Second Grade Selfies

Hello again!
I thought it would be cool to see some self portraits from different grades right next to each other! These are the second grade self portraits. We went much more in depth talking about proportions, as well as discussing details like foreheads, cheekbones, and jawlines. I did the some thing with the second grade as I did with kinder - they looked at a partner's features and really observed them. We talked about blending colors and trying to achieve the most realistic self-portrait. We also did the "pupil trick", turning the lights on and off! These young artists really got into their work! Here are some results! 

Thank you for checking out the happenings in the Art room!

Kinder Self Portraits

Hello there!
I am so sorry for not updating! Between holidays and being in the process of buying a house, life has been crazy! I wanted to show you kinder self portraits! 
We talked about true colors, and proportions. They were very excited to know the fourth graders draw the eyes, nose and mouth guidelines too! We called it a "map" for our features. 
The students looked at their features with a partner, really observing what an eye looks like, eyelashes, brow shapes, nose shapes, etc. We even had a little science lesson, where we talked about pupils and how they dilate! The little artists really got a kick out of watching what happens to their pupils when the lights turn off and go back on! 
The results have some serious personality!

Thank you for visiting!! 

School gardens are the best!

Hello again!
This is a brief post showing how I took advantage of the garden at one of my schools. It is such a wonderful resource for all grade levels, and all subjects! I love taking my students out there to explore and draw from observation. 
This time, I noticed some flowers were on their way out as fall made it's way in, so I went out in the morning to pick bouquets for each table. (It's a nice way to start the day, picking flowers in a garden!)
I am trying very hard to shy away from free draw when students are done - I'm going for more of a themed drawing time, so I don't receive 23 scribbled Spongebobs/Minecraft drawings. I have been creating "Free Draw Challenges" with 8-10 prompts. Instead of "free draw", I had them draw these flowers from observation.

It was a success! A little change from the expected prompts is a nice change of pace. I may buy a few bouquets for free draw this winter, when all we see is white for months! 

Feel free to click to enlarge the photos!

<- look at those lines! I love the way elementary line drawings come out! 

 It's tough drawing those hollow, pink petals! ->

Thank you for stopping by, and please come back again soon! 

It's been too long!

Hello there,

I vowed to myself that this year, I would be more involved in the three schools that I work in, and I have been on participation overload! My brain is usually mush by Friday at 3:10, but I made it a goal to get some blog posts in here between loads of laundry! 

This year, I am on the PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System) team, Spirit committee, Mural Makers is up and running again, and I have been collaborating making parade floats, new all-school PBIS tokens, and more! This entry will be showing the beginning of the second mural at one of my schools. Last year, I had about 15 students help paint a mural based on Keith Haring. This year, the principal requested the alphabet between the Kinder and first grade rooms! 

The students and I created a "Mural Makers Agreement" on the first day, using the PBIS "Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe" as talking points. I have mostly new students, only 3 or 4 have experienced painting on the wall before - many of them were nervous to make the first stroke! We talked about how artists create large-scale work, and how confident you have to be with your strokes and techniques. Once they got going, they accomplished a lot in the first session! 

 <- Helping reach the higher spots!

 After the first session of painting, this is the result! These artists work fast! 

Thank you for visiting, and come back soon!

2014-15 School Year!

Hellooo Artists!
I am writing this in my clean (not yet lived-in) Art room at one of my 3 schools. It is the first day back to school! I am excited to see new and old faces, and to post new and exciting artworks! I am hoping to post more info on my classroom routines (successful and not-so-successful), and to post more on my experiences being an Art educator. Let the adventure begin! 
~ Mrs. Riley

Sunset Silhouettes

Hello again!

This is the first time I've taught this lesson, and got the idea from some awesome sources on Pinterest! Fourth grade artists talked about when they can see silhouettes, where they've seen them, and how to include detail (on the edges) without adding detail (to the inside of the form)! This was challenging for the students because they were presented with many images for inspiration, but NO TRACING was allowed! They had to break down their chosen silhouette subjects into shapes, and draw from observation as best they could. I think they did a wonderful job! Click to enlarge! 

Thank you for checking out the new post, and please stop by again soon! 

     

 

Tar Beach!

Love me some cross-curriculum connections!

 The lovely librarians asked me if I could relate an Art lesson to their first grade Caldecott unit for Reading Week this year. I spotted Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, and jumped on it! In Art, we talked about the meaning of a "tar beach", and the different ways the main character used her imagination in the story. 

We then, as a class, named different places we would love to fly over, and make our own. They came out wonderfully!  

Next time, I might have them look up different places and landmarks for more of a 
variety of locations - there were a lot of bird's eye views of Paris the first time around! Here are some of the results from the Tar Beach lesson! 

   

Thanks for stopping by the blog! Please come back soon!