Art + Career Week + International Book Project

Career week is coming up and the art room is getting ready for our next project, which combines art, career studies, and the International Book Project!

IBP

All K-5 students will create one career/college-themed bookmark to keep and another to donate to the International Book Project.  All year, Simmons has been collecting books for the IBP and we’re going to donate bookmarks to go along with our book donations.

Check out what the International Book Project does!  We’re going to each donate one bookmark to IBP.  Think about what design you’d like to make on your donation bookmark. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqfTNY4JjI0

For your second bookmark, you’ll create a bookmark to keep and take home.  This bookmark will have a college/career theme.  Which careers are you interested in?  Which colleges would you like to attend?  Why?

Careers

 

American Colleges

Of course, you could always check out the colleges that are near and dear to my heart!

The College of Wooster– Wooster, OH

One of my favorite things about Wooster is the bagpipers, always the bagpipers.

Wait, why does my college have bagpipers?  Why do they wear kilts?  What’s up with all the plaid?  Why did I go to school in a place called Wooster (pronounced Wuster, not Wooooooster)?  You can ask me or check out www.wooster.edu to find out more!

While we’re on the topic of music…my other alma mater has a band, too.

The Ohio State University– Columbus, OH

OSU is a great university with excellent academic opportunities and fun traditions, like this.  I loved my time there.  What’s a buckeye?  Why is “dotting the i” such a big deal?  Who is John Glenn? You can ask me or check out www.osu.edu to find out more!

 

 

 

 

Art to Remember 2015!

logo

All grades (preK-5) will be creating artworks for the PTA’s Art to Remember fundraiser.  Art to Remember provides families with an easy way to have their students’ artwork turned into some pretty cool items, such as iPhone covers.  If you love your students’ artworks and want to take them with you everywhere, you are in luck, that is exactly what Art to Remember helps you do!

Here’s a full listing of products that Art to Remember offers.

We’re painting our projects now!20150224_142542

 

KY School Boards Association Banner

We did it!  Gifted art students worked collaboratively to paint this banner.  The banner will represent Woodford County at the 2015 KY School Boards Association Conference.  Simmons was asked to do the honor this year, and we were very successful.  Students chose to work on the banner, and most of them even used RECESS time to do it!  Thank you to all the teachers who were flexible with their students so that we could have this wonderful opportunity.

banner

The theme for this year’s conference is “The Courage to Lead,” so we did a “school” of fish with a colorful leader.  Get it?  School of fish?  We thought it was clever!

3rd grade- Janet Fish Still Life Drawings

Part 3: Subject Matter- Still Life

The 3rd grade will complete their unit on the three types of subject matter.  We’ve learned that landscapes show nature and portraits show people, so now we’re moving on to learn about still lifes.  They are artworks that show objects that do not move.  The objects are still, so they’re still lifes!  Which type of subject matter do you think is the most challenging?  Why?

We’ll learn about Janet Fish’s realistic still life paintings.  She loves to challenge herself by painting transparent objects, like glass.  This is the first time we’ll draw from observation.  We will look at a still life in front of us and draw what we see.  We’ll focus on using overlapping shapes, shadows, and realistic colors.

  • Why do you think painting glass would be so challenging?
  • What do you notice about her artwork?
  • How does she use lines, shapes, colors, and textures?

 

Here’s how a still life is made- on an iPad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN0Du8FcScI

The longer version:

  1. Write your name & class on the back of your paper. Draw a horizon line. This will be the line for the table.
  2. Your teacher will pass out 3 fruit. Pay close attention to which fruit you receive and how they are arranged.
  3. Carefully draw the fruit closest to you. Draw lightly. You might need to erase some parts. Make sure your fruit is below the horizon line.
  4. Draw the next closest fruit to you. Repeat step 3. Remember to show if one fruit is overlapping in front of another.
  5. Draw your last fruit. Repeat step 3. Your still life might look differently than your neighbor’s. They might have different fruit closest to them.
  6. Use oil pastels to color in the fruit. Add realistic colors (apples are more than just red!).
  7. Blend white and black oil pastels to make gray shadows.
  8. Use oil pastels to color your background/wallpaper.
  9. Use tempera cakes to paint your table. Check your goals and write your reflection.

Friday 3rd grade- Marc Chagall Memory Paintings

The 3rd grade is learning about Marc Chagall’s artwork I and the Village.  They learned that Chagall’s artworks are often inspired by his memories.  Artists often include symbols, or clues, about their lives in their artworks.  What symbols do you see in I and the Village?  What symbols would you include in your artwork?  Students will paint a self-portrait that includes symbols about their lives.

Learn more about I and the Village, from the Museum of Metropolitan Art (MoMA).

I and the Village
I and the Village

“Celebrating Art” Art Contest

We are excited to announce an upcoming art contest! 

Celebrating Art Contest

Any student grades K-12 can enter for free.  Contest divisions are K-3, 4-6, 7-9,and 10-12.  You can enter any artwork that can have a still digital image, like painting, sculpture, drawing, collage, not photography.  More information is available at: http://www.celebratingart.com/

Deadlines:

If you would like Ms. Baird to enter your artwork online, please have it to her by Wednesday, November 19, 2014.

If parents would like to enter students’ artwork online, it is due by Wednesday, December 3, 2014.WATKINS ART FLYER 8.5 X 11

Welcome back!

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Welcome to a new school year!

We have some exciting things coming up in the art room this year.  Last year was a successful year with plenty of new experiences: Improbable Baubles art exhibition at the Headley-Whitney Museum, the National Gallery of Art with the 5th grade in D.C., and the first Fine Arts Field Trip to UK with Mrs. Bowmer.  I am excited to see how students will grow from these opportunities again this year.  I am ready to create a memorable year in the art room!

We rely on donations to supplement our creative projects, please feel free to send in any of the following supplies:

  • Crayola Markers
  • Elmer’s Glue
  • Pencils
  • Baby Wipes
  • Tissues/Kleenex
  • Band-Aid bandages
  • Q-Tips

These are the same supplies listed on the Simmons School- Wide Supply List.  If you have already donated, THANK YOU for your generosity.  Our art program wouldn’t be the same without your help.

We collect the following supplies all year long:

  • Styrofoam (meat) trays- please clean before sending in
  • Egg cartons- please clean before sending in

I look forward to a wonderful year at Simmons!