2nd Grade - Hooray for Fish!

This is inspired by the adorable book Hooray for Fish! by author illustrator Lucy Cousins. This is a fabulous book for a painting project! After getting inspired by reading the book and looking closely at her gorgeous illustrations, we started painting our fish with black tempera on blue construction. We started by painting a large eye and drawing our fish body behind it.

Day 2, we started carefully painting in the fish with many tempera paint colors. I added a very little bit of white to each color to make the paint a bit more opaque. This brightens up the colors on the blue construction paper.

Day 3 -  We painted some patterns on the solid areas. They turned out FABULOUS! 

Kindergarten makes Arlo!

If you teach the young ones, you have to read this book and create an Arlo.  My students LOVE this book so much, they insist that I read it over and over!  Arlo Needs Glasses is created by author illustrator Barney Saltzberg. It is a pop up style book which kids love.  I originally borrowed this lesson from Deep Space Sparkle, (Deep Space Sparkle's Arlo Lesson).  Which, is truly my favorite way to teach it.  The first year, I did it exactly the same.  Then,  I wanted to do it again! So I changed it up a little, and this year I thought it would be fun to try making cloud clay/model magic glasses.  It was fun, yet I still like the paper ones with all the bling a bit more!  Crayon & paint, oil pastel & chalk... whatever you want to use! They will be super cute!!!!

 

Square 1 Art with Melanie Mikecz

Square 1 Art!

Every year for the last 15 years since Square 1Art has been in existence, I have participated in this fundraiser. It is an easy to manage and has raised my classroom a TON of money.  What is a ton?  over $25,000!  I teach in an elementary school that supports this type of fundraising, I do realize, not everyone does.  I have a profit each year between $1200 - $2400.  Profits can depend on how adorable the projects are to how well the economy is doing.  Having the extra cash flow has enabled me to make purchases for my classroom that I would not have been able to make.

Every year I choose a theme of some type.  This year I chose the artist/illustrator Melanie Mikecz.  I put together a Prezi of her work (Melanie Mikecz Prezi), and then got busy being inspired by her patterns on her fun subjects. ALL of her illustrations are created digitally, yet she considers works to be mixed media.  She starts with paintings or basic design on paper, scans and photoshops away! No originals exist!  Only digital files! Here is a sample of her great work...

 I find with Square 1 Art projects, it is important to use strong black line to draw and pattern.  It gives the artwork contrast which is important when students order smaller products.  When their images shrink, it is still clear.  I explained to my students that the artist did not use black in any of her work, but we needed to for the purpose of reprinting our artwork on fun products.  Here are some of our works inspired by Melanie Mikecz!

First Grade Fish!

Second Grade Turtles!

 Third Grade Butterflies!

Fourth Grade Parrots!

Fifth Grade Owls!