5th Grade Legacy Project

5th Grade artists are studying the art of the Totem Pole, which are created by Native American tribes who live in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada. Each student is creating a design that includes their name, the years 2015 - 2016, and an animal or human face that is in relief. Two students are sharing one cylinder piece, and the pieces will be assembled into class totem poles once they have been fired into ceramic form. My plan is to have the three different totem poles installed by the end of May, before our 5th graders graduate from Zilker. The totem poles will be in the fifth grade courtyard, and will be  permanent art sculptures for future Zilker students to enjoy. For now, enjoy the process through these photos!

Kinder Fish Sculptures

Remember this post from a few weeks ago? 

http://zilkerelementaryart.blogspot.com/2015/01/winter-happenings-in-art-room-kinder.html  

Check out the finished Kinder Fish Sculptures that are brightening the Art Room Hallway!!

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!

2nd Grade Flower Sculptures

After my second graders had studied American artist Georgia O'Keeffe and created their own enlarged flower paintings, we talked about the difference between form and shape. We had our two-dimensional paintings, and we were going to now create a three-dimensional flower sculpture.  We used a plastic bowl as a mold to form our flowers into a bowl shape.  Students then used the slip and score method to add the stigma of their flower.  Finally, we glazed the bowls.  I used a low fire glaze, and did a combo bisque and glaze firing in one.  The colors came out bright and vivid!  Students are excited to bring these home soon!