Birdhouses with basics

Beginning of the year- Kinders & First graders practiced lines, cutting, shapes, texture/rubbings, basic color-mixing/painting....

and made these cutey birdhouses. 

They are all hanging on giant trees in the hallways. 

things that are working...

Target $1 fun hot pink silverware organizer. 

Awesome for pencils, erasers, etc. Super easy to stack.   :)

 My eternal rules:

 (this year I made signs)

My "I am an Art Explorer Wall" ... every student is in the process of making a name-tag to be put up on it and is very exciting about all the art-related learning we'll be doing this year!

Lastly, the gernanium plant I received from the social committee at the last day of school luncheon at my old school- I thought its life might have been conquered by the heat this summer-- but it loves my new school art room window! It blossomed yesterday!

5 Great Artist Examples for creative use of LINE

I always begin my school year by reviewing lines with every grade- so we all use the same vocab.

This year I am basing my first fifth grade lesson on Zamorano's Supermundane lesson. (Thank you for the inspiration!)

However I have extended beyond Supermundane- the first lesson I am focusing on him

AND Keith Haring.

We looked at the use of line, filling up space, and how the designs GROWS outward.
See the construction paper crayon on black paper examples below... (they will be put up on my "I am an Art Explorer" Wall.

I am going from there to introducing artists who fill the empty space of drawings IN with lines.
Nigel Peake... an amazing illustrator from England

Durga Bai... an amazing female illustrator from India

and Roy Lichtenstein

I will report back after our next project tomorrow! 

and with my K/1 line projects!

many new beginnings

Phew! ... well I apologize to all of my followers!

(my new door)

I had a very crazy end of my 2010-2011 school year- which included interviewing for new jobs, leaving my school of five years, a student of mine being killed in a car crash, packing up, and a whirlwind of other things- followed by some big projects this summer.

One day I will finally post how I orchestrated the planting of an awesome colorful garden from conception to completion in 48 hours in memory of my student.

On a totally different note though- I just had my first day of classes at my new school! once again... phew!
I am very excited to be a founding teacher at Brooke 2 Charter School in Boston (part of the Edward W. Brooke Charter School network).
It is an amazing place to work- complete communication and collaboration among the staff, a school wide behavior management system, and a great staff of teachers. I now have an art room! Hooray- after four years of traveling- I now have windows, and tables, and a desk!
I started with literally nothing, so its taking some time to build up but I am getting there!
Thank you to all of you wonderful teacher who have been posting pictures of your rooms, organizational systems, bulletin boards and signs, etc. I love the inspiration and guidance.

Here is my rainbow color coded collection of art works I am very proud of! 

(it was difficult to photograph)

Some of my classroom systems:

My rug- with happy face stickers for each seat- and color coded small pieces of tape around the edge (so the kids sitting on the yellow line can move to the yellow pieces to make a circle, and so on)

This is a strategy a friend suggested from her school. I am using it in the art room, we also use it in the hall, and gym. 

The clip on the left is for "where we should be" and the clip on the right is for "where we are". 

My first project and way to "buy in" the student is going to be to put each students name on the "I am an art explorer" wall. 

It lists phrases such as "We are going to learn about artists", "We are going to investigate works of art", 

"We are going to experiment with many materials and techniques".

A board of artworks that feature Primary Colors:

I hate that I am constantly amazed by the Anthropologie window displays.

 

I was walking by Anthropologie in Harvard Square the other night and Oh My! The current windows look so much like the Sol Lewitt follow the line lessons I did as well as Christie at Fine Lines and Shine Brite Zamorano. The lines are constructed out of colored threads.

The picture doesn't really do it justice, I snapped a quick photo as I ran into a movie. 

I just had to share though! and go check out the window at your nearest Anthropologie.

I have been absolutely positively absent from my dear blog lately. 

It's been a busy summer and I'm in the middle of starting a new teaching position- more to come soon!