Thank you students and parents!

I was so happy to receive the flowers for Teacher Appreciation week!  They really brightened up my desk and my day!  I feel so lucky to have a job I love and such wonderful students to teach.  You are all just the best!  Love, Mrs. Knight

Kindergarten stamp printing: Architecture

a great intro to architecture and housing

Kindergarteners learned about different kinds of architecture, and who an architect is in the community.  We used stamp printing techniques to create the geometric shapes that make up a building.
Legos, marker tops, cardboard scraps, sponge shapes and cardboard tubes were dipped in white paint and stamped on blue paper, creating "blueprints."  Although this project is a little messy, the results are so worth it!

stamping lines with cardboard



adding flags with a  triangle sponge


 

 

Thanks for the style shout-out!

Thanks Hannah, at Art. Paper. Scissors. Glue! for recognizing me as a "stylish blogger"!  I believe it works like this...
1. Link the person who recognized you. 
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Forward the honor to 5 bloggers you enjoy following.

1.  I just started blogging about our art learning at Dolvin Elementary last August, and it has been such a fun experience.  It's really exciting to see your blog viewed all around the world and get fresh ideas from creative teachers around the world.  I'm definitely hooked!

2.  Blogging has led to 2 ATC trades so far, and I look forward to learning more about this activity and participating in many more trades.


3.  I'm working on writing and illustrating a children's book and my goal is to get it out there before the end of the year... fingers crossed!

4.  My favorite illustrators are Ezra Jack Keats, Ian Falconer, Edward Gorey, and of course Eric Carle.

5.  I am very excited to go see the Toulouse-Lautrec show at the High Museum tomorrow night with lots of Atlanta area art teachers.

6.  I have some really talented students, and so many of them tell me that art is their favorite special.  This is also quite a compliment, as our music and P. E. teachers are extremely popular!

7.  I am in my 18th year of teaching, and I still get really excited about new projects as well as old favorites.  As Hokusai believed, I plan on getting better and better until I am a hundred and ten!

I would like to give the style shout-out to:
Katie at Abbotts Hill Art Studio - a fellow Fulton county teacher and JCAC instructor
Mr. E at Art with Mr. E - enjoying his space themed art this semester!
Katina at Lake Forest Louvre - another local teacher and hometown friend
Mrs. Cutshall at Sinking Springs Art - I believe this is also a new blog, and it seems her taste is very similar to mine : )
Shannah at New City Arts - beautiful photos and lots of interesting textile ideas

There are many others I'd like to mention, but others beat me to it!  Thanks to ALL the teachers out there who share their ideas generously for the benefit of all students everywhere.

First grade Folk Art: Georgia style

First graders learned that folk artists are self-taught.  We learned that three folk artists from Georgia - Howard Finster, Mattie Lou O'Kelley, and Nellie Mae Rowe - all grew up on a farm in large families with many siblings, and they had very little time at school, if any.  Folk artists use what they have to make their art, so their subjects are often farms, animals, nature.  Quilting from scrap fabric or old clothes is also a folk art and we added quilt squares to create a frame.  These turned out great... really full of personality!
                                                                                                            

by Georgia folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe

Cardinal Collage: Charley Harper style

American artist Charley Harper is one of my favorites in terms of style.  His slightly abstract nature scenes are very simple and geometric, making it easy to find emphasis in the picture, or showing what's important. Our 3rd grade collages were inspired by his geometric, sparse style.  We incorporated visual texture by using newspaper to represent the black and white texture of birch tree bark.  We also used space in the picture by placing things above and below the horizon line, as well as by changing the size. 

 

 

4th grade Art Trade!

Thanks so much to Ms. Hahn at Mini Matisse for including our school in the ATC: artist trading cards project.  Two of my fourth grade classes traded prints with her school in Minnesota, Rogers Elementary.  We sent in prints we made recently of lighthouses and sailboats (scroll down a little to see that post) and we received adorable snowmen in return.  We also enjoyed viewing the slideshow she put together about life in their town, including ice fishing photos!  Here is a shot of the ATC's we received from Minnesota.

Texture: First Snow of Winter

This lesson was inspired by a lesson from Deep Space Sparkle.  The objective of this 2nd grade lesson is to create a printed texture and to paint a furry texture, as well as linking to books and nature.  The following books were the helpful for creating imagery ideas:

After reading the stories of winter's first snow, we researched the types of animals that hibernate and practiced drawing them.  We used rubber leaf molds to make the autumn leaf prints in the background, since real leaves are a bit crumbly this time of year.  We practiced using different kinds of brushes and brushwork to create the textures of the critters.  The final results are just adorable.