Bear Tavern PTO Auction Masterpieces

The Bear Tavern PTO is an amazing group of dedicated parents. Below are the painted masterpieces that my students collaboratively painted between December and March. It took us forever to multi-task this project but was well worth it. 

Grade 5: Gargoyles

We started sculpting gargoyles in 5th grade at Bear Tavern. At Toll Gate the 5th graders are happily working on their tiles. 

Using cardboard coffee carriers, we cut them apart and are using them as a foundation for scary gargoyle faces. Above are the first 2 steps. The kids have used wire, paper and cardboard to build up many more features (tongue, antlers, you name it!)

We will use plaster gauze (one of my top favorite art materials) to make the gargoyles look realistic. 

We looked at European Gargoyles and discussed their symbolism on the sides of churches as well as their function as a water spout. Check back for more pictures as we make progress.

Grade 4: Giacometti Wire and Plaster Sculptures

Today at Toll Gate and starting tomorrow at Bear Tavern we are finally using the tuna cans we brought in as the base for a figurative sculpture using wire and plaster.
Sculpture rocks. It's another way of allowing kids to express themselves and utilize materials that spark a different interest.
If you would like to make a sculpture like this at home:

1. Take a round can (tuna fish, cat food, etc) and hammer 2 holes into the base. I used a thick nail and a hammer to make the holes as I couldn't find my awl.
2. Make the legs from 2 seperate pieces of wire by foldong them in half and twisting to make stronger.
3. Secure the legs to the inside of the can by feeding the wire through the holes and securing with tape.
4. Twist the legs together to make the torso and the extra wires makes the arms
5. Small piece of looped wire for the head. Wrap the ends to the torso and secure with tape.
Put figure into a favorite or interesting pose!
6. Wrap Plaster gauze dipped in water around the wires. The kids started at the bottom and began to work their way up so that the sculpture isn't top heavy.


We will finish these in week 2 and cover with a metallic paint the week after.

We talked about Swiss Sculptor Alberto Giacometti and his Surreal sculptures that depict a mood. 'Man Walking' sold for over $100 million dollars not too long ago. The bronze sculpture is skinny and quite tall.

Grade 1: Monet Bridge

Day one of Monet's Japanese Bridge at Giverny paintings= sponges only!

We painted tons of colors all over our canvas boards to create a blurry backdrop for out paintings. It was difficult to visual at times without the bridge in place and the flowers in detail but we really had fun mixing colors and creating texture with the sponges. Next week we will add our bridge in and create clear details on the flowers in the foreground.

Grade 3: Getting set for Empty Bowls

It's almost time for our 2nd Annual Empty Bowls event at Bear Tavern! 

3rd graders have been crafting their slab bowls and glazing them beautiful colors. They have also been working hard to learn songs  on one of the greatest instruments of all time..the recorder (I still have mine from 3rd grade) to perform at the Empty Bowls event on Thursday 3/29.
The event raises money for local food banks to fight hunger. We are focusing on domestic hunger awareness and sending food donations and the money raised by selling the bowls to the Mercer Street Friends food bank in Princeton. 


We talked about what it means to be a hungry child (consistent lack of proper foods in adequate  proportions) and some of the reasons why a family might not be able to provide adequate meals. 

3 Hulme Bowls loaded in the kiln ready for firing

We discussed food banks and how they can be used by qualifying families to boost their food supply until they are stable again. 


Last year, the 3rd graders raised over $1,000 in 45 minutes which was sent to the Crisis Ministry of Princeton/Trenton's food pantry and to the American Red Cross for hunger efforts in Japan after the tsunami hit. 


I will post more pics sometime next week!

Doodle 4 Google

Dear 4th and 5th graders,
YOU ARE SO AWESOME!!! Mailing out your Doodle 4 Google entries was a very proud moment for me. You all worked so hard to answer the question "If I could travel in time, I'd visit..."via a clear and direct illustration.
I can't wait to post a sample of your entries to my blog as we near May and the State Finalists are announced.
Win or lose, you all are terrific and I appreciate your hard work. Mailing your entries, I knew each of you won in your own personal way.
Keep up the great work. I love ya!

Review: Van Gogh Exhibit @ The Philadelphia Museum of Art and a fun day in Philly

Van Gogh has been a long running favorite artist of mine and quite likely my favorite "Master" artist.
I had attempted to see the exhibit several weeks ago, had a tough time parking and did not pre-purchase tickets. Result: my family was in a long line and ended up at the nearby Franklin Institute instead.

Yesterday, refusing to pay an extra $3.50 per ticket to buy ticket in advance, we purchased tickets in person at the museum (10:30 this time) for a later afternoon tour. *Great*

We explored Philly for most of the afternoon in the Rittenhouse area and ate at a great restaurant called Marathon. The weather was beautiful and Philly was fairly quiet but with a comfortable bustle.
St. Patrick's Day the day before was most likely the culprit.

