The Marshmallow Challenge

It is great to be back in the Shamrock Art Studio. To start off the year third and fourth grade artists stretched their creative and team building skills with the Marshmallow Challenge. The class was split into 6 teams of 4 artists, they got 20 pieces of dried spaghetti, a yard of tape, a yard of string, one big marshmallow and 5 little marshmallows. The task was to build the tallest structure and top it with marshmallow, that was it, the rest was up to them.

Pictoscope

The fourth grade has been exploring was of seeing. We created these pictoscopes with recycled cd holders and hole reinforcers. We added eyebrows to complete the efeect. Then the students set out to use their eyes.
Inpiration for this projects is found here:

I have caps yes I do, I have caps how bout' you?

The cap collecting went over like gang busters, I have more caps than I do themes for panels.  Thank you to all the students who brought in caps for the artwork.  A special thanks goes to you that sent in cleaned caps.  My room kind of smells of spoiled milk.  Please, no more caps. I need my counter space back. But if you have extra yarn I sure could use that. Here are a few more of the panels we have made. The theme ties into what each of the grade studies throughout the year.

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

First Grade

Judith Scott

 Judith Scott

 The Third grade artists learn of the work of the artist Judith Scott.  Judith Scott is a fiber artists who wrapped forms with strings and fabric to create unusual and beautiful sculptures.  Judith was born with Downs Syndrome and lived most of her life in an institution until her twin sister took her to California to live with her.  There Judith was enrolled in art classes and took off creating sculptures. The art world noticed Judith's work and art collectors and museums all over the world collect and exhibit her sculptures.
A short clip about Judith: 
Judith Scott Clip

Judith's work

 The third grade artists learned about Judith and her life, the learned about different materials to create a 3-d form and they created these objects, much in the manner of Judith.

The Rest is Up To You

Like many kids, third grader Cohen Morano likes to watercolor. What's different about Cohen's paintings is that his father, Aye Jay, sends them out into the world to be embellished and altered by a stellar roster of artists and illustrators. The resulting collaborations between Cohen and a host of hip partners—including Gary Baseman, Shepard Fairey, Paul Frank, Barry McGee, Chris Ware, and Mark Ryden—form a striking and playful body of work. The Rest Is Up To You conveys a sincere message about the importance of making art with children. Families and art buffs alike will be inspired by what Cohen and his heroes have created.

 The Rest is Up To You

That is exactly what the collaborative effort between the first and fourth grade artists was all about.  First, the first grade artist learned about abstract and formalist artworks, then with water colors they created two different works that were abstract; just shapes, colors and lines.  Then the fourth grade artists studied the work of  Sandrine Estrade Boulet to work on ways of seeing.  Then I gave the fourth grade two paintings from a first grader and the "rest was up to them".  I will hand back to the first graders one piece and the fourth grade gets the other. Here are the results.

Not Starry Night

Every year the second grade artists create their own version of Starry Night. Althought the elements of the painting my resemble Van Gogh's classic work, there is a cypress tree, a village and a horizon line, the time of day and the weather has to be change.

Sunny Evening

Silent Midnight

Stormy Day

Snowy Morning

More Modern Greek Gods, Goddesses and Monsters

I love these, they make me crack up.  I am constantly amazed at the cleverness of the art students.

The students had to pick a Greek God, Goddess or Monster and put him in 2011.

Great job third grade artists!

Poseidon on the swim team

Medusa playing Wii bowling

Artemis wins first prize

Hades plays for the Miami Heat

Hades at Boy Scouts

Harpies as cheerleaders (the H is for Hawks)

A young cyclops playing with his (human) puppets.

All star wrestling champ Zeus.

Greek Art

Each year the students learn all about Greek vases, the classical order and the impact that ancient Greece has on our society- We make ceramic stamps to punch out Greek coins and decorate "black figure vases". But the favorite part is creating a portrait of a Greek God, Goddess or monster in 2011.  The third grade comes up with some fantastic ideas - here are just a few examples:

 Hades, unfinished

 Medusa, at the beach

 Zeus, playing for the Cubs (they could use him)

 Cyclops family

                                                                 A Harpie on Idol