4th Grade St. Basil's Cathedral Architecture Drawings

As the first lesson of our architectural unit, fourth grade artists are studying St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia.  We looked at its unique colors and patterns, and at its signature onion domes.  Then we practiced using markers to make different values and textures, using techniques like hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling.  Finally, we got to design the outside of our own towers!

 Our last step was to carefully cut out our building and glue it to a bright colored paper. Special thanks goes out to Deep Space Sparkle for this inspiring lesson plan!

Check out more finished artworks on Artsonia, our online student museum!
http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=998266

2nd Graders study TEXTURE

Second grade artists are studying the amazing Maurice Sendak and his wonderful story "Where the Wild Things Are."  We looked closely at his illustrations and had a texture scavenger hunt, and then practiced drawing textures using lines and shapes.  Students drew different wild things and chose the best one to turn into a watercolor.

Here are more amazing Wild Things on our online Student Art Museum:
http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=996439

1st Grade Paul Klee Geometric Cities

First Grade artists are studying artist Paul Klee and creating their own architecture with geometric shapes. Students experimented with triangles, creating different shapes like rhombi, squares, trapezoids, and rectangles.  Students then arranged their shapes to create buildings, and added architectural details like windows, bridges, doors, columns, as well as different types of textures with construction paper crayons.

 Check out the finished works of art on Artsonia, our online student art museum:
https://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=994524

4th and 5th Grade Abstract Pattern Designs

To start off a new school year in art Class, fourth and fifth grade artists are getting into their "artist state of mind" by reviewing the Elements of Art.  Students arranged lines, shapes and colors in a repeated and planned way to create abstract patterns.  These bright artworks will decorate the cover of their art sketchbooks, which we use all year long.

Check out all of the amazing designs at Artsonia, our online student museum!

5th Grade: http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=985881

4th Grade: http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=985870

Prehistoric Cave Art with 3rd Grade

Third Grade Zilker Artists are learning all about Prehistoric Cave Art!  We looked closely at several photos of the unbelievably beautiful cave paintings in Lascaux Cave, located in France. Students practiced drawing four different animals that were alive 50,000 years ago when the cave paintings were created, including bison, bears, deer, cows, and horses.

Students added implied texture by rubbing crayons on top of a texture plate to simulate the rough cave walls.  Then we crinkled our papers to add actual or real texture too.

Last, students added prehistoric symbols around their animals with a charcoal stick, similar to what the ancient human used: a burnt stick.

Check out every one's finished cave art on Artsonia, our online student art museum, by cutting and pasting the following link into your browser window: 
   http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=990231

Back to School August 2015!

Welcome Back Zilker Panthers!   I cannot believe that it is ALREADY the end of August 2015, and a week has already gone by at Zilker Elementary!  I have so enjoyed seeing my students from last year, and meeting my new art students in kindergarten!  This is the start of my 18th year teaching art - and we are having a fabulous first week of school. 

 Way back in May, before summer started, my second grade classes made these beautiful sunflower paintings in the style of Vincent Van Gogh.  After learning the "double dip" method of getting two different colors on our paintbrushes, we painted these beautiful sunflowers, then cut them out after they were dry to make a large class collage.  These beautiful still lives are brightening the main hallway at Zilker right now!

Keep checking back to see what grade levels are working on for this new school year; my goal is to post once a week!

What is Happening in the Art Room: May Edition

Spring is in the air and students are wired and ready for summer break! We are keeping busy with last projects, and a big group project.

 5th Grade artists are working on their Mexican Bark Paintings of animals.

 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade students are all helping out painting the fence posts for the Garden Mural, our big group project.  We will finish next year with all grade levels contributing.

Pop Art is the style we are aspiring for; bright, bold colors on the veggies, fruits,helpful insects, and active Keith haring figures.

 Fourth Grade artists' last project is Wayne Thiebaud Dessert relief prints. We are busy trying to get everyone printed!!

 Kinder art students are finishing their clay pinch pots by carving four petroglyph symbols into the sides of their pots. We were studying the Mexican artist Juan Quezada, who also got inspiration from Native American symbols, which he painted onto his clay pots.

Second Grade artists are creating a beautiful whole class project that will brighten our hallway in August for the first few weeks of school. We are looking at Vincent Van Gogh's "Still Life:with 12 Sunflowers" painting, and each painted a sunflower to be glued onto a giant class collage. Now, students are each creating their own version of a vase with sunflowers that they can take home!

First Graders are making diorama habitats for their dinosaur sculptures.  They are also painting their clay  dinosaur sculptures with bright colors.

Third Grade artists are weaving on cardboard looms.  They are learning both the tabby weave and Egyptian knot technique.

We are keeping busy these last few weeks of school!