Did Someone say "Spring?"

It’s spring here in Southern California, and our March art projects definitely have a spring theme.

Here in San Diego, we have had tons of rain outside--and tons of water in the art room. Did the ceiling leak? No. But let’s just say that I had the optimistic idea to paint with the first graders. I reasoned to myself, “What could go wrong?” An hour later, wading through puddles on the way to the sink, I had a different perspective. Sure, I’ve had first grade paint before. But it’s been a while and apparently, I forgot how messy it is.

Fifty percent of the paint goes on their paper, and fifty percent goes on the table (allow a 20 percent margin).

They fill their water cups to the brim and slosh most of it on the floor as they swim toward their tables. But we had fun and I survived.

Here is what my students created in March.

Kindergarten colored leprechauns for St. Patrick’s Day. Some kids claim they have caught leprechauns, but I may need photographic proof to believe these tales. 

First grade made leprechaun art, too. Look closely and you will see that some kids made three-dimensional fringed beards from paper. A fun touch.

My fourth graders did adorable leprechaun portraits for St. Patrick’s Day. I love how each one has a distinct personality…

Fifth grade made giant three-dimensional flowers. We used paper plates because they are thicker than regular paper and give us a sturdy structure. The kids used markers to color their flowers, and we incorporated construction paper, too. Thank heavens for hot glue.

Sith grade made oversized flowers, too. These are really getting me ready for Spring. (Okay, I’m ready for Spring, regardless of the sixth grade flowers, but you know what I mean…)

Seventh grade also made three-dimensional flowers and each one is completely unique. Some kids added butterflies to their flowers. I think they turned out beautifully. 

The only pitfall this month was my stapler injury. (If you don’t know, I’m very accident prone.) We’ve had faulty staplers over the years, and so I never assume they work. A student needed the stapler and I managed to impale my thumb when testing it. I did bleed a little and I found a Band-Aid (we art teachers/moms tend to keep lots of Band-Aids in our purses). Staplers should come with warning labels for the accident prone.

Well, that wraps things up for me for March. It’s been a really full month, and this teacher is more than ready for Spring break in a week or so.

Happy Spring, and I’ll see you next week with some adorable Easter art.

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!