April 25-29

Hello Mapleglenart Followers,
I missed blogging last week.  I have also missed school this week.  The rains brought in the spring molds and my sinus revolted once again.  No matter how I try to combat the onslaught, I never win!  Oh well, I'm on the recovering end now and here's what next week looks like in the art room.

Kindergarten-We just finished our cityscapes!  After reading Harold and the Purple Crayon, we used many kinds of lines and shapes to draw colorful cities.  We also learned the importance of a ground line.  The ground line keeps the images we draw from looking like they are floating on our paper!  This week we will use all kinds of lines again.  We will learn about the Japanese tradition of koi nobori.  The Japanese make wonderful fish flags that represent luck!  We will address the tsunami that recently hit Japan and how these koi nobori would be important to the Japanese as they move to recover.
     When I was teaching at Shamrock Springs, the kitchen purchased a new coffee maker.  The old coffee maker used different filters so 1000 coffee filters were donated to the art room.  What to do?  What to do?  I have slight altered the shape of the coffee filters.  The children will add lines and patterns to this coffee filter creating a fish.  Once we paint the filters, we will be able to roll the up and make a koi nobori!  My sample turned out great!  These will be coming home in the next few weeks.  Keep your eye out for them!

First Grade-The children have just finished their Alexander Calder lesson.  Their mobiles are so cute!  They really enjoyed assembling them.  Most of the children brought them home the day they made them.  One class has their mobiles hanging on display in the art room.  Please remember you are welcomed to stop by the art room at any time.  I welcome visitors!  This week the children will be introduced to Keith Haring.  Keith Haring drew cartoon-like characters with heavy, black, lines.  He used, what I call, the "crayon box colors".  His colors were nearly alwasy the colors you would find in a Crayola box of 8 crayons.  He and Alexander Calder both like for their artwork to move!  Alexander Calder's artwork really did move!  Keith Haring added "movement lines" to his artwork to create the illusion of movement.

Second Grade-The children began making their texture fish last week.  Most children have finished the shape of their fish.  This week we will be adding texture using fun foam.

Third Grade-The children have drawn some amazing Victorian homes!  They have traced their drawings with Sharpie and this week they will be accenting their drawing with oil pastes!  Lastly, they will paint their homes using water colors.  These will be such vividly colored Victorian homes!

Fourth Grade-Has finished their Ron Burns' cats and dogs.  I have never had so many wonderful pieces of artwork with this lesson as I have this year.  I am so proud of the work the kids have done!  There is a wonderful bulleltin board display of their work outside of the art room.  Please come by and take a look!  You will be impressed!!! 
     We began coiling pottery this week!    The excitement level was palpable!  Arrangments were made to add extra time to each 4th grade art class.  Many thanks to Mrs. Poorman and Ms. Gill for giving up their art time to allow the extra time for 4th grade.  Each class was introduced to the history of pottery and the ceramic techniques of coiling, scoring, and fusing.  Their goal was to create a vessel at least the height of their fist.  We will build on our pots again this coming week and then allow them to dry before firing them in the kiln.