birds and bones

This week I am sharing the work of one of my all time favorite illustrators with the 1st and 4th graders. We are looking at images that the great Charley Harper created. I love his sense of shape and composition. He had such a wonderful modernist take on the nature that he loved so much.

The 4th graders are focusing on identifying symmetry and understanding what proportion is in art and nature. We look at several of his images and talk about how he simplifies the animals and plants he is inspired by into more geometric shapes. We then look at how, in many of these images, symmetry is present. It could be in one element or it could be the entire composition.

We then look at the focus image for the lesson. It's called "The Wrenters". In this piece 2 wrens have made a human skull their home and filled it with nesting materials.

I have students identify what parts show symmetry and what parts throw the symmetry off. I then introduce the concept of proportion and how it is essentially how things fit together into a larger whole. Proper proportion is when the parts look they are a good fit or size for the whole thing. I demonstrate this on the board by doing a quick skull drawing and making the eye sockets way to big for the skull. I make them too small. I do the same thing with the nose hole. I ask them to be aware of this when they are making these same shapes on their own skull images.

The image that we are making is collage and drawing. I have the students fold a piece of paper for the skull, identifying the fold as the line of symmetry. We mark the folded paper on the right side edge at 3 points- 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4, so we can refer to them as we draw the skull shape. The skull shape gets drawn and cut. We then fold a black piece of paper and do some eye measuring for the nose and eye sockets. I ask the kids to make the nose shape about a 1/3 of the skull from cheekbone to head top and the eye sockets about half that size. Before gluing the shapes on, I ask students to place them on the skull to see if they're a good fit. If not, they can try again with their leftover paper.

We add lines to the skull to add detail and more symmetry with colorsticks. Then we cut out the bird shapes, add detail to them, and then add the branches and leaves to the image.

At the end of the activity, students fill out an exit slip to reinforce the visual art, math, and ELA content of the lesson. Students must identify what parts of their image show symmetry and they need to look for contrast between their image and Charley's image.

Note- I do not think of this as a holiday image. Some of my students believed so. Also, a few students thought it was a little disturbing. I told each class how a doctor had a skull from medical school and had left it in his backyard, and that birds made it their home. I got this from the story from the Charley Harper studio website description of the image. I explained that it may be a little disturbing to us, but to the birds, that skull represents nothing but shelter from the elements.

I did have a student that was really upset by the image and I had them work from another image that Charley did, while still being able to work with symmetry and proportion.

proud poppa:)

The annual juried k-12 student exhibit at the Museum of Photographic Arts had it's opening reception this past Friday.

The exhibit is called My City, your City. Students from all over San Diego County were represented.

Zamorano was represented by Logan, a 2nd grader. He was beaming the whole evening. He got to meet the Museum director and education director.

The museum set up a fantastic student VIP area with food, drinks, and art activities. They really made the students feel special.

It was great to see one of our students recognized in the exhibit. It was even more special because he is my son:)

The exhibit runs through the beginning of February. If you are local, you should really check out this stunning collection of photos.

dream machines... in 3d.

This week the 5th graders are continuing their work with line. In particular, how you can use diagonal lines to make shapes look 3d on a piece of paper.

This year I am working with 2 classes at once. While I have half of 2 classes, their classroom teachers have time to work with the other half in a small group setting. This week I have been pitting class against class in a line recall game at the beginning of class. Last week we used line to do at least 3 different things in our jellyfish paintings. Each group was given a dry erase board and marker and asked to work as a team to recall what they did. This was fun. I gave them a couple minutes and then they took turns sharing what they had. No half group has gotten all the correct responses, but most have put them together as a whole group. I have been looking for shape, movement, and unity.

After this warm up, I share some of LA based artist Souther Salazar's work with them. We tlak about how his work looks like fantasy/fiction. We have been looking closely at his drawing, "Alejandro and the Dream Machine". I have asked the classes to tell me if anything in the drawing looks 3d. Most students agree that the machine looks 3d and the other parts look flat. Then we talk about why it looks 3d. How the use of diagonals turns a flat shape into a 3d one. I share the concept of perspective, so that kids can see how those diagonals would eventually meet outside the shape. We have been reviewing types of lines- horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and parallel.

