2nd Grade Folded Paper Relief Sculptures

A few years ago, a fellow teacher was cleaning out their classroom closet and found a bunch of old wallpaper sample books.  Being the dumping ground my classroom is, she asked if I wanted them.  And of course I said "YES!!"  (I'd really be embarrassed to have the producers of those hoarding TV shows come check out my storage closets!)

 

I wanted to have my second graders create a SIMPLE relief sculpture and I turned to those wallpaper samples.  The students were given stacks of paper patterns to choose from.  They were to choose one wallpaper pattern and two colors of plain construction paper that went with their wallpaper.  I cut the paper into 5" squares.  (This was the loooooongest part of the project... better planning next time!) 

 

I then demonstrated folding the paper.  First I had the students fold the paper corner to corner on both sides so they would know where the center of the square was.  Then the folded each corner to the center.  Easy.  Done.  Next, they put glue on the back of each of the folded squares and glued them onto a neutral colored 12x12" piece of construction paper.

 

 

4th Grade Junk Art Wall Sculpture

Fourth grade studied the sculptures of Louise Nevelson to create this "Wall of Junk."  The students quickly identified her use of repeated shapes and forms, as well as using a uniform color. 

Like many art teachers, I'm a collector of junk.  You never know when you might need a bag full of buttons or a broken coffee maker.  The students sorted through my junk collection to find items that had similar shapes and forms.  Using hot glue (whoa...dangerous!) and regular school glue, they arranged the items inside a shoe box.  Some students strictly used one shape (like the cut paper towel tubes below), and some added more shapes.

I had intended on using spray paint to paint the sculptures one color, and even went so far as to have a "color election" with each section of 4th grade.  I don't have a spray booth, and the next best option to use spray paint is outside.  Unfortunately, the weather would not cooperate with our timeline.  It was either too windy or raining.  So, we just left the boxed unpainted, but I'm pretty satisfied with the look of the box collection as a whole.  I displayed the boxes on a rarely used bulletin board, and on top of my cabinets (until the fire marshall showed up) in my classroom for the school year.  The kids loved to look at all of the boxes each time they came into the art room this year.

6th Grade Wire Figures

Sixth grade students studied porportion and the figure to create these wire sculptures.  We spent nearly an entire class period drawing the figure in a variety of action poses.  Using 20 guage galvanized steel wire, the students first created a skeleton and then wrapped the wire around the skeleton to give the figure some "meat."  The students painted a piece of scrap wood for the base and we drilled holes to attach the figure to the base.  Displayed here are some of the sculptures with mostly correct proportions.  :)

Kindergarten Dale Chihuly Macchia

We have such a great local museum for our students to view a real-life Dale Chihuly artwork and the Kindergarten students visited the museum during a recent field trip.  The Kindergarten teachers have been so wonderful in allowing a little collaboration between what they're studying in the classroom and what we do in the art room.

Each student was given a coffee filter and a piece of scrap newspaper (to protect the table).  They then chose 3 colors of water-based markers and created some kind of pattern design on the coffee filter.  Once colored, the students sprayed the coffee filter with water to let the colors start to blend together.  We dabbed away excess water and then set the wet coffee filter on a cup to dry to create the macchia shape.  Once dry, I glued the macchia shapes on poster board to create a collaborative kindergarten art project!

Thanks to We Heart Art for this AMAZING project idea!  They suggest using spray starch to help keep the macchia shape, but I found that plain water worked just as well!

Kindergarten Spider Webs and Spiders

Some background:  This project was the result of an incredibly messy painting project I started with Kindergarten a few weeks ago.  I walked out of school that day with paint just about everywhere and decided on the spot to hold this project for a month or so while I recovered my sanity!  I started a Jasper Johns inspired number painting with the kids, which I have done (and successfully!) in previous years.  Due to time constraints this year, I'm finding myself rushing through procedures and demonstrations so that the students have time to work.  Maybe my lack of direction at the beginning of the project or my weak procedure reinforcement caused the mess...or maybe I just have extra messy kids this year!

So, I scrambled to find a non-messy project for the Kindergarteners and stumbled across these very colorful spiderwebs on Art with Mr. E's blog.  Perfect.  Drawing and coloring, while reinforcing their knowledge of pattern.  I always attempt to tweak the art projects I find, so I had the students make colorful spiders out of Model Magic to attach at the end.   

Maybe we should have had a conversation about REAL colorful spiders and their poisonous attributes as I overheard a parent in the hallway talking about this very thing.  Oh well...



5th Grade Dale Chihuly Inspired Chandeliers

Oh, what a process this was!  Once all of the bugs were eventually worked out, this was a fun, quick, and easy recycled art project with pretty impressive results.  I had originally found this project in a magazine (however, what magazine that was escapes me) and I decided this would be a great way to show the students how art can be created from materials we would normally just throw away. 

Dale Chihuly was the inspiration for this project, and luckily many of my students have had the opportunity to see a Chihuly piece in real life, thanks to an exhibit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.  After receiving quite a collection of water bottles, the students began adding color with permanent markers (I found this was the easiest way to apply translucent color with the materials I had on hand).  Once colored, I cut the top of the bottle off and the students either cut strips down the side of the bottle, or they cut a spiral around the bottle.  Next, they made a hole somewhere on the plastic and threaded a piece of fishing line through the hole.  They continued this process until all bottles had been attached.

So here's what DIDN'T work: I wanted the plastic to start taking on a form that would not be recognized as a water bottle.  I originally had the students take a hair dryer to soften the plastic to the point where they could manipulate and change the form.  Unfortunately, we kept shorting out the electrical in the art room, so we had to put this project on the back burner.  We started another project with the hopes of coming back to this one, and in the meantime, I discovered Pinterest.  :)  I found this example of cutting the bottles into a spiral and the rest is history!   

6th Grade Orgiami Chinese Dragons

Thanks to my student teaching supervising teacher several years ago for this fun project!  Sixth grade students first studied the history and cultural significance of Chinese dragons, looking for common physical characteristics among examples I provided.  Using this website for instructions, the students first folded the head of the dragon.  For the body, they made a simple box fold.  Next, using a limited color palette, the students added details using scrap construction paper.  These colorful and creative dragons will soon be hanging about the room!