Whatever the weather!!

On Thursday it rained, hailed and snowed here! It can be hard to keep up with our very changeable Irish weather. Not to mention the devastating damage left by the recent flooding.

Being Irish weather is always a topic of conversation and so I've gathered some nice art ideas on the topic. 

I love a good crayon resist and the rainy rainbow is very striking (top left) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/A5PCmwAQgIIHSz3sbi4AAAA/

Blow painting rain in black and blue is a nice lesson for infants. Just remind them to blow the paint and not suck it! (Top right) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/A43CmwAQgIIHSz3sbi4AAAA/

Lightning strikes over a black paper town. Painting the sky is a nice introduction to tint. Start by painting a strip of black and add a little white as you work down the page. Add lightening in white paint or chalk. (Bottom left) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/A3jCmwAQgIIHSz3sbi4AAAA/

Mixed media storm, I think this could be easily adapted to show a flooded scene. Lots of paper scraps, tin foil and glue! (Bottom right) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/A67CmwAQgIIHSz3sbi4AAAA/

These are more suitable for younger classes. 

These crayon resists are so sweet. Umbrellas, wellies and puddles. Water colours were used here but you can use a mix of water and blue paint. Try sprinkling salt on your wet paint and see what happens!! (Left) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/A4TCmwAQgIIHSz3sbi4AAAA/

I love the stormy cloud and these would look great cut out and displayed together. Paint grey clouds and add raindrops and lightening when the paint dries. (Top right)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/A2XCmwAQgIIHSz3sbi4AAAA/

The rainy window is a nice introduction to printing. Mix a little water with blue paint or use blue food colouring. Use an acetate or the back of a baking tray, lightly cover in paint. Place a white page on top, press lightly and remove. Cut into 4 equal sections and mount on black paper so it looks like a window. Or glue strips of black paper onto the rainy page to look like a window frame. (Bottom right) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/A33CmwAQgIIHSz3sbi4AAAA/

Have a good weekend :)

New Year - New Art

I hope everyone has had a lovely break and is ready for a new year. :)

I've really enjoyed the holidays and am spending the last day of them snuggled on the sofa with my little one. As of tomorrow it will be back to planning lots of art lessons, but for now I've had a browse on Pinterest and pulled together a few ideas for New Year art. 

One of my favourite ideas is the scratch art night scene. Firstly cover one page in yellow crayon and a second page in lots of colours. It is important to lay the crayon on thickly. Paint both pages with black paint. 

Once dry use a lollipop stick to scratch building outlines and windows on the page with yellow crayon.

On the second page use a lollipop stick to scratch fireworks. Cut around the fireworks and stick above the buildings.

Tah Dah!

Alternatively draw fireworks using crayon on an A4/A3 page. Cover with a wash (paint watered down) of dark blue or black. Once dry cut out building in black paper and glue along the bottom of the page. Cut out windows in yellow paper and glue these onto the buildings so it appears that some lights are still on (who's up watching the fireworks?). 

Check out my Pinterest page @IrishPrimaryArt for links and more inspiration. 

Happy New Year :) 

 

The Christmas Tag

               The Christmas Tag

I would happily start talking about Christmas in September! I'm the teacher that doesn't mind when the kids start to mention it! Christmas art, can't get enough of it either, except the glitter, that I can do without! 

I've seen the Christmas Tag going around and thought it would be a nice way to get to know the bloggers you follow. So here goes 😊 

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

I love Christmas movies in general but my all time favourite is 'Miracle on 34th Street'. I have a boxset of the original and the remake, and I love watching both of them.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas Morning, the earlier the better!

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

I've always loved decorating the Christmas tree, and watching The Toy Show. Every year those two things signalled the start of Christmas for me.

4. Favourite festive food?

Christmas dinner, Christmas pudding and mulled wine (more a drink but anyway). Oh mince pies too! 