The students' job is to create their own dream machine and dream setting to go with it. The goal of the exercise is to get them familiar with how to construct 3d solids and to recognize the difference between objects that look 3d and ones that look flat.

We drew out the basic body and machine together. When we draw out the 3d shape, I point out certain angles that are made and what students have noticed is that they see acute and obtuse angles on present. If they do the shape correctly, each line segment on the side of their shape should have an acute at one end and an obtuse at the other.

Then students add details to make their drawing unique. The lines of the machine are traced in black. The final step is to add a fantasy background with white lines.

Students complete an exit slip at the end of the activity to reflect on their learning activity.

                                           The background, indeed, did have more bacon:)

a lil' crooked.

This week the 2nd grade classes are continuing their work with line. We are looking at the work of designer Mike Klay of Powerslide Design. Mike makes some pretty darn cool posters, skate decks, and t-shirts. I love the way he plays with natural forms and settings. I like the way he has patterns evolve and change throughout his work.

I share one piece, in particular, with the kids. It's titled "Leaf Dweller".

 

First, we identify what we see- a tree, leaves, more trees, a house, a vent, a bird, and a weather vane.  Although most kids call the weather vane a windmill:) We then talk about which parts look close to us, and the kids agree that the tree and house look closer to us because they are darker, or bolder than the trees. Some kids pick up on the overlapping too. 

To review the warm and cools  we learned about last week I ask the kids to identify what colors are present in this image. Students are able to recognize green as cool and that there are no warm colors present.

I then ask them to describe the types of lines that the branches are made of. I have gotten many answers of wavy and bumpy, and some crookeds. I have even got wrinkly as an answer.

Once we are done breaking sown the image, I share an example I did that uses warm color leaves to turn the design into a scene of autumn.

The project is built from the back to the front. Students lightly draw a zigzag type line all the way across their paper to create the tree line. I remind them to press softly so it looks light, like we did with the water in the background of our fish pic from last week. Students lightly fill this in with a gray colorstick. 

The house is done with black paper. We draw out the top of a house and then cut it out. I point out that we only saw the top pf the house in Mike's image. I tell students that they don't have to copy mine, if they want their house to look different, that is more than okay.

After they cut out the house I ask them where they want to put it- left, center, or right. The only requirement is that the house doesn't float off the bottom edge of the paper.

Our branches are next. I ask students to add 3 long, bold crooked lines, starting at the side of the paper. Students then need to go back and make the lines a little thicker near the side of the paper. 

Then we do a little math... If we have 3 branches and we want a sum of 8, how many do we need to add? Then we add 5 medium branches that are attached to our long ones. Then we add small branches to our tree- if we have 8 branches, how many do we need to have 13?

Once the branches are done, we add the weather vane, followed by the warm color leaves. If students want to add any other details, like lit windows or birds, or any other stuff, they can once everything else is done.

I love how everybody's branches are different and how they're all a little funky too:)

here, fishy, fishy.

The 2nd graders checked out a fish painting by Sandra Silberzweig last week. We used her painting to learn about pattern, contour lines, and warm and cool colors.

The first thing I had students recognize were the main characters and setting. I pointed out how each part of Sandra's image had a black outline or contour line around it. These lines make it easier to see parts after color is added. After that we talked about what made some of the characters different from others- size, direction, color, and pattern. I then talked to them about warm and cool colors. I explained that because Sandra used mostly cools on her fish and warms in her background, the fish stood out from the setting.

Before students started drawing their fish I demonstrated basic body shapes for them. Once their fish were drawn, students added details to their underwater setting. Contour lines were traced after that. When students were ready to begin coloring, I modeled making color patterns with either warm or cool colors on their fish, but not both. I also had them notice how I pressed hard to make the colors bold. Students used the opposite set of colors in the background, pressing hard on parts and softly on others to make parts lighter.

During the activity I kept color charts posted at the front of the room, so students could keep their warms and cools straight.