There are moments when I am astounded by the sincerity and depth of my young art students. Below is a conversation I had yesterday with one of my very young artists who has recently lost a loved one:
Student: "Mrs. E., did I do a good job on my drawing?"
Me: "It looks great! I can tell you are working very hard today."
Student: Do you think _____ would like it?"
Me: "Yes, I think they would be very proud of you."
Student: "Since you're a teacher, can you copy things, like pictures, like make two copies of one picture..."
Me: "Yes, why do you ask?"
Student: "I want to give it to _____. I want to put it on their grave. Can you use the machine to put the plastic stuff on the outside of the drawing? Sometimes it rains really hard outside by the grave, and I want to be able to come by and wipe off the rain drops.
me: Of course.
I was reminded of the theme of the MAEA conference in 2008, "Art Brings Hope, Healing and Change." As an art educator I find my purpose in encouraging students to engage in the process of creating images in an effort to gain a better understanding of their social and natural contexts. My hope is that students will create meaning through this process.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Clay Turtles
The second grade students created clay turles by starting with an upside down pinch pot as the shell. Next, the students pinched a head, tail, and feet from the existing pinch pot. To complete the turtles, the students painted the turtles with various shades of green tempra paint.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Slab Boxes
The fifth grade students have been utilizing the techniques of rolling clay slabs and connecting slabs by scoring and slipping in order to construct ceramic boxes. We are excited about the new glaze colors!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Clay Cuisine
The Fourth Grade students sculpted their favorite foods out of clay. We learned that most students prefer traditional American cuisine, but some have other preferences, such as sushi, yum!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
After reading Eric Carle's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the first grade students had a great time creating caterpillars out of recycled egg cartons. The students learned that you do not need to buy expensive materials in order to make art. In fact, some of the best art materials may be lying in your recycling bin or trash can!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Throwing on the Wheel!
I have been giving sixth grade students independent tutorials on the pottery wheel, and thus far, they have been doing a great job! I have to give a big THANKS to Paul Eshelman for patiently teaching me these pottery techniques last summer!
(More pictures to come)
(More pictures to come)
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Printmaking!
The 2nd Grade Students learned about the process of relief printmaking. The students created drawings of insects with a sharp pencil on a styrafoam tray. Next, the students used the brayer to roll ink onto the tray, and they printed the image multiple times. The students loved seeing the results and being able to create multiples. The project was a bit messy, but it was worth putting the clean up time in ;)
