Ce'zanne's Fruit Plate

This is a project I developed that focuses on the use of Paul Ce'zanne's artwork. It combines the use of color theory, shape building, paper cutting, art history, reading, and even some value understanding. 

I start each day with reading a little bit of...

(Note I think this is something I might change for next year due to how the students interacted with it.)

Now this is the first time I did this one so things can be fixed. 

To start students make mix red and blue to make purple and paint a WHOLE sheet (12x18). I do this first because it gets them in the habit of how to clean up after themselves and play with the brushes. 

And putting them away!

Next is orange and green. Which I have them again mixing the primaries to create that secondary but using one sheet for both. Working on developing folding (hamburger style is what I call it but otherwise known as book style) and brush control. 

NEXT we build! 

I talk to them about how Ce'zanne used shape to make his artwork and how they have to make a LARGE oval and medium circles for their "apples or oranges". Talking about what the difference between small and medium. I like to do hand/finger measurements so I say so be " bigger then three fingers wide, so if your three fingers covers it up..TO SMALL!"  But they get to decide if they are making apples or oranges and use the other color for the plate. 

I also discuss overlapping as well but I throw in some discussion of "shiny and shadows" with oil pastels. I demonstrate what to do for them and have the students tell/explain what I did. The shinny and shadow is more just a extra bonus design. But the main reason I do all this is to have them develop that use/ understanding of secondary colors and build on shape identifying within objects. Also the fine motor skills isn't bad either. 

O'Keeffe Warm/Cool Flowers

One of the benchmarks my district has is students must demonstrate control over their brushstrokes. To do this, I created a project based off of Georgia O'Keeffe. (An artist I will be honestly, I dislike but is from Wisconsin so feel I should mention her once.)
                                                              

I start by reading this book to them. We talk about her life and how she was always different and was passionate about her artwork. 

Next we look at her artwork. I simple ask them "what do you see?" and students point out colors and shapes and I ask about the pellets and do they go all the way off or stop? 

This leads to the first set which is creating the flower part. I have students draw a large circle in a corner then draw the pellets going off the page. REALLY pushing them to be big and go off the page. Using their WHOLE arm to make the line. Once drawn, I have students use black glue I made (white glue with black ink) to trace the lines. This helps protect the lines during painting and lets them develop that fine motor control with squeezing the bottle.  (sorry no picture)

NEXT we paint! Now this is were I challenge them. I tell them they get to choose one of two color groups. Warm OR cool. We discuss what each is and why they are called this. And I challenge them further by telling them that O'Keeffe got great details but controlling the way she painted. She painted with the pellet, not against. 

End results! I like doing this project near the beginning of the year. To add some color into the halls right away. 

Flipped!

5th grade started the flipped proportion of their self portrait project. The idea behind flipping comes from the fact that this allows the students to research the artist they want to use for their project. Before I would go through every single one. Information  would get confused and they students wouldn't really recall much. THIS was great. Once we got all set up and going, they took to picking the artist they wanted well. This was just the first group. Here is hoping the second goes well. 

BOWLS

For two years now my fourth graders have been taking part in Milwaukee Empty Bowls. An organziation that holds an annuel event selling bowls and funds go to local food pantries. This year due to the timing of it my school shall be holding our own selling event in honor. I also decide to do this to get the students more engaged and aware of the needs of others. So far so good. 

Here they are starting the bowls. I found slip molds the easiest and quickest method to achieve the form. First day student just simple focus on this task. I used these bowls I got from the dollar store and they worked well. 

Next week students go to decorate. I showed them three different methods of decoration. Additive, subtractive, and impressed. I also demonstrated how to add a foot as a bonus feature. I gave them complete decorative freedom but did warn to not over do it and to be careful to not go to deep. 

Down side to molding is breaking. I sadly did not remove the plastic bowl in time for this poor bowl. BUT luckily I was prepared and made extras and the student  was a trooper and came to decorate the extra. 

Now we dry and fire!

And success!! No one blew up! Once the bowls are fired, I use a small slow cooker I found to melt some wax and coat the bottom for glazing!

Glazing is one of my favorite things. It can be so much fun and I pretty much explain three simple rules for glazing. 1. Glaze the inside and edge first. 2. Don't waste glaze, it is not cheap. 3. Don't glaze the bottom. Even though there is wax, it breaks rule 2 to glaze the bottom.  But as I said, students go to town. I do put the glaze into 4 small bottles, one for each color and a set for each table, I found to spread at the tables. That way students have more access, share and don't steal from other tables. I do tell them they can mix BUT in water cups I have and not in the bottles. 

Before I fire though, I do a coat of clear onto some that might of missed some spots. But...

The end result is amazing. And I hope all sell. 

Learning Targets

In my school we use learning targets to help guide the students learning. Over the past three years this has changed slightly. In the middle of last year I started adding a picture references for what the projects were and I noticed an increase in the students recognizing the board. Only challenge this has is that if a class gets ahead of another. 

Paint time!

First projects are underway for just about all my grades. I will admit I take it a bit slower with my kindergarten just so they can get a feel for the room and procedures. BUT 1st grade got underway with painting and mixing colors!

1st grade will be creating a Paul Ce'zanne inspired fruit plate picture this year. 

Past years I have come up with a pumpkin and never really felt like. 

First day of class

First day for many of my classes. Part of what I decide to do this year was to have the students explore the room and then we discuss old things and new things within the room. Before we even share as a group, I have them do a turn and talk to each other and then we discuss and write it on the board. It is fun to see what kids think is new when they have been up all year. Or they get sassy and tell me the door is in the same spot. I finish it off with discussing expectations. Here is an example of one session of it.

Some classes have noticed more, other less but as you can see I even map out what we do for the day with notes.