5. Favourite Christmas gift ?

I have received lots of gorgeous gifts over the years and I treasure many of them. For me Christmas is about spending time with friends and family, I prefer get together with the girls for a spa day rather than buy presents. 

All that said, a Fashion wheel when I was 7/8 stands out in my memory 😝 Wish I still had that actually! 

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

The smell of a real Christmas tree and cinnamon (probably because it means there is something baking in the oven).

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

I love the traditions of Christmas, every year my family goes out for breakfast on Christmas Eve. We soak up all the festive excitement around town and then we head home to help with the final preparations for the big feast. 

8. What tops your tree?

A red wooden star. It is very pretty but I can't wait for the day my little boy brings home a decoration to take pride of place on the top of our tree. 

9. As a kid what was the one gift you always asked for but never received?

A Mr frosty! We were always spoilt at Christmas and still are, but Mr. Frosty was never to be mine. I loved getting art supplies and books. 

10. What’s the best part about Christmas for you?

As cheesy as it may sound I mean it...Spending time with family and friends.

Oh and the food! 

Happy Christmas x

Paper Bag Christmas Art - P2

Two quick ideas to finish off my paper bag christmas art posts.

Christmas decorations 

Cut two of your chosen shapes from the paper bag. Decorate one side of each, with markers, paint, crepe paper etc. once dry staple the two sides together leaving a gap to stuff and add a ribbon. I used cotton balls to stuff the decoration. Next make a loop with the ribbon and put the open end into the gap and staple it to close. 

Gift Tags

I used old envelopes for this but ops per bags will work just aswell. We finger printed Christmas trees on ours but snowmen, robins, reindeer or whatever you fancy will work. Don't forget to punch a hole to tie to your present!

Nativity Silhouette

As part of our religion lesson I like to incorporate some art. 

This silhouette scene is very effective and is lovely for the kids to bring home and share the story of Christmas. 

To create the background firstly we put an A4 sheet onto a tray. Then we rolled marbles in paint and dropped them onto the sheet. Carefully we rolled them around the page to create a pretty design.

We cut out silhouettes of the stable, Baby Jesus, Mary & Joseph. Once the background was dry we glued the silhouettes on and finished with some stars. 

If you have silver or gold paint it works really well on the background.

If you don't want to do a nativity scene you could do a Christmas tree or snowman. 

Christmas Classroom Reads

I love Christmas Stories! 

Here are some picture books that I've collected over the years and my classes always enjoy. 

If you have any questions about any of these books please comment :) 

1. Olive the Other Reindeer ( Seibold/Walsh)

2. The animals Christmas Eve (Wiersum) 

3. Bear stays up for Christmas (Wilson & Chapman)

4. Just right for Christmas (Black & Beardshaw) 

5. Snow Bunny's Christmas Wish (Harry)

6. The Polar Express (Allsburg)

7. Wombat Divine ( Mem Fox ) 

8. The Mitten ( Jan Brett )

  

1. The Wild Christmas Reindeer (Jan Brett)

2. Twenty-Five December Lane ( Ward & Anderson)

3. Melrose and Croc Together at     Christmas (Emma Chichester Clark)

4. Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear ( Wood & Wood)

5. Santa's Stuck ( Greene/Cole)

I use 'The Mitten' and 'Santa's Stuck' as inspiration for art. I will do a post detailing how I use these books over the weekend. 

:) 

Christmas Displays

*Christmas*

The tree pot and Santa face are printed from Mrs Pancake. They look lovely displayed on your class door. For Santa's beard children just trace around their hands on white paper and cut out 🎅 

The reindeer (as modelled by me) is more craft rather than art but I love it! The body is printed from Mrs Pancake but rather than using the antlers I get the kids to do hand prints instead. 

I drew out figures for our nativity scene onto large white card. The kids then coloured and decorated the figures in groups. I love how it turned out. 

http://mrspancake.com/index.php/superdoodads/

http://mrspancake.com