Earth Day Art Project

I know that Earth Day has come and gone, but we've had some really sporadic bad weather here over the last few weeks and we were just NOW able to get outside to create our environmental art pieces.  The students looked at the art of Andy Goldsworthy as their inspiration for their artwork.  They were to use only natural items from the schoolyard for their creations.  Once photographed, everything was put back where it was found.

This is a project that I've done every year and the kids never get tired of it...probably because they get to go outside. :) 

1st Grade Spring Chicks

First Grade had the awesome opportunity to experience chicks hatching in their classrooms, and I thought this would be a perfect project to connect to what they had learned.  We started out becoming experts on texture.  We talked about how baby chicks felt and how they looked like they felt.  I had the students go on a "Texture Scavenger Hunt" where they made crayon rubbings of all the textures they could find in the art room.

To make the chicks, I had the students use sponges in clothespins and a little white and yellow acrylic paint on light blue construction paper (I found that the yellow tempera paint I have is a little thin and didn't create the intense yellow I wanted).  As they were sponge painting, I told the students it was like they were creating a 2-part snowman.  Once the paint was dry, the students added the eyes and legs with black marker, the beak with orange colored pencil, the wings with a darker yellow paint, and the grass with green paint.

Thanks to For the Love of Art for the inspiration for this adorable project!

1st Grade Painted Lions

First grade painted these adorable lions.  As we were drawing, we discussed shapes and showing emotion just by changing the shape of the eyes.  Most students chose to create some pretty ferocious lions!

The students followed along with me in drawing the very basic parts of their lion using black crayon on brown paper.  They were able to choose the emotion they wanted to express.  Once drawn, the students were given small cups of various shades of brown tempera paint.  We painted the lion's mane first, and the face last.  Lastly, they traced with black crayon over their original crayon lines.

Thanks to John Post for this adorable project inspiration!

1st Grade Winter Trees

First grade students created these gorgeous trees in hopes of a little snow before our winter break (which unfortunately didn't happen).  The students first practiced drawing trees building branches on top of branches...no broccoli trees!!!  Once comfortable, the students then painted their trees and snow using white paint on blue paper.  Using light blue paint, the students added subtle shadows on the trees and ground.  I was so impressed with the first graders for their effort in creating more realistic looking trees!

1st Grade Story Quilts

This is a project I developed while studying to become an art teacher, and it quickly became one of my favorite projects to do because I get to know a little more about the students in the process!  The students learned about the artist Faith Ringgold and her painted story quilts.  After reading her book Tar Beach, the students came up with a memorable and true story about their lives and then drew a picture of that story without using words.  The students then used wallpaper sample scraps to create a "quilted" border.  I love hearing the students stories and seeing them transformed into an artwork!

1st Grade Picasso-Inspired Hands with Flowers