3rd Grade Blue Dog

George Rodrigue is a Louisiana native and has been painting for 40 years.  He started painting at the age of 5.  His inspiration for painting Blue Dog came from a story his mom read him about a werewolf, that werewolf reminded him of a dog, and then he wanted to paint the dog blue.  We read the book, Why Is Blue Dog Blue and students learned that Rodrigue did not always paint Blue Dog blue.  On the day he went fishing he painted Blue Dog salmon; when he ate a hot dog he painted Blue Dog mustard; when he went to the beach painted Blue Dog tan.  So the places and objects that Rodigue experienced influenced his color choices for his art.  Rodrigue’s advice to students is, “Paint what you like.”  Students were able to draw a Blue Dog and paint Blue Dog any color they wanted and had to complete the sentence: “I painted Blue Dog _______ because________.”  Once students chose their color they had to outline their blue dog with the complementary color (color opposite on the color wheel) to make their do pop out.  Students learned what VALUE is and why artists use VALUE.  Students used oil crayons to add value to their dog.  Finally students choose a pattern using lines or shapes and a crayon resist technique to paint their background. 

2nd Grade Clay Owls

 

The 2^nd Grade students learned about and experimented with clay.  Students learned that clay is a material that comes from the earth and can be either white or terra cotta.  Students first had to wedge their clay to get all the air bubbles out.  Next they had to create a pinch pot for the base of their owl.  Students learned how to attach clay pieces by using slip (glue for clay) and scoring (scratching the clay).  Students were able to use various tools to add texture to their owls.  Students were able color their owls in an abstract way to create a very fun clay owl.  Students also learned about the firing process of clay and were able to view the kiln.  Finally students were able to view some videos to learn some important facts about owls.

2nd Grade Cats

Laurel Burch is a self-taught American Folk Artist.  Folk Art is artwork created by common people who have not had formal training in art, usually reflecting their traditional culture or everyday live.  Laurel Burch had a rare bone disease that her bones would break very easily.  Sometimes she was in the hospital for months at a time.  Laurel was always incredibly creative. Even during her long periods of recovery when she was forced to paint from a bed or wheelchair, she seldom put her brushes down. Laurel said, “I refuse to have anything in my life that I can’t turn around into something magical and beautiful. I just refuse.”  Laurel love for cats showed in her art.  She painted many different cats with abstract colors and patterns. Laurel’s colorful cats were made into T-Shirts, purses, pins, jewelry. She also loved to make jewelry.  Her jewelry today is known all over the world. 

1st Grade Clay Coil Hearts

 

The first grade students learned about the artist Jim Dine through a power point.  They learned that he is a living artist who was born in Ohio, but now lives in Europe.  We talked about symbols and how people all over the world recognize what a heart is.  We looked at different examples of Jim Dine’s work with hearts in them.  Students learned about the clay process and were able to create a heart slab and attached coils to fill their heart.  Students also learned about the clay firing process and were able to see the kiln. Students used a crayon resist technique to color their clay to replicate the style of Jim Dine’s artwork. 

1st Grade Kandinsky