4th grade: Yarn Printing

Class time 1:
4th grade went through the printing process by first sketching out their ideas, then drawing their images on a printing block (cardboard squares). They glued yarn on to their printing blocks creating a raised surface. Note: Since the glue won't be dry in time you will need to break it up into two sections. 

Class time 2:

Yeah, our glue is dry! 

Before we begin to print, we prepared our papers with texture rubbings to give our images a little more flare. (Don't for get to write your name on every sheet you will be printing on!)

While the class worked I pulled small groups to do printing at the back table.
We used brayers to apply ink (or tempera) to the surface of the raised printing blocks. Then, pressed our printing blocks onto our prepared textured paper.

Class time 3:
The kids picked 2 of their favorite prints to keep for display. One print was to stay the same, the other print could be altered in some way by adding color pencils or markers.

Display: Printing block, unaltered print, and altered print (the kids could change or add color).

4th grade: Dale Chihuly sculpture

Dale Chihuly inspired coffee filters. Just use markers on a white coffee filter, wrap around a form (we used red solo cups), attach with a rubber band, spray with bottled starch, and let dry. The starch will blend the colors and help the coffee filter keep their form once removed from the cup. We finished the project by gluing the tiny sculpture to a square of construction paper.

 

4th Grade: Dali Mustache

I mustache you a question. Do you know of the fantastic Salvador Dali mustache?

Salvador Dali with Babou, the ocelot and cane.
Roger Higgins, World Telegram staff photographer

Fourth graders learned about the craziness of Surrealism and the ever so eccentric, Salvador Dali. We learned about him and some of his quirky behaviors (did you know he jumped up and down in public to get people's attention?), the qualities of Surrealism and about his infamous mustache!

This lesson focuses on Art History with Salvador Dali and Surrealism but I also take it as an opportunity to teach about facial proportions. We tried to keep the portrait serious and the background full of surrealism crazy! Down below you will see flying cheese, floating snakes, coins falling from the sky, with a side of berries and stars to complete the gallery.

4th grade: Realism and Non-Objective, Birds

What is the difference between Realism and Non-Objective artworks?

• Realism- the image representing a person, thing, or situation accurately or in a way that is true to life.
• Non-Objective- the image does not representing natural or actual object, figure, or scene. The artist focuses instead on using the most basic Elements of Art (line, shape, color).

Students did observational drawings of birds from calendar pages. We walked through how to break down a complex subject (bird) in to something simpler (shapes). Example: Oval for the body, circle for the head, and a triangle for the beak. We then adjusted our shapes and added details, like feathers, claws, and markings. Crayons were used to give the bird color and allowed for layering of color.

It was great to see my students search the bird's feather for hints of other colors. A black bird might not be made of completely black feathers; there may be blues and greens too. Look carefully!

Next, we observed the works of Wassily Kandinsky, who is know to be one of the top Non-Objective painter of our time. His painting Squares with Concentric Circles, 1913 became our inspiration for the background of our drawings.

The contrast of the two art styles works amazingly well for this project. It really brought home how different artists can be and still create masterpieces.