5th grade

coming soon........

4th grade

Pop art and Andy Warhol was how we started out the school year. We discussed the Pop Art era of the late 1050's beginning in Britain and then continuing in the United States in the early 1960's. We discussed a variety of pop artists and focused on Warhol's influence during this time in history discussing the mass production of art work he created in his studio called the factory. Students created flower drawings(inspired by the popular flower symbol of the 1960's)and painted their flowers in neon colors that were also influencial during this time.

Fourth graders also worked in clay creating bowls imprinted with a leaf. We took our cue from nature and combined the method of creating a print in a sculptural form to create a functional piece of art.




Art elements and principles of movement, repetition, and space were studied next. Students began this lesson by gesture drawing and then moved on to the lesson of movement, repetition, and space. Students had opportunities to pose and be drawn by the class - boy what fun was had that day! Students will self evaluate their project and will participate in a friendly critic.

3rd grade

Third grade students reviewed texture and discussed textures around us. Students then were able to apply their knowledge of texture in a painting. Students painted textured landscapes and used paint techniques as well as texture making materials such as forks, sponges, and paint combs.

Students then moved onto a sculpture lesson and were introduced to artist Marisol Escobar.

Maria Sol Escobar (born May 22, 1930), otherwise known simply as Marisol, is a sculptor born in Paris of Venezuelan lineage, living in Europe, the United States and Caracas.

(www.google.com for further information on this artist)
Students used rectangular wood blocks to create there assemblage sculptures in the style of Marisol. A variety of art mediums such as crayon, colored pencil, and watercolor paint were incorporated in this lessons and students were encourage to bring items from home to add to their personal piece. Students created their sculptures by first choosing a subject of an important person in their life, then had the opportunity to write about why they chose the person important to them and were allowed to share stories and memories that included that important person. This was a very personal project and the students allowed me share some memories of my important person, too - thanks kids!

2nd grade

Picasso started painting at around the age of 10 and his genius became evident immediately, he was the typical wunderkind. “When I was a child, my mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk, you’ll end up as the Pope!’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”(www.helium.com)

Second graders were also exposed to the life and art of Picasso. Students created two dimensional and three dimensional works of art with Picasso as our influence. Students worked on a grid and plotted their facial features to create a Picassoesque self portrait. When each class was completed, we assembled the blocks from a variety of students to create funny self portraits using different student's blocks - check it out!

1st grade

First graders have created a print using their finger tips - not fingerpainting but fingerprinting! Along with this introductory method we discussed background and foreground.
Students also reviews shapes with the introduction to the artist Pablo Picasso. Ask your child to tell you something about Pablo Picasso. Check out their portraits!




Students then moved onto a three dimentional project by making a puppet. These were fun and silly and students had a good time creating faces for their scarecrows. Shapes were reviewed and scissor skills were practiced. Thanks to all who brought in paint sticks and thanks to Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and Sherwin Williams for donating paint sticks.

Kindergarteners - rock!

It's exciting when the art room is full of Kindergarteners! Many are using art materials such as clay, paint, and changeable markers, to name just a few, for the first time and they are wide eyed and excited! During one of our recent lessons we painted the table top and pressed a sheet of paper onto the paint to create a print - wow - the wide eyes when the students were ALLOWED to actually paint on the table top! One little girl asked me if I was going to get in trouble - I replied,

If the principal walks in, we'll ask Ms. Chavannes if she wants to paint the table!

What a great gift I have been given to be able to introduce them to the experience of art! These children are fantastic!! We will be studying colors and color groups this year. We will also discuss lines, shapes, and patterns. The students will have exposure to a sampling art material as well as a sampling of artists and we will touch upon and discuss art history. Be on the lookout for us dressing up like a famous artist or two!

2010-2011 school year

Well, it's taken me a while to update my blog. I thought I was going to have to change it, so I was waiting for further instructions and in turn, so much time (about 50 days) since school started has passed. Great news...I will be able to keep my blog the way it is, so...........I have a lot of updating to catch up on!

WOW! Another school year is almost here........

...the 2010-2011 school year is just around the corner - be on the lookout for new and exciting lessons! I have many great art lessons coming your way!

3rd grade - Spiral Weavings

3rd grade students created radial (spiral) designs by using a paper plate as a loom. Students learned about weaving techniques and terminology, cultures that use weaving and answered questions of why do we weave and what is weaving. The students looked at radial designs all around us in nature and used colorful patterning in creating their weaving. After the weaving was completed, they turned their weavings into decorative art by making a wall hanging.

Olympic Fever - Winter Olympics 2010

The students at DCES caught the Olympic bug! Excitement was in the air during this historical time. Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd graders created their own Gold Olympic Medals! Using clay, and their own shoe, students pressed the pattern from underneath their shoe onto a piece of clay to form a medallion shape. Each medal was individual depending on the pattern underneath each students own shoe. The students also created a crayon and watercolor resist painting to commemorate a fantasy of themselves in an Olympic event. The excitement was unbearable as each student received his/her gold medal in a make shift ceremony as I called each student up by name - what a wonderful memory for the students (and for me as well!).

Houses for Haiti- DCES faculty and their children come together for a great cause

Houses for Haiti is a non-profit organization dedicated to building houses for homeless families living on the streets of Cite Soleil, the poorest slum in the Western Hemisphere. With no jobs, education or public assistance, many families have no hope for ever living in a concrete dwelling. We believe that every person deserves to live in a safe environment, free from disease and filth that is ever present on the streets of Haiti. Please check out their website: Housesforhaiti.org

Duncan Creek faculty and their children donated their time after school to make house pins for this organization. Pins were made and sold in the front office and all funds were donated to help the people of Haiti. See just how great our teachers and staff are when working together!!!

3rd grade - Gyotaku fish printing

Japanese fishermen would record their catch by using this printing method. Before reading and writing was learned and used by everyone, visual means of record keeping of fish species and size would be recorded this way. No one could embellish the size of their catch by this method! Students were able to print with rubber fish AND a real fish ~ yuck ~ and even though many opted to print with the rubber fish, all wanted to see and feel the real one!

1st grades - have a heart

Pinch pots were the items being made in this beginning clay lesson. Our students created pinch pots by using lizella clay and pinching and forming the pot shape in their hands. Students turned these into heart shapes and glazed them as gifts for Valentine's day.

2nd grade - Kokeshi Dolls

These students studied a Japanese form of dollmaking - Kokeshi Dolls! Kokeshi dolls are carved from wood and were made as a less expensive way of having dolls for the children, as opposed to the more expensive porcelain dolls. Our students worked in recycled materials and paper mache. They used left over fabric scraps and ribbon scraps to create uniquely individual dolls - the boys even enjoyed this! As the students finished up their dolls, they made books and wrote stories to go along with their own kokeshi dolls. Take a look and see their wonderful characters!

Kindergarten - Filet of sole, anyone?

Texture is what the K students are currently working on. They are using homemade crayons that I love to make and they are rubbing the bottom of their shoe!! This unique texture will represent the fish they are making in their mixed media composition. Be on the look out for the finished collage paintings.

5th grade - marbelized paper

Students had a blast making marbelized paper! The students used shaving cream for this particular method of marbelizing paper. Using the shaving cream and paint students were amazed at the creative designs that appeared on the paper in this printing lesson. The students will use their paper as a cover to the book they will make in the bookmaking unit they are working towards. Next step is to line their covers, make their signatures, and bind their books....be on the look out for the next few lessons that will encompass this unit!