6/7/8s Begin Needle Felting

A finished figure

Penguin with food

Finished cyclops troll

Finished camel

Just getting going

Needling the base form

Working on a small segment

One middle school student introduced needle felting to some of her classmates and a craze was born. Capitalizing on their enthusiasm, I ordered supplies and all the middle school art classes learned this absorbing craft. All sorts of creatures began taking form from skulls and eyeballs to camels. Their work has been amazing!

4/5s Make Immigration Suitcases

The front of a finished suitcase

Another finished front

Measuring paper to cover the shoebox

About to glue on brown paper

The spring unit in the 4/5 classroom is Immigration. In art class each student is beginning with a shoebox and turning it into a replica open suitcase. The exterior shows what might have adorned the outside and inside are pictures of what some of the contents might have been.

Middle School Self-Portraits

Looking in the mirror

Working on the initial drawing

The middle school students have begun working on their self-portraits. After their drawing meets their expectations, they will add some shading and colored pencil details.

K/1s Paint Scenery for West African Folk Tale

Painting the sky

Filling in the grassy area

Everyone is pitching in

As the K/1s study Africa, they are working on Anansi, a west African folk tale that they will perform in late May. They are painting a large backdrop for this play and will then make props and simple costumes.

2/3s Start China Study

The finished dragon

Going over pencil lines

Figuring out the dragon

Enlarging the original drawing

As the 2/3s began their exploration of China they looked at some Chinese dragons. They tried their hand at designing and painting dragons of their own. Their small drawings were projected onto tagboard and painted with bright colors. These will be cut out and turned into shadow puppets. Stories inspired by these creatures will be the basis of some shadow puppet plays.

K/1s Make African Animals

Painting the giraffe's spots

Working on a hippo

The gorilla gets painted

Each K/1 student has chosen a particular African animal to study. In art class they drew that animal on doubled paper, painted it on two sides, cut it out, stapled the two sides together and stuffed it with newspaper. These animals will help transform their classroom into an African landscape.

4/5s Work on Pocket Weavings

Getting the hang of weaving

Trying a new pattern

Working with the first color

Working on small rectangular looms the 4/5 students began figuring out designs to weave on both sides of the loom to create small pouches that can be turned into necklaces.