More Paint Explorations

Pk, K and 1st grade have been exploring the possibilities of paint, making different kinds of lines and mixing colors. Children this age need to explore art materials fully for the sake of exploring what each material is capable of. This will give them the skills and knowledge they need to make rich, nuanced representational and abstract works of art.

above: 1-118, that's George Washington on the top right.

above: K-108. numbers are fun to paint!

Superpuppets to the Rescue!

3rd Graders made puppets of superheroes they thought up themselves. The figures are made from pieces of cardboard and have moveable elbows and knees. They thought of who their superhero was, what their super powers were and a scenario they might encounter. "Art girl", "Squirrel Boy", and "Video Game Boy" are just some of the super heroes they created.

above: Superhero puppets by 3-252 and 3-232

all above photos: Class 3-232

4th Grade Book Character Puppets

4th Graders created puppets of their favorite book characters. The figures are constructed out many parts of cardboard and have moveable elbows and knees. 

Class 4-248

Class 4-248

above: Class 2-248 observational drawings of their book character puppets

Character Collages and Masks

Inspired by Character Day, students created mixed paper collages of their favorite book characters and masks of either a book character or an animal (sometimes the book character was an animal). 

above: Class K/1-116

Here are some photos:

above: Class K-108

above: Class 2-236

above: Class K/1-116

above: Class K/1-116

above: Class 3-206

Pre K and K Paint Explorations

Pre K and K have been exploring the possibilities of painting. They explored what different kinds of lines they can make with paint and a brush and named those lines: squiggly, loopy, curly, curved, "circle line", "rainbow", "zipper", zig zag, bumpy, straight, down, up, thick, thin, etc. Talking about art-making always expands children's vocabulary. We also talked about what we could use those lines to make; a curved or "rainbow" line could make a rainbow of course but also an umbrella or a hill, a zig zag line could make stairs, a bumpy line could make hills, and a curly line could make curly hair.

While Pre K focused on lines this week, Kindergarteners also mixed colors and painted things in the real world. They enthusiastically helped me create a list of the some of the many things you make with paint and a brush: people, grass, animals, etc. This exploration was to warm them up for their painting project next week. Exploring a material to see what you can do with it is always a good idea before starting an ambitious project with that material.

Here are some photos of Pre K paint explorations:

Kindergarten Paint Explorations: 

Puppet Love

"It is said that children do not distinguish between living and inanimate  objects; I believe they do. A child imparts a doll or tin soldier with magical  life-breath. The artist animates his work as the child his toys." -- Patti Smith

Students have been working on constructing puppets from pieces of cardboard. K-2 students have been making puppets of "someone who cares about me" and "someone I admire." Constructing the puppets helps students understand how the figure can be represented by putting together basic shapes (this will help them draw and paint figures). Clothing and adorning the puppets using pieces of fabric scraps, ribbon, beads, parts of found jewelry, etc. requires students to make many individual creative decisions as they carefully select what materials will match their idea as well as having new ideas inspired by materials they are attracted to. This entire project shows students they can make art entirely by re-purposing discarded materials. 

2nd graders have been working on puppets of people they admire. Here are some finished examples from class 2-236. We discussed what it means to admire someone and read My Abuelita by Yuyi Morales and talked about how and why the boy in the story admires his grandmother.

above: From class 2-236: Olivia's grandma and Mercedes' grandma

above: From class 2-236: Kayden's grandpa, Isaac's grandma, and Brooklynne's dad.

Kindergarteners and 1st graders have been making puppets of someone who cares about them. Here are some finished puppets by K-108 and K/1-116. Students shared about someone who cares about them and what that person does that makes them feel cared about. We read Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats and discussed how the characters show that they care about each other.

above: puppets by K-108 students.

above: puppets by K-108 students.

above: K-108 puppets. 

above: K/1-116 puppets.

Pre K Texture Boards and Fall Leaf Collages

Pre K students learned about texture and created texture boards, selecting and gluing down pieces of fabric of various textures. Many students decided as or after they made their texture board that it was a representation of a race car, train or person.

above: Texture boards by PK-136

above: Texture boards by PK-132

Today, PreK students began creating Fall Leaf collages. We read Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert and discussed the season we are now enjoying and one way that we can tell it's Fall: Fall leaves on the ground which have fallen from trees. The students selected, arranged and glued the leaves all by themselves onto construction paper in the color of their choice. I think the different arrangements they made are beautiful souvenirs of Fall 2015.

above: Fall leaf collages by PK-132.