Kimmy Cantrell faces

Here are some of the finished Cantrell Clay Faces!  Students even constructed their own stands using popsicle sticks and glue guns.  They did a fantastic job and I love the great titles! Click Here to see the beginning process of how we did it!

      

Abominable Snowman Transformation

School Spirit Art Club brainstormed on what they wanted the winter display to look like this year.  They decided on the Abominable Snowman and his cave.  The students broke off into groups and got to work on making their vision come to life!

5th grade sketchbook highlights

Fifth graders are responsible for doing a sketchbook assignment at home each month.  
Here are some from the last few months that really stood out! :) 

Kimmy Cantrell

Kimmy Cantrell  is an American Modern Artist based out of Georgia.  He makes really funky faces inspired by Picasso.  He was inspired by being in his high school art show and is a great reminder how an arts education program can really effect kids!

Mrs. Wassy and Mrs. Davidson's fifth graders studied the work of Kimmy Cantrell and made faces out of clay slabs.  The students were encourages to add as much texture as possible!  This week they will be adding Color! 

This effect was created by using oil pastels to add and blend colors then painting black tempera paint mixed with soap all over it, letting it dry, then rinsing it off in a water bath.  

We will be adding a clear glaze on top to finish it off.  

Monster pots

Now that the Monsters have come out of the kiln they are ready for glazing!!  This is a fun part because the students get to see how much the glazes change from when they paint it on their bisqueware to when it comes out of the kiln.  

Students painted on 3 coats of glaze and waited for the results!  

Ta Dah!!!!  Now their monsters are shiny, bright and feel like glass!!!

Click Here to see the beginning of this lesson!

Monster Mania!!!

This past week, I introduced Oregon artist James DeRosso to my students.  They all had something to say about his silly monster sculptures!    

             

Every grade will be making a variation of Monsters, but 4th and 5th Graders will be making monsters out of clay just like James DeRosso!  I am lucky enough to have a Kiln at my school and now that I have gotten used to it over the past year, I am ready to put it to a lot of use!  

This class watched the video of James DeRosso and then watched as I demonstrated how to make a Pinch Pot.  I showed them how we are going to take the pot, turn it on its side and the opening becomes the mouth!  

We went over the 4 S's 

Scratch
Slip
Secure
Smooth 

 Students attached monster teeth, eyeballs, horns etc to their heads.  I have them put them on a board by the color table they sit at so I can try and keep them organized for a quick return!  

Stay Tuned for more Monster Projects!!!

Click Here to see the finished product

Huichol Yarn Paintings

Huichol Yarn Painting or Yarn Paintings are from the Huichol people who inhabit North Central Mexico.  The Huichol people originally made yarn paintings as an offering to the spirits to ensure a big harvest.  Now, the yarn paintings mostly serve as a decorative art form with their bright colors and symbolic images.  

Below my fifth graders designed their own unique yarn paintings with collaged backgrounds.