Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year! 

I really enjoy celebrating the Chinese New Year with my class every year. Art wise I have printed cherry blossoms with the end of a bottle before and we draw the animal relevant to the year. I buy fortune cookies, read 'Dim Sum for Everyone' and we watch a short video on the story of Nian.  

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=guwPTBmuiN8&feature=youtu.be

This is a lovely story and my class had great fun making dim sum out of playdoh afterwards. 

Below are some ideas I thought were nice. I have included links to the relevant sites under each picture. 

Chinese Lanterns

http://lizmckay.blogspot.ie/2013/01/chinese-new-year-lanterns.html?m=1

Ming Vases

http://beckermiddleart.blogspot.ie/2013/02/chinese-ming-vases.html?m=1

Willow Pattern Plates

This is a perfect lesson on tints and shades. 

Seomra Ranga have a script based on "The Story of the Willow Pattern Plate"

http://www.seomraranga.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/WILLOW-PATTERN-PLATE.doc

http://useyourcolouredpencils.blogspot.ie/2010/04/chinese-willow-pattern-plates.html?m=1 

Folded Paper Lantern

These could be decorated with monkeys as 2016 is the year of the Fire Monkey.

http://pin.it/-RZmQ0h

Wool Dragon 

Unfortunately the link is only to the uploaded picture. It looks like once the wool is glued to the page a dragon in drawn following the curve of the line with oil pastels or chalk. I really like the triangular head and tail. Chinese dragons are a sign of power, strength and good luck. 

http://pin.it/ic_yjVP

Monkey

I think this simple monkey painted in black paint and mounted on red paper is very striking. Children can paint their monkey in any pose. 

The link is to an Etsy page but the art work is great for inspiration. 

http://pin.it/OZF5vy5

Happy Chinese New Year

Pancake Tuesday

It's a busy week celebration wise. Monday February 8th is the start of the Chinese New Year, Tuesday February 9th is Shrove Tuesday and the Sunday 14th is Valentine's Day. 

Phew! How to fit it all in?!?! 

This is my second post today focusing on Pancake Tuesday. 

Pancake Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday) precedes Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent. It is celebrated by eating pancakes before the period of fasting begins. I have great fun bringing pancakes into my class. I usually do an art related lesson too for Pancake Tuesday but I keep it simple. The kids draw their favourite pancake toppings or disgusting pancake toppings. I like to link this to literacy by doing some procedural writing or creative writing. 

I love to read 'Mr Wolf's Pancakes' on Pancake Tuesday. The ending is unexpected to say the least ;) After reading the story sometimes we design aprons for Mr Wolf or print pancake toppings using fruit and vegetables. 

Below is a link to an apron template but I just draw a very basic outline in black marker for the younger classes. 

http://patternuniverse.com/download/apron-pattern/

Experiment printing with lots of different fruit and vegetables. Some of my favourite are lemons, celery, peppers, lettuce and mushrooms. 

Enjoy your pancakes! I'm looking forward to slathering mine in chocolate and bananas! Yum! 

Spring Art - Senior Classes

Spring art ideas for senior classes

Strands : Drawing, Paint & Colour, Fabric & Fibre 

Still life - Vincent Van Gogh 'Irises' or a painting of your choice. Look at and discuss the painting. Bring in a a bunch of spring flowers and arrange in a vase (on folds of a table cloth to add interest)

Look at how the light and shadows fall etc.

Allow children to choose drawing materials and to experiment. 

Collaborative Drawing (4/5 per group)

Use old wall paper, gift wrap, roll of paper, or stick sheets of paper together. Give each group a topic ( first signs of spring, spring animals, spring flowers, spring weather, birds/trees during spring, etc) and allow them draw based on their topic (oil pastels, makers, pencils, chalk) 

Grid Painting 

Choose a famous spring themed painting. Divide it into sections, give each child a section (grid reference and mark top & bottom of the page on which they will draw) to create their own version in their own style using paints, oil pastels, chalk etc. Once completed put the sections together to form the image. 

Click on the link for instructions on grid painting.

http://teachkidsart.blogspot.ie/2010_02_01_archive.html?m=1

Painting 

Look at the work of Canadian artist Maud Lewis (Folk Art).

Create painting of a spring scene in a similar style to Maud. 

Paper Collage

Matisse paper cutting, look at  'Snowflower' for inspiration. Brain storm things to do with spring. Cut paper shapes and glue on card to create spring inspired image. 

Art ideas for substitute teachers

Are you subbing? Sometimes a teacher will ask you to do some art with the class or they may suggest you do a lesson of your choice. So it is handy to have a few go to art lessons that can be completed in an hour.

Of the six strands I think "Looking and Responding" or "Drawing" are the easiest to approach when subbing. Trying to find paints and organise supplies in a room you don't know isn't ideal! 

1. Save a few images of famous paintings by an artist or of a similar theme to a usb and you have an art lesson ready to go. Have the children draw their own version of the painting and if you want to tie in literacy have them write a poem or story in response to the painting. 

2. For older classes one point perspective is very effective. 

http://elementaryartfun.blogspot.ie/search/label/One%20Point%20Perspective?m=1

Or foreshortening

http://jrbriggsart.blogspot.se/2011_09_01_archive.html?m=1

3. I love a lesson that can be used with any class and the next is one of those. Where would you take Mona Lisa to make her smile? Print out a a few sheets of the famous Mona Lisa. Kids stick the image wherever they want and draw the place they would bring her. I've used this with senior infants and it was great fun. 

Don't forget to give Da Vinci a mention! 

There are lots of videos on YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ-oArWrYgs

Link to download is below to print face and hands on bloglovin.

http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=1363932913&group=0&frame_type=a&blog=768177&link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hcnRwcm9qZWN0c2ZvcmtpZHMub3JnLzIwMTMvMDcvbWFrZS1vd24tbW9uYS1saXNhLWZyZWUtZG93bmxvYWQuaHRtbA&frame=1&click=0&user=0

4. Continuous line drawings

There are lots of continuous line drawings. The owl or fish is one I'd try with older classes and I think the loopy fish would be more appropriate for younger classes.

5. Or these coloured circles. Circles are decorated, then cut into quarters and glued to a white square in any direction. They look lovely displayed together. 

http://www.shinebritezamorano.com/2014/09/off-and-running-and-cutting.html?m=1

6. Draw a Story

 

A very quick lesson!

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2009/02_Feb/pg18.html

Best of luck subbing and don't forget to share your art with us on Facebook (PrimaryArt) :)

Pom Pom Spiders & Colourful Webs 👾

I retweeted a picture of colourful webs adorned with Pom Pom spiders earlier this week. I have been asked how to make them so I've put together a short post on how I would do it. This is not my idea and so this is my interpretation of what I think is a great art lesson. 

As it is Maths week it would be nice to talk about fractions, angles, lines, or length if using this lesson. Integration all the way!! 😉

Spider Web

1. Rule an A4 page in half horizontally and vertically (page is now in quarters).

2. Draw two diagonal lines, one joining top left corner to bottom right, and the other from top right to bottom left.

3. Your page is now in 8 section. In each section draw lines to complete the web. 

4. Using crayons, pencils or markers colour in the web. As it is Maths week you can talk about patterns, children could use a different pattern for each section, or do one section in cool colours and the next in warm colours.

Pom Pom Spider

1. Using black wool, wrap it loosely around two fingers. The more times you wrap it around your fingers the bigger your spider will be.

2.Tie a length of wool securely around the middle, making a figure 8. 

3. Take a scissors and cut the wool to release both loops.

4. Fluff out to make your spider and add eyes!

Here's are some pictures which should explain better than I just have!