3rd Grade: Crazy Hair Day

It was the day before picture day, so I knew we needed to get the silliness out before we had to look our best. Third grade had so much fun creating crazy beards and hair. We focused on different types of lines overlapping one another and filling our pictures as much as we could.

Look, we drew each other!

There is food in my hair!

Crazy beard!

1st Grade: Andy Goldsworthy Prep

First grade at SFA will be visiting Ledges State Park on, October 8th, to celebrate the artist Andy Goldsworthy. He is a British sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist who produces site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings.

We learned that the materials used by Andy Goldsworthy often include brightly colored flowers, icicles, leaves, mud, pine-cones, snow, stone, twigs, and thorns. He creates much of his work knowing that they will not last a very long time, such as the image above. The art may be blown away, fall over, or eaten by animals. Sometimes the only evidence of the art pieces are the photos he brings back to share.

When creating his art, Andy Goldsworthy often uses only his bare hands, teeth, and found tools to prepare and arrange the materials. He is willing to let nature give him what he needs to be inspired.

Rowan Leaves & Hole  inspired us to create our own version using paper ‘leaves’ around a black circle representing a hole in the earth. We cut out our own leaves and added other items we might find in the woods such as berries, rocks, sticks, and feathers.

Image (C) Andy Goldsworthy

1st Grade Andy Goldsworthy inspired artwork

 

3rd Grade: Op-Art

Third grade has been studying optical illusions. Op art, also know as optical art, manipulates repetitive forms such as parallel lines, checkerboard patterns, and concentric circles to help create the illusion of movement. Our artwork this month has been inspired by the artists M.C Escher and Bridget Riley. We observed several of their works and discussed how they were able to achieve movement with in their art.

Inspired by our artist we attempted our own opt art by manipulating our lines and changing the pressure of our colored pencil to add value to our shapes. Pressing hard on the outside of our shapes and lighter as we moved to the center gave the illusion of rolling bumps across our paper. Look to these great examples of how to trick the eye with opt-art. I am sure if you ask your students how it was done they will be please to show the secret.

Our Catholic Schools Rock! Creation of Posters...

This past week our students were working hard drawing their Saints for the Iowa Catholic Radio poster contest. I love this project by the way! It gives the student a chance to share their knowledge about their favorite Saint(s) and for me to share about some new ones. There are so many wonderful stories of these godly people; I found myself learning just as much as my students were. Take this opportunity to ask your own student which Saint they choose and do a little research about why that person is so special.
I bet you will learn something new too!

Our Catholic School Rocks! Poster Contest

I love getting my students involved in art opportunities throughout our community. Our most recent contest is Our Catholic School Rocks! which is a poster contest through Iowa Catholic Radio (1150 AM and 94.5 FM). The theme for this year's poster contest is Saints. There are so many interesting saints to choose from!

I will be involving kindergarten through middle school in this opportunity. So, please keep an eye out for my students masterpieces and vote!

• October 1 – The deadline for completed artwork. Iowa Catholic Radio staff will pick up the packets of art. 
• October 26 – The winners from each school are announced and the art will be displayed online to allow voting to take place. 
• December 11 – Online voting ends. 
• January 6 – The winners are announced. 
• January 25 –The folders are delivered to the schools – this is National Catholic Schools week! 

For more information about Iowa Catholic Radio: http://www.iowacatholicradio.com/

Self-Portraits

A self-portrait is a painting or drawing of yourself that is done by yourself.

Each year I like to have my students start their art exploration with self-portraits (K-8th). Students use their best drawing skills to capture their current appearance and demonstrate their artistic abilities. Once their pictures are full of color I hide the portraits away until the end of the year. Many forget that they have created a self-portrait.

Why hide them away?

Well, many of my students can not see how much they grow as artists during the school year.
Some will not believe me when I tell them, "You have improved!" or "You are doing awesome!" So to help my kids realize their potential I keep their pictures and repeat the lesson again during the last weeks in the classroom.

During those last few class times we create a book with one self-portrait next to the other. Laughter and grins are usually the result. They will say- "Look how I used to draw. I am so much better now!"

I challenge them to evaluate their work with questions like:
Can you compare and contrast the two? What is different?
In which areas did you improve?
How has your coloring changed?
Do you have more details then you had before?
Now, when I tell you that you are becoming a better artist will you believe me?

Proud kids will show off their work to their peers and teachers. Parents who have worried about their child's growth will see a light of encouragement. It is a wonderful moment for me as a teacher.

Portrait-portfolios are a great way to encourage  hesitant artists and boast self-confidence in all grades. Little steps or large steps, everyone will improve. Now they can see it for themselves.

ANDY GOLDSWORTHY FIELD-TRIP WITH 1ST GRADE

 Images (c) Andy Goldsworthy
Leave those paint brushes and pencils behind!

First grade: In October we will be going out to Ledges State Park to celebrate the artist Andy Goldsworthy. He is a British sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist producing site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. He explores and experiments with various natural materiel such as leaves, grasses, stones, wood, sand, clay, ice, and snow. The seasons and weather determine the materials and the subject matter of his projects. Let us create wonderful works of art with what nature has given us! (We will be collecting items we find at Ledges to create our own Andy Goldsworthy projects. Keep an eye out for things of color and texture. Good finds might include, but not limited to: leaves, sticks, rocks, feather, sand, grasses, moss and flowers. But remember, we are visitors. Treat the woods with respect by not tearing it down or littering.)
Many thanks to our volunteers!

Links to images and videos:
NGA Kids: Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy Images
Andy Goldsworthy - Land Art (artist in action)
Images from our last year trip: We had so much fun creating art in the woods! Look what different materials each group found to add to their sculptures. Very creative minds at work.

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Welcome!

Welcome to Mrs. Grabau's art room blog!
I have been teaching K-8th grade art for about eight years and have plenty to share with you. Through the four domains of Art- Art Production, Aesthetics, Art Criticism, and Art History, I hope to develop the creative-thought process with all my students. An effective artistic background enhances a student's ability to think and problem solve in all areas of their education and outside the classroom. In art we are not looking for one correct answer. We are looking for all of the possibilities. This ability to think along a variety of paths will undoubtedly be utilized later in life in many ways no matter what field the individual chooses. I also hope to teach my students to enjoy the act of creating art.
It is my hope that my students work can inspire yours as well!
ItWorks at Saint Francis o