Happy Birthday Bob Ross!

Please forgive the re-post of this video, but I thought is was appropriate on Bob Ross' 70th Birthday!

Happy Birthday Bob as you look down from the happy little clouds!

Where Do Artists Get Ideas?

In the beginning of the year I asked 3rd-8th graders to write on a post-it note where they get their art ideas. We stuck them to the wall, and man, what a list they came up with!

While sitting with the dogs on this rainy Saturday, I took the list that the kids made and put it int a little word art.

Thanks Lucinda, Emmy & Emma for helping type up the list!

3rd & 4th - Mondrian .... Spider webs??

We have been having so much fun with our Mondrian Maps, that we thought we'd make some spooky Mondrian Spider webs while we were at it!

As students finished their Mondrian Maps, they began their webs. I showed the first person how to draw a web, who then showed the next finisher, who showed the next, and so no. We like to call this Art Dominos! 

We used markers to color in different sections, following the same primary color scheme as Mondrian.

Spooky Spider Webs! 

1st & 2nd - chalk pastel Pumpkins!

I can't resist an opportunity to make fall themed art!

This week Seahorses learned how to blend with chalk pastels and how to identify a light source to create these awesome pumpkins!

Kindergarten - Fall Birch Trees

Kinders have been working on some beautiful birch trees! We looked at images of trees on the iPad and then looked through artist books at how different artists create landscapes.

We used tape to mask our paper to create our trees. We then peeled off the tape to reveal the protected trees underneath! Lots oooooh's and aaaaaaaah's!

We then painted the landscape with tempura paint.

Next we added fall colored leaves.

When students were finished, several of them chose to continue to draw birth trees in their sketchbooks. 

Fall Festival is around the corner!

7th & 8th graders help with making signs for Fall Festival

Fall Festival is Friday, October 26, 
from 12:45-2:15 at Pine Grove!

3rd & 4th - Mondrian Maps

Our Sandpiper classes have been learning about how maps are made in their "Mountains to Sea" unit. Sooo, I thought, a-ha awesome! What a great way to integrate our Art project!

We started off by looking at the artwork of Piet Mondrian and identified some commonalities in his work. Students started to see how some of Mondrian's pieces looked like maps, with the black lines being streets.


We then pulled up Google maps and looked up Wilmington.

The lines that represented roads and streets looked like Mondrian's artwork! - So cool!

So then we pulled out the sketchbooks and began to draw some maps!

 

We labeled the maps with as many street names as we could. The more students drew the maps, the more familiar they had with the arrangement of places in our town!

Next, we transferred the drawings into larger paper, first with pencil, then outlined with Sharpie. We used watercolor markers to color in a select number of spaces with the primary colors, just as Mondrian used. 

Here are some finished maps!

Today I asked the kids what they thought about the project and got some awesome answers. THIS is why we integrate, not just teach how to draw, but teach how these skills are useful in every day life! - 

"I was in my car driving the other day and I saw some road names that I had on my art map, and I realized that I knew where I was! I knew what road was coming up because I remembered drawing it on my Mondrian Map!" – Ireland

"Making maps is easier said that done. At first a map looks like just lines, but those lines are roads and we live on those roads! So you have to get them right!? – Niall

"The roads are a lot closer and smaller than I thought. Its neat to see all the places I go in real life, on the map!" – Maia

"It can be hard to make maps because you have to be exact. If you aren't then you would get lost and that would not be good!" – Carson

"We learned about maps and map sizes both in our classrooms and in Art, its neat that we can learn about them in both places because I remember more." – Aidan 

7th & 8th Grade - Variation on a Theme

7th and 8th graders are just finishing up their Variation on a Theme project, and man, they are lookin' good!

Here is what we did -

Everyone was asked to bring in an object that they had a personal connection to - a hobby, a gift from someone special, a souvenir from a trip.

They then all drew their object in pencil, using all the awesome skills they learned during our value study. 

Next, they completed a second (and in some cases, third and forth) piece of artwork of the same object, using a different art material of their choice.

It has been such a gift to get to learn about everyone's interests during this project!

here are a few that are complete.

  

Alex - skateboard.

  

Alyssa - necklace from her grandfather.

  

Kailey - keys to her family's new house (and of course, Duke logo).

  

Taylor - one of the many Sharpies that he always carries with him.

 

Brandice - sweet stuffed pups.

 

Lily - stuffed bunny that she has had since she was born.

Ben D. - no. 2 pencil that he draws with.

5th & 6th Grade trip to Bald Head Island Turtle Conservancy

This week I had the incredible opportunity to go on the 5th & 6th Grade Fall trip to Bald Head Island to visit the Turtle Conservancy. Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE turtles... so this trip was quite a treat! Oh, and we made some art while we were there!

 We spent two wonderful nights at the Conservancy and despite rain and chilly temperatures, we had an awesome time!

Hike through the maritime forest. 

Turtle nest excavation!!!!! Clearly, the highlight of the trip!

Baby loggerhead sea turtles... there were 13 turtles in the nest that had not found their way to the ocean with their 75 siblings... these guys were rescued and set free to the sea! 

Advisory Rules Posters.

Thanks parent volunteers  Brian, Kim, Steve, Pam, Melinda, Jennifer & Parigul for ALL of your help!!!

Meeting for Worship... couldn't think of a more beautiful place!

Sand art

Searching for shells

Sand castles

Observational nature drawings

Observational nature drawings.... in a hammock.

Turtle observational drawings

Owl pellet dissection

Apparently this owl ate a moose.

Thank you so much to the staff at the Conservancy for their amazing hospitality!They all went so far out of their way to help us with anything we needed.