The Elephant in the Room

Welcome back to another episode of Adventures in the Art Room.

February may be short, but my students made a ton of art this month.

My Kindergarten students have two projects to share: Valentine art and Painted Elephants.

Let’s start with Valentines. We did a dot-to-dot art project, showcasing hearts. Some kids were a little confused about the numbers, and some sailed right through. But that’s okay—and that is the beauty of Kindergarten. Kids go at their own pace, but six months from now, they all will be ready for first grade.

Kindergarten also worked on some elephant art. If you are not familiar, the Parade of the Elephants happens in India each March. Elephants are painted, bejeweled, and decorated, and we created our own ode to the decorated elephant in San Diego. I drew the elephant shapes, but the kids colored them in using cheerful colors. They added to the effect by giving their art bright backgrounds full of pattern.

First grade also kept with this theme, coloring in elephant heads.

Second grade made elephant heads from paper plates. I love how these turned out. The ridges on the edge of the plates look like folds in an elephant’s ear and trunk, so this material is extra satisfying.

Second grade made Valentine cards for their parents. Check out how colorful these are.

Third grade created cheerful Valentine art by coloring hearts falling like rain into patterned umbrellas. Aren’t these charming?

Fourth grade made elephant art, as well. The kids truly captured the texture, pattern and ornamentation on these elephants.

Fifth and sixth grades are working on something that is not ready to show, yet. Stay tuned and you will see more of their creations next month.

Seventh graders decorated elephants as well, and I was blown away by how creative the kids were. I love the patterns they made and how individual each elephant is.

Seventh grade did a second project this month: art for Black History Month. I had the kids depict Africa, surrounded by a highly decorated border inspired by kente cloth. Kente cloth is traditional African fabric, known for its rich colors and geometric patterns. I was so impressed by how the students interpreted this project.

 

Eighth grade also did art for Black History Month. The borders on their art are inspired by kente cloth. In the center of each piece is a notable African-American. Some are alive now, and some made history centuries ago, breaking barriers for positive change.

That wraps it up for this month’s art slideshow. I’m so proud of these creative kids, but I will say this: they are more hyper than ever. They need spring break. PS: I need it, too!

Until next time, thanks for reading, and keep your eyes open for signs of spring. They are everywhere!