Belated composition post

SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! I told the 3 grade classes that I would post these pictures of their composition pastel artworks after Mother's Day so that I wouldn't ruin the surprise for those giving them to their mothers as gifts. Then, I forgot. OOPS!

However, better late than never! Here they are. They turned out absolutely stunning! I just love how vibrant pastels are. These were done on black paper. That really shows how powerful the medium is.

Notice that the two center bottom images bear a striking resemblance to each other. Two students decided to share an image and view finder to do the same composition, then colored it in their own unique way. LOVE IT!

Walker's Coloring Page for June

Every month, the Walker's gas stations have a coloring page for children. If you click on this image it will load alone. You can then print it and color it in. If you take it to a Walker's during the month of June, you will receive a free prize! This one came from the Walker's in American Fork on Main Street. Have fun!

SUMMER!!!

Thanks again for all the wonderful times this year!

Keep watching the blog all summer, you might find fun things and important information if you do!

Portfolios come home today!

Please watch for art portfolios in backpacks today! Take a moment to sit down and look through it with your son/daughter and talk about all the fun things they made. I encourage the kids to pick one or two items to keep, then they can recycle the rest. It is just impossible to keep EVERYTHING, so it is good to choose!

Cleaning Day!

Today all art classes are spending their time cleaning the classroom. You might think this is an end of year ritual and that it is a waste of instructional time. Not so!

Every term the students have a ton of fun using the art supplies and making big messes. We all enjoy it immensely! However, I explain very carefully to them that it is not right to leave our messes for other people to deal with. Therefore, every term there is a 'Cleaning Day'. The students made the tables and chairs grimy, the students clean them off. They actually have a really great time doing this. I have had many students comment that 'it is so much more fun to clean the classroom than doing my chores at home!' I think it is because it is done together with friends.

Anyway, the classroom will be sparkly clean by the end of the day!

Summer art ideas

As the year draws to a close, I want to thank the students and parents at Harvest Elementary for another fantastic year! We worked hard, and we played hard, and that is the way it should be!

During the lazy days of summer, there may be a time when you are looking for something to do.

DO ART!!!!!

• Simply taking some art supplies out under the shade of a tree or porch is a fun and creative way to spend a summer afternoon.

• Sidewalk chalk is fun and temporary. The first rain or sprinkler on the sidewalk will wash the chalk away. Take turns laying down and tracing each other. Then turn the outlines into a story telling artwork. Look for the post entitled RECIPES for a recipe for sidewalk chalk!

• Gather all the old magazines in the house and let the kids cut and paste together a collage to their heart's content. Pick a theme, like 'in my dreams' to help get the creative juices flowing.
• If you are planning to travel; give your little artist a journey book! This book should have blank pages and can be filled with sketches of people, places, and events along the journey. A simple pencil, eraser, and dollar store colored pencil box complete the set!
• Make home made salt dough "play-doh" (again, see the post entitled RECIPES) and sculpt!
• Look for summer art classes offered by local city Arts Councils! These are usually inexpensive and only last one week.
  

RECIPES - Sidewalk chalk - eggshell

Eggshell Sidewalk Chalk

Ingredients

4-5 eggshells
1 tsp. flour
1 tsp. very hot tap water
food coloring (optional)



Directions

Wash and dry eggshells, put in a bowl and grind into powder. Throw out any large pieces. Pour flour, hot water, and 1 tsp. of eggshell powder into another bowl. Mix until mixture looks like paste. Add food coloring now if you like. Shape and press the paste into the shape of chalk sticks. Roll up tightly in a strip of paper towel and allow to dry for about 3 days.

This chalk is only good for sidewalks.

RECIPES - Salt Dough - NO FLOUR

No Flour Salt Dough

Ingredients

1 c. salt
1/2 c. cornstarch
3/4 c COLD water

Directions

Stir all ingredients together over low heat. Stir constantly to prevent burning. In 2-3 minutes it will thicken and can no longer be stirred.

Turn out onto waxed paper or aluminum foil and cool. When cool, knead until smooth. If the dough dries out, add some water. This recipe makes nice ornaments that are rolled and cut with cookie cutters or designed freehand. Allow to air-dry.

RECIPES - Salt Dough

Salt Dough

Ingredients

4 c. flour
1 c. salt
1 1/2 c. hot tap water

Directions

Pour the hot water and salt into a bowl and stir for 1 minute. The grains of salt will get smaller but should not dissolve. Add the flour and stir until the water is absorbed. To color the dough, add 1/4 c. liquid tempera paint to the water BEFORE adding the flour.

Knead for several minutes -- it is ready to use when the texture is smooth and pliable.

After you finish your sculptures, bake the dough on a cookie sheet at 325* F for about 2 hours. Bake until dough is hard on all surfaces, and the thickest parts should seem solid.

Paint or use permanent markers to color your creation, if you wish. To protect them from moisture in the air, you can spray them with lacquer (from the hardware store).

THIS RECIPE IS NOT FOR EATING!

RECIPES - Sidewalk chalk

Sidewalk Chalk

Ingredients

• 1 toilet paper tube per chalk
• duct tape
• waxed paper
• 
  
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. plaster (from the hardware store)
• 1-2 Tbsp. tempera paint color(s) of your choice
• 
  
• plastic container to mix in (make sure you are okay throwing it away) an old ice cream bucket works great
  

Instructions

Place a roll of waxed paper inside the toilet paper roll.

Duct tape off the bottom of the toilet paper roll completely.

Place the plaster powder in the plastic container. Slowly mix in the water, then the paint until you have an even consistency.

Pour the mix into the waxed paper lined toilet paper tube. Leave it 'standing' to dry for 6 hours.

DO NOT POUR LEFT OVER MIX DOWN THE DRAIN!!!!! IT WILL RUIN THE PIPES!

Peel off the paper tube and the waxed paper. Leave the 'chalk' out to cure and completely dry for 2 or 3 days.

Enjoy!

Friday Fun Day with Modelling Clay!

For our last Friday together in the art room this year, we played with the modelling clay! The students had loads of fun building whatever struck their fancy. At the end of each class we walked around and looked at what everyone made, then talked about what we liked and why. At the end of class everyone washed their hands thoroughly!

The Art Show!

I want to send out a great big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in and attended the Evening with the Arts on May 1st! It was a very fun evening!

Above is a collection of photos from inside the library that evening. My daughter also took some photos of the hallways. When she downloads her camera to the computer, I'll 'borrow' some of her shots to post on this blog.

While I didn't take pictures of the musical half of the evening, I want to give a great big CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs. Cox, the orchestra, and the choir! What talent! Hey, choir members! That mini musical you did called THE BOX is great preparation for auditioning for musical theater in Junior High! If you thought it was fun, you should definitely consider theater in the junior high and high school! My husband, daughter, and son were also very impressed, so I'm not just saying it because I'm your art teacher!

There are many artworks left from the art show still in my classroom. If your artwork was displayed in the library for the show, we had to remove them to make room for the book fair that is coming Monday morning. Please stop by my classroom sometime this week to claim your artwork!