The Van Gogh: Up Close exhibit was incredible. Showcased were paintings focusing on landscapes that he created over a four year period.
His famous 'Sunflowers' took a backseat to numerous other paintings that were so alive with color and his incredible brushstrokes. The paint on those canvasses was so thick in places I wish that I could have seen him painting them.

Here's the personal bonus: My FAVORITE Asian artist, HIROSHIGE, had several of his woodcuts on display inside the Van Gogh exhibit because Van Gogh was a collector of his work. Oh my, they were soooo beautiful!

Keep Art Alive

Dr. Seuss is fun

March is Literacy Awareness month and we begin this special month by celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2, which is also Read Across America Day. 

We read "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" in class and created these imaginary characters inspired by Dr. Seuss, his incredible rhyming and favorite colors to use in illustrations (red, yellow, blue and green)

Biggest Gift

I received the biggest gift this morning. When my 2nd grade daughter woke up, she had a paper with her. She said she had a dream last night and "this is what I decided to add to my Doodle 4 Google.." she showed me her paper and she had filled in illustrations around the empty letters. And they were cute! She still has work to do but I didn't know she was at all excited about this contest until, well, this morning!
So, let your kids look at past winners after talking about where they would want to time travel to. The hundreds of past entries really explain this contest to kids and they are exciting to look at. Happy doodling!
P.S. there should be an adult version of this contest

Doodle 4 Google: 2012

Doodle 4 Google is the one contest that I am crazy about.
This year's theme is: "If I could travel in time, I'd visit..."

My daughter and I just started brainstorming for the idea that she is going to illustrate. It's exciting for her and she's enjoying playing around with the logo and her drawings.

Of course, my dream is to see my daughter and my students make it all the way to the finals and to have the nation vote for the winner.

This contest has incredible prizes but just as importantly, it presents each student who participates an opportunity to illustrate an idea around the Google logo which is a great challenge.
Check out past winners here --> http://www.google.com/doodle4google/winners_state.html#4

Here are the winners that have been chosen as the National Winners since the contest started in the United States back in 2008

2011 Winner: 2nd Grader

2010 Winner: 3rd Grader

2009 Winner: 6th Grader

2008 Winner: 6th Grader, too

I am sworn to complete secrecy the ideas that my daughter and students are thinking up. I'll tell you this, they are GOOD!

5th grade: Radial Designs

I have one 5th grade class (5S) who started these radial designs a bit earlier than the other groups due to holidays, etc. Anyway, here is a sneak peek. 

Students began by thinking of an interesting design that fit in 1/4 of their circle. We looked at mandalas and radial designs from around the world and computer generated images. 

Next, students transferred designs into the rest of the circle. The one above is half done.

And then they began to create an interesting color scheme. 

The cool thing about this project is that the designs connect to create more elaborate designs.

Can't wait to see how these turn out

A Flyers fan....

Grade 2: Tara Donovan Sculpture Update

Wow, they did a great job! In this project, 2nd graders collected 50-100 of the same everyday object. In one class period, students created a sculpture using their collected items. Here are a few photos of finished sculptures from TGG and BT.

Coffee Filters (detail)

Noodles

Pennies

Screws

Plastic Cap Seals

Grade 2: Cardinals in the Snow

One of my very favorite projects so far this year. My second graders at Toll Gate finished their Cardinal portraits this week. I am looking forward to sharing this project with my kids at Bear Tavern before the winter is over. 

We began this project studying Cardinals. Shape, characteristics, color. After drawing a cardinal, students added fabulous branches into their compositions. We explored painting techniques galore for this project.
Of course, when students finished, I showed them how to draw the most famous cardinal... the Angry Bird.

Art Teacher Side note mumble: during this entire project, the kids knew they were creating a great piece of art  and they really enjoyed this project. However, the 15 minutes we spent drawing the the Angry Birds was their favorite part. 
I felt better when they rushed me to take down the display because they couldn't wait to take the cardinal paintings home. Of course the paintings went home that same day. Art is to be shared.

1st Grade: Jim Dine Hearts

Jim Dine is an American Pop Artist. He does an awesome job using the heart (shape) as his subject.

 Kindergarten created oil pastel and painted hearts for their Square 1 Art project in September but I really wanted to show the 1st graders Jim Dine's work. So for this project, we did a Jim Dine spin-off.

After viewing Jim Dine's work and talking about the similarities, 1st graders practiced drawing hearts to fill a rectangular 5"x7" space. Next, they glued foil to a piece of mat board and smoothed it out. They transferred their heart drawing to the foil and outlined in sharpie marker. 

Next up was to use a ruler to make the hearts look abstracted and fragmented. Then they filled in their fragmented parts using repeated lines, shapes and/or other designs. 

and here's some examples of progress made today (unfinished)....