March Maker Madness!

Welcome back to another creativity-packed edition of my blog. My art-maker students have been busy making loads of art and I’d like to share it with you.

Kindergarten made some leprechaun art for St. Patrick’s Day and bunnies for Easter. These kids are so funny, and I love the faces they drew on their leprechauns.

If the Terminator were a leprechaun...

My first graders colored leprechauns, too, also with delightful expressions. (You’re welcome for the laugh!) First grade also colored paper Easter eggs, and the bright results are beautiful. 

Second grade colored big Easter eggs and also made cards depicting Peep marshmallow candies. We discussed whether Peeps are delicious or yucky. Most kids love them. But there are online groups dedicated to the hatred of Peeps! Data suggests that most adults love Peeps, too: each Easter 15,000,000,000 (yes, billion!) Peeps are eaten. But on a serious note, do you prefer the Peeps chicks or bunnies?

Third grade made three-dimensional Easter bunnies that are hugging eggs. I invented this project, which isn’t difficult, but is a fun table-topper. The kids personalized their bunnies and had a good time. They also made leprechaun table toppers for St. Patrick’s Day. We discussed whether they had seen leprechauns, and some of these kids claim to have seen them!

A dozen eggs. Plus bunnies.

I love that Sergio added the St. Patrick's theme to his name!

Fourth grade worked on a tessellation project. Even if you don’t know the term, you’ve seen tessellations. A tessellation is a repeated shape that fits exactly into the shape next to it, creating a pattern without gaps. Each student colored their paper to represent a three-dimensional cube, with warm colors on the top of the cube, cool colors on the front, and dark on the right. Put together, this creates a vibrant tessellation pattern. I like the dynamic result.

My fifth-grade maniacs (oh, I mean students) colored hanging Easter eggs to bring home as decorations. I love the variety in patterns. These are so colorful and cheerful. They also made St. Patrick’s Day art, using metallic paper as an accent. 

Sixth grade did a project you may remember from the fall, when my eighth graders did it: topiary drawings. I had the kids color animals, shapes or people that are made from trees and plants. I think some of them really nailed it.

My seventh graders made Easter cards with metallic paper. I teach at a private school, and some of our art is religious. I asked the kids to cut metallic paper into pieces and glue it into a cross shape on their cards. The effect reminds me of stained glass. The kids each did their card a little differently, and the effects are wonderful.   

My eighth-grade class learned about Mexican American artist Ana Serrano. Her family originally came from the northwestern state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Serrano creates 3-D architectural sculptures from cardboard.

Serrano’s work reflects the socio-cultural and architectural elements of urban life in many Latino neighborhoods in America. She is interested in how people decorate and personalize their homes. Here is Serrano’s piece, Cartonlandia, which is taller than an adult.

My eighth graders covered cereal boxes and shoe boxes with construction paper and added details to turn the boxes into buildings. The buildings could be businesses or residences, and I love the imagination the kids used. My students enjoyed the three-dimensional aspect of this project.

This student always comes up with something unique. He made a conveyer belt on top of his building!

This eighth grader is so talented, always going above and beyond.

That wraps up the March whirlwind that swept through my art room. If you are celebrating Easter this month, Happy Easter. If not, happy spring! The longer days and blooming flowers are lifting this artist’s moods. Enjoy the sunshine and the buds on the trees, and I’ll see you in April for more adventures in art land…

 

Febru-ART-y!

Happy 2024, everyone. Or is the “new” year old news?

After all, 2024 is nearly one sixth over already. How did that happen? It’s my first blog post of the year, and we have a lot to share.

Kindergarten has been creating Chinese New Year art. It’s the year of the dragon, which represents good luck, talent, health and strength. 

First grade made Chinese New Year art, too, but with a three-dimensional flair. How awesome are these dragons? I used a template for the head, but I made up the body, and described to the kids how the body should go up and down, like a roller coaster. 

Second grade has been making Valentine art. I created an idea for three-dimensional hearts, involving four hearts, glued back-to-back. Each heart has a different pattern on it. I like how these look…

My third-grade class started out the new year with a project I devised from paper bowls. These cute turtles have textured shells, and each is a little different. Good job, third grade! 

These kids also started Valentine art this month. They colored in conversation hearts, the candies with words printed on them. (I find their taste chalky, but on the upside, it’s fun to combine food and words.)

Fourth grade worked on Black History Month art. I found a wonderful book, The ABCs of Black History, by Rio Cortez, illustrated by Lauren Semmer. 

My fourth graders made drawings based on some of the illustrations in this charming book. 

a page from Cortez and Semmer's book

From The ABCs of Black History

Fourth grade also made three-dimensional, wearable heart eyeglasses for Valentines Day. They loved this project and I love how much variety they created.

Fifth grade did amazing drawings for Black History Month, based on art by Kadir Nelson. Nelson is an acclaimed artist whose paintings have been on magazine covers like The New Yorker. His art has been displayed in the White House. Since our school is in San Diego, I thought it would be interesting to the kids that Nelson lived in San Diego at one time. We did art based on two of Nelson’s art pieces, Sweet Liberty, and Black Boy Joy. Although some kids were intimidated by drawing people in a three-dimensional style, many did an amazing job, and I was very impressed by their work. Here are Nelson's two paintings that inspired our lesson:

Sweet Liberty by Kadir Nelson

We paid special attention to the kids’ faces and heads. The girl wears a blue iris in her hair, which is a symbol of hope, and her rolled-up sleeves represent the tenacity of her ancestors.

Black Boy Joy by Kadir Nelson

The boy’s portrait shows his confidence in his wide smile. His joy represents opportunities for happiness, and the touch of sunlight on the edge of his hair represents optimism.

Sixth grade has been creating two projects and I will share them next month.

Seventh grade also did portraits based on the art in The ABCs of Black History. The kids worked hard and did beautiful work. I’m so proud of them.

My eighth graders have senioritis and are ready to fly toward high school. But we still have art to make in the next few months. We started the year with art based on the trailblazers of the Civil Rights Movement: Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. I think these turned out great.

It’s been a busy 2024 already in the art room. The kids came back from winter break with more bouncy energy than I expected (I was hoping they had used it up over break, but that was wishful thinking). Still, I love teaching and I love the kids, and so I persevere. Thanks for reading, and we will be back again soon with more colorful creations!