Thursday, December 17, 2015

Color Wheel Fish

First grade students used tempera paint to create their color wheel fish.  First they learned the importance of the red, yellow and blue and filled in the BIG fish.  Next, they used the primary colors to create orange, green and purple and filled in the small fish with the secondary colors. To finish the picture, they gave their fish and waves a black outline to make the image really pop!  Check out their beautiful colorful fish below! 






Native American Dream Catchers

Second graders finally finished their Native American Dream Catchers that we started back in November! Students learned about Native American art and the significance of dream catchers to the culture.  

I know they can't wait to take them home and have sweet dreams over the winter break! 







Thursday, December 10, 2015

Ugly Dolls

4th grade students LOVED making their soft sculpture Ugly Dolls.  I originally got the idea for the Ugly Doll project from a fellow art educator, Mr. E.  (You can check out his blog here: Art With Mr. E)  Students learned the basics of sewing and 3 dimensional art by drawing and then creating their Ugly Doll with burlap, felt and yarn.  Many of my  students decided to name their dolls and write a short story about their characters.  This was a really great lesson to tie in reading and writing to! Take a look at some of the amazing creations below! 









Wanted Posters

Third grade students are WANTED...(for being amazing artists!)   Students created a  self-portrait and added details to turn themselves into a cowboy or cowgirl during this project.  They gave themselves a wild west nick name, a bandanna and even a 10 gallon hat!  

Be on the look out for these 3rd graders! 










Van Gogh Sunflowers

Second grade students learned about the artist Vincent Van Gogh and his "14 Sunflowers" painting.  Using tempera paint and oil pastel, they created their own still life painting.  If you see a 2nd grader around Yowell, ask them their favorite fact about Van Gogh.  Their answers might surprise you! 

"He cut off his ear!  I wish he didn't do that."

"He wasn't rich and only sold 1 painting his whole life."

"Vincent and his brother Theo argued a lot."

"He showed lots of brush strokes in his work to show his feelings." 







December Artist of the Month

Congratulations to the following amazing artists who were chosen to be the December Artists of the Month! 

Kindergarten- Abigayle Ventura (Mrs. Gomez's class)
1st Grade- Andrew Valdivia (Miss Van Ness's class)
2nd Grade- Catherine Lomis  (Mrs. Price's class)
3rd Grade- Tiana Wesley (Mr. Brink's class)
4th Grade- Jazmin Brock (Mrs. Lucas's class)
5th Grade- Anna Klinger (Miss McMath's class)

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Fall landscapes

Nothing beats a beautiful fall day in Virginia!  To celebrate the season, first grade students created some beautiful fall landscapes.  They used tempera paint for the background and leaves.  For the tree trunks, they cut scraps of newspaper.







The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse

In my opinion, art is the BEST resource because you can incorporate so many academic lessons into art!  My favorite subject to include is reading because there are so many wonderful children's books to choose from in our school library!  Take this one for example, The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse, by Eric Carle.   First grade students listened to the story and then were able to create their own "blue horse" illustration to go along with the book.  We have a lot of creative first graders!  Take a peak at their creations..... 


Rainbow Horse


Blue and Yellow Bird


Orange Fox


Red Shark 




Tee-pees and Turkeys

Happy Thanksgiving from Kindergarten!  

For most of November, we have been working on tee-pees and turkeys!  Tee-pee making was a two day event.  First, they painted the background.  The next day kindergarten students learned about lines and patterns.  They decorated their tee-pees with different kinds of lines then practiced their cutting skills to finish off the project!  We were able to finish the turkeys in just one 40 minuet class!  Students used oil pastels and  watercolor paints to draw and paint their turkeys.  Check out their artwork below & hope to see you at the Kindergarten feast tomorrow! 











Monday, November 2, 2015

November Artist of the Month

Congratulations to the following amazing artists who were chosen to be the November Artists of the Month! 

Kindergarten- Joseph Cardenas Chavarna (Mrs. Lichwa's class)
1st Grade- Gracie Weimer (Miss Shamey's class)
2nd Grade- Brandon Ramirez (Mrs. Koch's class)
3rd Grade- Jaden Lam Lemus (Mrs. Ward's class)
4th Grade- Ian Cavanaugh (Mrs. DeGraff's class)
5th Grade- Brittany Fitzgerald (Mrs. Carder's class)

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Pumpkin Patch

Kindergarten students listened to the story "Pumpkin Pumpkin" by Jeanne Titherington before painting these beautiful pumpkin pictures! This lesson focused on fine motor skills such as painting, drawing, cutting and gluing.







Cezanne Inspired Still Life

First grade students studied the artist Paul Cezanne and used his painting "Still Life with Apples and Peaches" as inspiration for their own still life.  Day 1 of this project, students used colored construction paper to draw and color their apples.  On day 2, they used watercolor paints and crayons to create a textured background paper.  On the third day, students used scissors and glue to create the still life collage! Check out their amazing apples below! 

Here's the link to Paul Cezanne's "Still Life with Apples and Peaches" painting: National Gallery of Art- Paul Cezanne