POP! Corn, Soda POP!, POP ART!

This year I wanted to expand my Pop Art unit that I usually start after winter break with some fresh material. After searching through contemporary pop artists, I discovered the beautiful, fun work of Burton Morris!

Wanting to play on the word POP!, I decided it would be fun to create work inspired by Burton's popcorn and Coca-cola paintings.

To get started the students created the illusions of the starburst background by layering a bright colored paper onto a black paper, that had triangles of varied sizes cut around the edges.

I wanted the students to create their own take on Morris's paintings so I only walked them through creating the bottle and the popcorn box out of black paper. I created a template for the bottle, due to it being a bit tricky for 3rd graders to draw, a soda can may be easier in the future.

All other details were made using different colors of paper.

I wanted this project to be purely collage, so looking at the pictures of the paintings, the 3rd graders had to figure out how to free-cut shapes, and create the idea of writing for their projects.

Students concluded by attaching all the details, and creating kernels or bubbles that appeared to be exploding off the paper.

The final results were so colorful and fun!

Enjoy!

Taking on the Jellies.

My 3rd graders wanted a sewing project, having seen the fun 2nd grade has just had for Valentine's Day. We decided to scrap our upcoming clay project for something squishier!

We created the bodies of the jellies by sewing together two pieces of felt into a circle.

We stuffed, closed and sequined the top.

Then created the tentacles out of different ribbons and yarns the students collected.

The results were electric!

YAM 2016: Painted Deserts and Missions

Every year my school districts hosts an Art Show. We as teachers have the very hard task of choosing a dozen plus pieces to represent our whole campus, and this year, my 3rd graders earned that honor!

With one week left before the shows closes, I thought I would share a few pics, and give ya'll a closer look at the painted desert project that accompanied their clay missions.

I took 12 paintings, and six 3D pieces.

The day of set up was a bit crazy, since I had my two year old with me!

Before the pieces moved over to the show, they had been transforming our school's walkways into a mini Big Bend.

The 3rd graders worked on these while we waited for their clay missions to dry and be fired.

The final results were equally as impressive as their clay sculpture!

On a Mission

So my 3rd graders have spent the past month, or two haha, working on a super exciting project.  It was inspired by this ceramic mission project that I did when I was in 6th grade,

but I decided to combine it with the idea of a luminary for the holidays.

The students worked from slabs of clay, to create the walls and floors of the missions.  This took about 2 classes, with the front and back walls on day one, and the floor and sides on day two.

My 3rd graders are advanced this year, so they had no problem diving in and assembling on their own, I double checked the seams and reseals any cracks as they turned them in, but you may want to give an additional third day to focus on pure assembly if you feel the clay will hold up for that long, cause it was a bit crazy!

After Thanksgiving it was time to give them their first bake in the kiln.

They held up well! 

Then the students used Mayco Element glazes to paint for a natural coloring.

I was so excited to see the final results, I mis-set the timer on my kiln and they only half -baked!

But after round two, the glazes matured,

and the end results are so beautiful!!!!!

Sugar Skulls

Dia de los Muertos came quickly this year as other projects took longer than projected, that I almost decided to let it go. But it's my favorite and instead decided to focus on Calaveras, or Sugar Skulls. Here is what my amazing kiddos accomplished in three classes.

3rd grade worked on paintings...

Day 1: consisted of the shapes it takes to make a skull and laying down the first layer of color.

Day 2: we painted a black outline, focusing on traditional symbols, such as flowers, hearts, crosses and spiderwebs.

Day 3: was the fun day, adding the colors. We discussed how these skulls needed to look like they were made out of candy, and to decorate them like a cake or cookie, with delicate touches.

4th grade followed the same schedule, only their first day consisted of paper mache' and ended with glitter! Perks of advancing in art skills each year, evolving in materials!

Aren't they sweet?!

Happy Monday!