Fourth Graders Enter CD Cover Art Contest

Congratulations to Emma S.! Emma's artwork was selected by Jack Hartman and Hop 2 It Music to be the cover art for his upcoming CD, "Transition Train". In addition, Valere B. will be designing the track artwork that will serve as a border on the front cover. Emma will receive a $100 gift certificate and Shorecrest will receive an additional $100 gift certificate. Emma will receive three free CDs and each fourth grade teacher will receive one free CD. I was very impressed with all of the entries and with how seriously each student took this project. You are all winners in my book!

Kindergarten Learns About Warm and Cool Colors

Last week Kindergarten students "felt the music" of the Caribbean while painting with warm colors. Then we switched to the cool colors and let Wolfgang Mozart inspire us. Today we used drawings the children had created in Ms. Diaz Leroy's music class while studying Mozart to guide us in a third piece of art. These are collages made from the warm and cool papers we created last week. Aren't they great!

Third Graders Study Radial Design

These students are working on a radial design group project for International Peace Day, 9/21/10.


Every third grader created a radial design project using words and symbols to tell others about his or her special interests and hobbies.

First Graders Study Line and Pattern

After studying different styles of lines, each first grader made eight Artist Trading Cards depicting eight different patterns of lines. Then, recalling the book they read with Ms. Diaz Leroy in music, "Otto Goes to the Beach", each child drew Otto taking another type of adventure. They used pre-cut circles to add splashes of color before adding their patterns of lines to fill in the hollow spaces in their drawings. JC illustrated "Otto goes to the desert to find his home" and Baylie illustrated "Otto goes to the African jungle".

Second Graders Start "World Art" Books

Second grade students will be keeping a running record of all of their art projects this year in a handmade book. Today each student created a front and back cover using cardboard, glue, and construction paper. Then they started designing the cover art. Next week, we'll add the blank inside pages. Then, as the year progresses and as we complete our studies of each continent, we will add to our books, a miniature version of each project that we do.

Welcome Back!

This week in the art room will not be typical. Every year during the first week, all teachers need to take care of some very important "housekeeping" details. First we need to be sure and welcome all of our new students, and give them a chance to get comfortable in his or her new school. Then, in the art room, we always recite the Honor Pledge.
It pretty much sums up the rules in my classroom.

The Honor Pledge

I agree to be personally and academically honest and to treat others with respect and courtesy.

Afterward, we practice the fire drill and review the emergency weather and lock down procedures. Finally, we take a quick tour of the art room, spend a few minutes getting caught up after our Summer break, and line up for the next thing on the schedule. I can't wait till next week when we can get down to the real business of making art!

It's so great to have the children back on campus...we've really missed them!

Summer in New York City

My daughter and I went to New York, Boston, and Rhode Island to look at art schools. While we were in NYC, we visited at The Museum of Natural History. Aren't I scary?! Can't wait to see you all back at school :-)