First and Second Grade Self-Portraits

First and second graders have been hard at work creating beautiful self-portraits. 

Students first sketched their portraits on black paper. Next, we covered the pencils lines with gel glue to make them bold (and shiny too!)

 Lastly, students have been adding color with oil pastels. 

PBIS Tie Dye: Volunteers Needed

Our Annual PBIS Tie Dye project is underway in art. We are looking for volunteers to help dye the shirts this week at home as well as volunteers to join us in art class next week to help students add RES themed stamps and stencils.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044ca4ab2aa3fd0-restie 

(I am also looking for newspaper donations!)

THANK YOU!

Wings at Open House: RES

Wings inspired by
Kelsey Montague

Please share your open house photos!

@resvt      and     @msauctercesu

On the first day of school, students at RES were inspired by the work of street artist Kelsey Montague.

Through discussion, the students determined that she had three goals in creating this piece of artwork.

1. Look at it--enjoy her artwork!
2. Interact with it--stand in front of her piece and take a picture.
3. Think about it: #whatliftsyou asks you to consider what inspires you.

Each student at RES has created a single feather which I compiled to create this amazing piece of community art.

Shoes Off to Zambia

The fourth graders have worked long and hard to prepare their shoes to journey to a children's hospital in Zambia. They began with a drawn plan and two white pairs of canvas shoes. Now, I sit here looking at three boxes full of shoe-masterpieces all packed and ready to go. 

Within each pair of shoes is a letter from the student to the child who will be receiving this colorful gift. The children wrote about Vermont, hobbies, themselves, our school, and explained the project. Many students asked questions about Zambia and what life is like there. 

The children did their best work knowing that someone else would appreciate it. They have made a powerful connection by giving their artwork to another. Most importantly, they have engaged in global thinking.

Land Art: Planning Stage

This week first and second graders were introduced to a new type of art:

Land Art!

After looking at some artwork by famous Land Artist, Andy Goldsworthy, students determined that Land Art is artwork created outdoors using only natural materials which were found in the environment where the work was created. 

In small groups, the children were challenged to come up with a plan to create their own Land Art. These plans included a sketch, materials list, and steps to create their piece of artwork. Here are two second grade students describing their plan.

Stay tuned in because next week we will head outside to put our plans into action!

Fourth Grade Shoe Project at RES

Fourth graders are making a lot of progress on their shoes. They have all created a design and are now in the process of coloring on their two pairs of shoes. One pair will be to keep and wear proudly and the twin pair will be donated to a child in Zambia.

Circular Weaving

Third and fourth graders are working hard on their circular weaving projects. They began with a boring white paper plate and then transformed the ordinary into these extraordinary pieces of art!

Coil Pot Mini Exhibits

Over the last few days, third and fourth graders have been presenting their artwork to one and other by creating exhibits showcasing their coil pots. Their creativity and teamwork in setting up these exhibits was amazing. Furthermore, the positive and descriptive feedback they were able to provide their peers was excellent!

Ever wondered what a super speedy art exhibit set up looks like.....?

Tea with the Queen at Richmond Elementary

Kindergartners at Richmond Elementary had tea with The Queen today--our very own Mrs. Layton! Students sipped delicious tea from teacups that had created in art using the pinch pot technique. While enjoying their tea, the children illustrated on their "plate" what foods they wished we were enjoying along with our tea. 

 During this unit, the children learned all about clay: what it is, where it comes from, the process of creating with clay, AND what things we see in our day to day lives that are made from clay. Our tea party today carried a meaningful lesson for my students as well: your artwork work is real and useful too! 

   

 

  

Art Museum Walk: Pinch Pots

Today, Mrs. Riggs' class and Ms. Purvee's class had the chance to create their own art shows. As table groups, the children worked together cooperatively to arrange their pinch pots into an exhibit. Then, the tables rotated and viewed one and other's work leaving compliments for their peers. Presenting artwork is an important piece of the new National Core Arts Standards, so it was exciting to give the children an opportunity to take charge of the presentation of their works.

We had brainstormed at circle what a museum visit might look like and sound like (relatively quiet, calm bodies, no touching the artwork) and then applied this knowledge to make our "museum" realistic. It was fabulous to see the children so incredibly engaged in looking at and responding to the artwork of their peers. Furthermore, reflecting upon and looking at art is an important part of being an artist!