Terra Cotta Warriors

Artwork inspired by the Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors:

The latest and greatest Terra Cotta Warriors!  For a detailed description of the lesson and process, check out previous posts here and here and here.  However, one thing I have changed about my teaching is due to some new technology I have at my disposal.  I have a SMART TV in my classroom--think giant television sized tablet.  The TV is amazing and I love that it has replaced my projector.  One of the main things I love about it is that I don't have to have the lights off to see what is on the screen.  This is my favorite feature because I can make demonstration videos and loop them so that they play non stop during work time.  This has been a tremendous help, because all teachers know that it is difficult being the one expert in a room of 25-30 curious, learning minds.  The looping videos allow me to work one on one with those struggling while a lot of those that simply forgot what step comes next or how to do something can glance up at the screen and watch to see what it was that they need to do.  I can't tell you how helpful this is!  Such a time saver and the kids love it so that they don't all have to wait for me to make it through the sea of raised hands to get to their "quick question."

Bisqueware:

Post Smoke Firing:

Checkout that crossbow!

This student had no idea who Charlie Chaplin is/was but he totally created a Charlie Chaplin Warrior!  Love that he even gave it a bowler hat and cane!

Salvador Dali Portraits

The 'Stache is Back

I've blogged about my Salvador Dali's mustache lesson before (details here) but I have a few more photos to add to the amazingness that is this art project.  They make me smile so much!  As has been the theme this year, I didn't get many photos, but I still want to share what I did manage to snap.  So here we go:

Day of the Dead Alter

Dia de los Muertos

Every year we set up a Day of the Dead alter as a school and make our ofrenda ("offering") for someone we have lost or a Mexican artist.  This year, we made our ofrenda for our school secretary, Jill, who lost her battle with cancer recently.  The kids made her paper symbols of the things that she loved (i.e. Nebraska Cornhuskers) and/or things they thought of when they thought of Jill and wrote her a note on the back of that symbol.  It was a great way for the kids to find closure in their sadness and to celebrate her life and the things that Jill loved.

This is a K-8 school and we (myself and Sara--the K-3 art teacher) try to get all of the grade levels involved.  This year the Kindergarten made papel picado and paper calavera masks, First Grade made candles from toilet paper rolls and tissue paper, Second Grade painted rocks as calavera, 4th-8th Grades made symbols for Jill as well as papel picado from patterns and Eighth Grade also made 3D calavera-paper sculls from a template found here on skulladay.blogspot.com.  The milk jug skeletons were actually created last year with my seventh graders but they were too great not to reuse!  Pictures of last year's display are on my blog here

Close Up of 8th Grade Calavera from Skulladay's Template:

Art Club Made and Decorated Sugar Skulls!

Tunnel Books

No, that's not an accordion...it is a Tunnel Book!

Tunnel books are made up of various frames (or pages) and held together by paper that has been folded in an accordion style.  And most importantly...they're awesome!  My friend and fellow art teacher, Jill Maahs shared this lesson with me.  I know that other teachers are familiar with this lesson or something similar, but Jill introduced me to them and I immediately fell in love.  I wanted to teach them to my 8th graders last year but ran out of time at the end of the year, so I was sure to fit it in this time around!  

I started by introducing my students to the concept of tunnel books with an example I made, examples I found online and a little history to them (I found some interesting facts and info on Tunnel Books at Wonderopolis.org).  Then I had the students sketch out their idea for a "story" which could be inspired by movies, books, real life or their imagination.  As long as there was a clear theme, I counted that as a story.  I required each student to include at least one character (human, animal or creature), 3 or more setting details and a detailed background.  These all had to be distributed within a foreground frame, two middle ground frames and a solid (and more detailed) background.  We also discussed how to use the frames and to spread images out for better spacial relationships and story telling.  

Once they had a plan and I approved it, they drew their designs onto 5"x 7" poster board. The first three pages had to have frames around them with and the character or setting details coming off of those frames.  We used X-acto knives to cut away the interior of each page.  Once all  pages had been drawn, colored and the first three pages had their frames cut properly, we folded up construction paper (in an accordion style).  I did not have a required number of folds with the construction paper so some students had more than others.  I just asked that they makes folds that would glue (easily) behind the frames.  Once they had two sheets folded the same way and number of times, they distributed their frames throughout them.  I asked that they glue the accordion folds to the back of each frame (for aesthetics) and that they make sure they have the accordion folds so that the last one will be able to wrap around the back of their background page.  

The range and variety of these tunnel books is phenomenal!  I am in love with how they turned out and am so grateful that I have a display case to show them off in!  

Percy Jackson Inspired Tunnel Book (Left) and Refrigerator Madness (Right)---Don't you love the egg who is trying not to fall like his buddy did!?!  And the artwork and school papers on the front of the fridge!  So many great details!

This student created his tunnel book from the perspective of the catcher.  It is so cool how he considered what you see from inside the catcher's mask!  The glove is right up front and in your hands so it seems the largest and everything else gets smaller!  So creative...and accurate! 

Aquatic Adventure

Haunted House

Sailing Trip

Shooting Hoops

Dali's Stache

The 'Stache is Back!

Salvador Dali's stache has returned and is as popular as ever!  I've taught this lesson for a few years now and I don't think it's one that I'll stop teaching any time soon.  The kids absolutely LOVE this one.  I even let them wear fake mustache glasses.  We draw relatively realistic faces with surreal backgrounds and I ask them to keep that in mind while painting with their watercolors.  We finish by adding a crazy mustache (pipe cleaner) at the end.  And it never fails to give outstanding results--all while learning a little art history!  My full lesson is better described in this post here.  

This Year's Stache Gallery:

Since all students work at a different pace, some of them weren't ready for their mustache when I glued them on.  In that case, I encouraged them to stick them straight up until they were finished painting--just to keep it out of the way

Notice the various surreal backgrounds--wavy pencils and crayons, dancing grapes and misc foods and melting bananas!

Those long legged peacocks were inspired by Dali's Elephants and the melting sports equipment by The Persistence of Memory 

I'm pretty sure this is a painting of me...but as a blonde.  First, the student asked me "Can I put paint on her face?  My person is an art teacher." and after noting how much I love dinosaurs, her background suddenly had surreal dinosaurs in the background and not to mention that I always wear my hair on the top of my head in a messy bun.  Love that I could offer a little inspiration (or at least think that I did)

This student used her mustache to spell out her name!

This one might as well be a portrait of Salvador Dali himself!

If the students finished early--I encouraged them to be inspired by surrealism and its dreamlike qualities with real items and asked that they invent a new animal or object by combining 3 or more animals and/or objects.  I also encourage them to give their new creature a name...ever met an elepenguicornelope?  (It's made from an elephant, penguin, unicorn and antelope)

More stache pics from other years
http://missartypants.blogspot.com/2016/01/salvador-dali-portraits.html