On the Farm an art theme

Many teachers use the farm theme for fall. It is a good one to teach children about animals and where our food comes from. October is a good month for corn and corn mazes and scare crows. Art teachers can teach color mixing with paint. Little ones can learn red and yellow make orange pumpkins.  Creating art with warm colors can be taught with an “On the Farm” theme.

Plastic farm animals can be bought at the dollar stores or the dollar bins at the big box stores. These are great for children to use to draw and create their own symbols or art style. Of course the internet is full of farm animal images to choose but sometimes these are difficult to draw and there may be copyright issues.

Fall landscapes of farms can also be taught. Artwork by artists such as Grandma Moses or Grant Wood can be found and projected and analyzed for colors used, how texture is created, and how was depth (close-up and far away) achieved.

I have created an On the Farm product with art lessons and examples of the steps. Here is the link:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/On-the-Farm-art-projects-2068051

Back to School with Shapes

I saw on facebook that many of you are beginning math teaching shapes. Art also uses shapes to create patterns and to create interest. There are two kinds of shapes in art: geometric and natural. I have several art projects based on shapes in art that will help review identification of geometric and natural shapes. Here's the link to one: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Shapes-Art-Projects-871403

And here is another link: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Lines-Shapes-and-Patterns-for-back-to-school-770453

Have you heard the news?? It's Time for Teachers Pay Teachers Back to School Sale!!!

My store is 20% off and Tpt kicks in another 8%! 

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Gena-Mcwilliams

What makes Art ART?

Why is Art Art?

What is the difference between GREAT ART and mediocre art?

I don’t really know. The phrase “I know it when I see it” makes art a perception but art is still art whether it is perceived as such by one or not. So then the idea of art becomes quite subjective depending on the viewer’s opinion or mood of the day.

For me really good art is that which has been drawn well and somewhat realistically but is then turned into an abstract or an impression or an abstract impression. I am a bit of a conservative in that I believe for artists to create really good art they have to be able to draw. I have told my students that drawing is the basis of all other art techniques.

My favorite artists who have demonstrated the ability to draw realistically and turn a painting or sculpture into an abstract, impression or abstract impression are Pablo Picasso and David Hockney. There is a video/DVD called “Behind the Scenes, Volume:1 Painting and Drawing” (available on Dick Blick’s website) during which David Hockney draws a chair from many different views while explaining perspective, depth, and vanishing point. I showed it many times to my middle school students. The result is a cubistic chair (Picasso’s influence).

Today I discovered a painting of David Hockney’s called “Gaugin’s Chair” that looks like the very chair that’s in the DVD. It’s a painting with bright tropical colors similar to those Gaugin used but drawn in a cubistic manner like Picasso. That thought process is what makes a great artist and great art to me!

                                                         That’s MY opinion! Mizz Mac

Summer Art Lessons

Once again it's Camp GaGa for me with my grand kids. Last year my grandson was the creative one. We spent a good week making and painting a rocketship from a large cardboard box. This year he needs to catch up on his reading so I have begun reading Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to him and his sister. We watched Tim Burton'sAlice in Wonderland  a few weeks ago and he just loved it! Our plan is to read a chapter a day but he is also to work on his sight words and read a book out loud to me.
 My grand daughter is the creative one this year. All I had to do to day was cover the kitchen table with newpaper and set out glitter glue pens, metallic markers, paint brush markers, coffee filters, and chenille stems. She wanted to make her Mama a bouquet of flowers. She went into my pantry and found an old glass canister to use for the vase ( She had previously used all of my mason jars to make water candles- her own invention). She remembered my directions from a year ago and proceeded without my help.
For easy directions to make paper flowers click on this link:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-Occasion-Paper-Coffee-Filter-Flowers-1868162

School is out for summer!!

School is out for the summer. So what are you doing? I will be entertaiing grandchildren when I am not transporting them from camp to camp. Their other grandmother will be helping out too. When I'm not doing that I will be updating my products in my store on teachers pay teachers' website. If you need any ideas for at home art projects, check out my store!
www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/Gena-McWilliams

Teacher Appreciation Sale on TPT!!

