2nd Grade Geometric Shape Robot Collage

 Second Grade artists are busy reviewing the geometric shapes and creating crazy robots with them!  All students are using their imagination to invent their own individual and unique robots.  We are also remembering how to safely use scissors and glue in the art room.  Look for these amazing robots in a display soon - they are too cool to be kept hidden in the art room!

Welcome Back to the 2014-2015 School Year!

 It is incredible to believe that summer is gone and we are back at school!  Every year, summer seems to get shorter!  I am glad to be back at Zilker working with our amazing Panther Artists!  This is the start of my 17th year teaching, and 14th year here at Zilker!

Back in May, third graders helped to create this fun example of unity. We used scrap paper and glue to make it, and I got the idea from a board on Pinterest, though the art was adult-created, not kid-created.  I may be a little biased, but I think our kid-created one is better!

 The students loved the three-dimensional aspect of making the circles and ovals.  I tried to capture it with photos, but of course it is better in person!

 We are off to a great start in Art Class this year!  For the first time ever, we have another all-day art teacher here on campus.  I would like to introduce Ms. Wilson, our art teacher whose home campus is Cowan Elementary:  Welcome Ms. Wilson!  Our students are sure to have fun learning and creating in her room!

 Stay tuned for some more amazing art this year, coming here and to our online museum on Artsonia. Yay for Zilkerland Art!

3rd Grade Keith Haring Group Project and Individual Collages

 Keith Haring is one of my favorite all-time artists.  Most of his artwork is kid friendly, and students love his kinetic figures.

We looked at many of his paintings in art class and talked about his use of movement.  We then learned about gesture drawings and proportion, and students drew several quick gesture drawings of me posing in different positions.  Students then traced around these gesture drawings to make them look more like a Haring figure.  They carefully cut out their best, and then traced that one onto construction paper.  The color scheme was complementary colors, and students randomly chose a complementary set.  Here students are cutting carefully around the figure to get that black edging.

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They turn out so energetic and colorful, and they look amazing all together.  Some classes' artwork will be displayed in April for Zilker's School-wide Art Show.

We also worked on a bigger group drawing that was displayed on February 6 at Family Night.  This is what the two panels looked like:

1st & 2nd Grade Eric Carle Collages

We are learning about the phenomenal artist and author Eric Carle in second and first grade art class! We read some of his books, including "Mister Seahorse," "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," and "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?" We discussed how Eric Carle created his own papers by painting them and scratching textures into the wet paint.  After the papers dried, he would then cut them out to create the beautiful animals in his books.

Students painted their papers first.  This was a FUN day!  Students rotated around the table and painted six or seven different colors onto their construction paper.  Before the paint dried, students used tools to scratch lines into the wet paint, just like Eric Carle.

The papers were dry for the next class, and students traced shapes on the back to create their animals, as well as added fun things such as sequins, pompoms, glitter, and oil pastel details.  Some classes made butterflies:

Other classes created tropical birds:

 And still other classes made seahorses.  They are all so lovely!  Look for first grade classes' artwork to be displayed in April for the School-wide Art Show!

1st Grade Self Portrait Collages

First Grade Zilker artists are making their self portraits using paper and glue.  We have discussed symmetry, and are folding our papers in half so that we get two shapes exactly alike when we cut to achieve perfect symmetry.  Students are having a fun time adding small details to their clothing, like pockets, buttons, patterns, zippers, and belts.  These are always a favorite project for parents! Each portrait has a distinct personality, just like its creator!