1st Grade Wintery Landscapes

1st Grade Artists dove into collage with these whimsical Wintery Landscapes.

We spent 1 class using printmaking techniques to create many different textured
and patterned papers.  Each student made a background paper for their artwork
and many other colored papers that we shared as a class.  

Students loved using everyday objects as printmaking objects.
Learn more about our painted paper week here.

We were then ready to put these papers to work. 
This project is inspired by Cassie Stephens 1st grade landscapes. 
Check out her lesson here.

Students had many choices built into this lesson to decide just how "wintery"
they wanted their landscapes to be.  They created a ground by cutting and gluing a
wavy strip of paper; white or green.

They were then ready to start cutting their tree tops.  1st graders had a choice of using circles. ovals, or triangles to create their trees.  These shapes were cut from the many painted papers we created as a class.  Firsties cut many different sized shapes of their choice and arranged them on their background learning about overlapping to create a strong composition. 

Finally, we added tree details using printmaking techniques again to 

add line and dot patterns inside the trees, and of course a little snow!

What do you think of our finished products?

They almost make me ready for a little snow!

Painted Paper Week

1st and 2nd graders embarked on a week of painted paper creation in the Fuller Meadow Art Room. Each table was assigned a color paper and specific paints.  They then used a variety of objects, such as sponges, corks, forks, straws, and more to created beautiful painted papers.  

FM artists made paper after paper, some even made 6 or more! Each one was unique. 

Take a look at our paper factory at work!

Hmmmm, now what are we going to do with all of these papers?!

Printmaking in the Art Studio

How Does Printmaking Allow for Bringing Art to the Masses?

Howe Manning fifth graders are learning about printmaking and 

how they use a printmaking plate to create multiple pieces of identical artwork.

We watched videos that demonstrated 2 different styles of printmaking plates: 

collographs and relief plates

Printmaking is fun, but it is a lengthy process. The tutorial below illustrates all the steps necessary to create a successful print.  We used the tutorial below to remind us of the printing process.
 We've just started doing practice prints called proofs.
Ask your 5th grade artist how many times it took to get the hang of it!

5th graders were tasked to say something meaningful about themselves through an object.  They really thought carefully about what they wanted to say and how to represent that with an image.

For their final copy, 5th graders where challenged to explore printing their images with different color ink, showing repetition, printing on colored backgrounds, and on interesting unique backgrounds.  They learned how all of these images are a part of their print edition. 

What do you think of their ideas? What do they say to you?

Gong Hey Fat Choy!

We're celebrating Chinese New Year in Kindergarten Art! 

Kindergarten artists are learning about the upcoming Chinese New Year.  Students compared and contrasted Chinese New Year to how we celebrate the New Year in our culture.  This year is the year of the monkey.  Most students also discovered that they born in the year of the Tiger...Roar!  Click on the monkey image to learn more about the Chinese zodiac signs.

Kindergartners are spreading good fortune and luck with festive coin trees.  They traced hands and then crumbled paper to add bark texture.  Hands were then painted to create trunks of gold and fortune.  

During week 2 students cut and glued their hand branches.  

Printmaking techniques (stamping different round shapes) were then used to add coins of all sizes.  

Have a prosperous and good year!