Teachers Pay Teachers is having a teacher appreciation sale! Tuesday May 3rd-4th! My while store is 20% off! Here is the link back to my store:
www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/Gena-Mcwilliams

Papier Mache Art Projects

Some thoughts and ideas about organizing supplies for papier mache projects

I just love papier mache! As an art teacher though it took me a few years to find ways to organize and make good products with the children doing all of the work. Keep in mind I had 6 art tables with 4 chairs at each table and a double sided easel on each end of the tables. I kept large clips on each easel. Each table was a color and each table had a designated table captain. I did have assigned seats which were moved each month.

First of all there is the glue- A veteran art teacher advised me to use a product called Art Paste. It comes in a dry pouch and mixes in a gallon of water. The glue is a vegetable based product so there shouldn’t be anyone allergic to it and it’s not made from animal’s hooves so it shouldn’t offend any religions. I had large gallon size plastic ice cream containers with lids. I would mix up the glue in each container, one per table, and an extra one for spare.  That was enough glue for one whole grade of 3 classes.  Each gallon container can be placed on the table. Or small bowls like frozen whip containers can be used at each table. Each table captain can refill the bowl as needed.

The tables were covered with either newspaper or vinyl tablecloths.

I would also have either a Styrofoam tray or a paint cup with masking tape for each person’s project to dry on. A helper can put the tape on ahead of time.  Students would write their own names on the masking tape with pencils or crayons.

Now the paper to use- I found it easier on the students to figure out how many layers they used if we used different kinds for each layer. I would begin with newspaper strips for the first layer. Second layer would be colored newsprint strips. The third and last layer would be white newsprint.  I found plastic boxes to use to put the paper strips in. Either I or an intern or any helper can tear  paper strips ahead of time and place in the boxes. It’s a lot of work to do ahead of time but well worth the effort!

On applying the glue to the strips- personally I like to dip the strip into the glue and squeeze the extra glue off with my fingers but some children are too squeamish to do it. Plus it takes a lot of time to wash the glue off the hands. Inexpensive sponge brushes work nicely for applying the glue and can even be thrown away.

Ok well those are my thoughts on setting up supplies for a paper mache project. I hope they were some helpful ideas.  Mizz Mac

Check out my paper mach animal art project lesson for Cinco de Mayo
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Paper-Mache-Animals-for-Cinco-de-Mayo-661250

Spring has begun!

Pollen, pollen everywhere and not a place to breathe!! It's everywhere and I bet carwashes are making a killing! I gave up trying to clean my car when one day I rinsed it off in the morning. By the afternoon it was covered in pollen again!.
So how was your Easter? Not many people came to our annual Easter brunch at my church but we had a good turn out for the services.
I have just added in my store on teachers pay teachers a group of Spring coloring sheets. I like to keep a stack of coloring pages on a shelf for my early finishers to color.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Coloring-Sheets-2468036

Spring Art Projects

Spring has sprung and so has the pollen! It's everywhere! But it is also a fun time for art and creative expression. I have several Spring themed art projects in my store One of my favorites is my spring and Easter bundle of art projects.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mizz-Macs-Spring-and-Easter-Art-Projects-577032.

Black History Month!

Harriet Tubman's Underground railroad is a fascinating part of black history. My hometown is fortunate to have recently finished a nice black museum called The Harriet Tubman Museum. A textile artist, Winnie McQueen, has made a wonderful series of banners that hang in the rotunda about black history. There is a print of Jonathon Biggers work in the permanent collection.

   During the times of the underground railroad, the shoo fly quilt is said to have played a significant part. Legend says the runaway slaves could find sympathizers in homes that had the shoo fly quilt hanging on a line.

For an art lesson about the shoo fly quilt, check out my lesson:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Shoo-Fly-Art-Music-and-Black-history-972741?aref=jmkl9iy1 .

Teachers Pay Teachers Sale

Surprise! We are having a sale! Everything in my store is 20% off and TPT is offering an additional 10% off your cart. Somehow( I am not a math person) that amounts to 28% off! Still a sale is a sale! Good Bargains!
www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/Gena-Mcwilliams