Take the art out of the backpacks!

What to do when your children bring home their artwork...

www.designspongeonline.com

Hang it all up for everyone to see!

www.ohdeedoh.com

Create a multi-purpose station for home and school art.

http://asoftplace.net/

Have an ever changing gallery.

http://simplystated.realsimple.com/2011/08/25/kids-artwork-display-idea/

ohdeedoh

http://littlenannygoat.blogspot.com/

Where else is a better place to show off their talents, but in their bedroom?

www.marthastewart.com

scan to make a poster

Gallery walls for their best.

http://isabellaandmaxrooms.blogspot.com/p/portfolio.html

http://honestlywtf.com/rarebirds/off-the-wall/

http://applevalleygirl.blogspot.com/2010/05/finallymy-art-gallery-wall-is-complete.html

roomzaar

http://www.junecleavernirvana.com/kid-art/

It doesn't take a lot of money or time to hang up your children's artwork. Children's artwork looks good in any room of the house, hung in any way. It doesn't have to be formal frames with matching mats. Mismatched frames, frames of a single color, with or without mats, simple alligator clips or clothespins, wire, string, or colorful tape: all will work beautifully! Mix in some of their artwork with bought pieces you already have hanging or give them a whole wall! Celebrate your little artist!

The students get so excited when I hang their work outside of my classroom. I know they would love for everyone that comes to their house to see their masterpieces. My parents still have a framed painting I made in the 3rd or 2nd grade hanging in the den. Yes, my Tahitian girl has 8 fingers and her nose looks funny, but it is still a topic of conversation for visitors to this day. I love it.

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

Pablo Picasso
Spanish Cubist painter (1881 - 1973)

How do you say "art" in Australian?

For the sixth grade curriculum, we are traveling around the world with art. Our first stop was in Australia. The students first heard stories of the Dreamtime (the Aboriginal creation stories) told by real Aboriginal people. To better understand these stories and the culture of the Aborginal people, the students learned some of the symbols they used in their artwork called bark paintings. They also looked and analyzed some contemporary works. After sketching their ideas for their own stories, students set to work painting in the style of the Aborigines. 

Next, students listened to music of the didgeridoo and watched a didgeridoo being made out of a hollowed out tree. In pairs, the students worked together to make their own painted didgeridoo. They used symbols, patterns, and animals found in Aboriginal artwork.

Their artwork is displayed proudly in the hallway:

ps. The Aborigines do not have a word for art. It is their way of life!

Art and Football?

This year, I am only seeing my elementary students every other week. :( 

But..... I have time and the opportunity to visit them in their classrooms for some special projects. 

The first special project I have done was with Mrs. Seller's first grade class. We made football players! Usually, I ban all football talk, symbols, whatevers from my classroom but since this was something special for just their class, I made the exception (Auburn/Alabama rivalry is instilled in them at a young age, ha!). 

The students chose whether they wanted to be a Corner player, Alabama player, or an Auburn player. (Can you believe only one student chose Auburn!?!) We made helmets, footballs, and finished them off with the jersey number, 1. 

Aren't they cute!

Line

Fifth grade is working their way through the Elements of Art. We started off studying types of line. I gave them the choice of two projects but the class was split. So, we did both! 

The students first thought of and drew as many different types of lines as they could. Next, the students used these lines to make a Line Lion.

"A line is a dot that went for a walk" - Paul Klee

The lines were the lion's hair. You can see the one on the bottom row, third from the left, on display in the office now!

For part two of the line study, students learned about the artist, Wassily Kandinsky. They studied his use of line and color (another art element). These paintings turned out beautifully. I think Kandinsky would be proud. (We even painted to music like Kandinsky.)

Our whole "Line" display:

first display of the year!