place.
A cube = wonderful idea (similar to how Holton Rower pours paint over top pedestals)
depth in our relief sculptures - looks so neat looking down the halls


Paper Relief Sculptures

After watching a video clip of 3-dimensional art made out of just one piece of paper, 4th graders were amazed that so much can be made from so little.  We were inspired to create our own paper sculptures with careful attention to how we balanced our compositions.  I love how they turned out and they look great displayed together in a large space.  I think next year we are going to up the challenge and truly use only one piece of paper.  I can't wait!
Preparing display


an interesting perspective
 

Ikebanas

Last school year, I set off to learn more about Japanese art, particularly clay.  I guess I was just bored of making tea bowls with my second graders.  Now, tea bowls are wonderful and as a ceramist, I have deep respect for the tradition.  I just wanted to change it up a bit.  I stumbled upon Ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arranging),  so I decided to explore this idea of playing with balance in how we can arrange flowers as well as what a vase can look like.
 Everyone loved making these so much last year that I decided to make them again.
Vases drying - textured slabs attached to a pinch pot base
Glazing


 
Proud moment
More happy artists


Display

* Be sure to look at my previous post from last year for other images.