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