Happy Thoughts

Looking around my school brings me joy...most days! This week, these are the things that I think are pretty awesome!

4th Grade Radial Prints

Truth be told, these may be prettier from far away than up close. Using donated cardboard, each 4th grader created a "printing plate" for this collograph project. On their 9" square of white paper, they blended chalk pastels in analogous colors (which I called OMBRE and they all said, "Ohhhh!" because that apparently sounds way cooler!) Then, using black ink and brayers, they printed their plate four times in a radiating pattern. Overall, a great/cheap way to introduce printmaking with cardboard, but the end bulletin board display knocks my ROYGBIV socks off!

When I saw THIS on Pinterest with a Tournament of Books bracket, I knew I had to adapt the idea for our sports theme this year and combine it with Youth Art Month.

Art Madness Bracket

 For the month of March, each class will vote on a head-to-head battle to decide which painting is the "best" and the variations of what "best" means to each grade level, or even each student, is fascinating. Some are voting for the most famous, the weirdest, the most details, the one they think deserve to hang in a museum, etc... And while we're voting during art class, the hallway has a large-scale bracket with pictures and some autobiographical facts and tidbits of information.

We already have some students predicting which painting will "win it all" but really, I've already won because I've got students who are actively discussing art history, outside of my art room, in their spare time! #teacherwin

Have a great week, art ed. world! Hope to see some of you in a few weeks in Chicago for NAEA!

~Amy