Week of November 19th thru 22nd

We are quickly approaching the end of another month of school.  There are many different things going on at school and in the art room.

This week we began yet another project for a community event.  Zion's Bank has asked our students to participate in creating decorations for one of their giving trees.  We are making snowflakes from craft sticks.  Students were shown several designs they could copy or could create their own design.  I will the paint and glitter all of their creations.  Zion's Bank will then have us decorate their tree with the ornaments.  They have also invited our students to attend a tree lighting ceremony on December 2nd at 4:30 PM.

This is a week for ornaments.  In addition to making their craft stick ornaments, students also got the opportunity to work with clay and create their own tree ornament.  The ornaments were all made and set to dry.  They will then be fired in the kiln and students when students return after the break they will be painting them.

All of the students were very excited about the opportunity to work with clay.  I am excited to see their final results.

Week of November 12th thru 15th

This week brought with it the end of the first trimester.  Hard to believe we have already finished 1/3 of the school year.

This week students began the week by creating paper snowflakes.  We were asked by Fresh Market if our art students would be willing to help create snowflakes that they could use in decorating their store for the holidays.  The students were very excited for the opportunity.  They quickly made many different and unique snowflakes.

The end of the week students were given a free class period to complete any projects they were missing or hadn't turned in.

Final grades will be submitted on Friday, and report cards should come out in a about a week.

End of October thru November 8th

We've had a few very busy weeks at school and in the art room.  If you ask the students I imagine they would tell you their favorite class time so far has been our Halloween pumpkin carving day.  I really enjoy letting them be creative and seeing how they work together to create their own jack-o-lanterns. 

Our art vocabulary project for the end of October was symmetry.  Students created a symmetrical Halloween or other picture using two different sized papers.  Some of them really got into the project and created very elaborate pieces.

This week we began the week by working on pieces for the hallway display.  Our school focus in November is being grateful/thankful and all of the art students worked to create the feathers for a very large Thanksgiving turkey that is in our display cabinet.  There are nearly 500 individual hands cut out and displayed, each with a thankful thought or idea.  This display coordinates with the grateful box and the slips of paper students are filling our each day at school.

At the end of the week, we combined oil pastel and tempera paint to create an autumn tree painting.  With the addition of blowing at the paint through a straw to create a different texture these paintings turned out really neat. 

I love that the kids are always so excited to come to art class!  I enjoy being with them and seeing how hard they can work and what they can create.  Next week is the end of the trimester.  Please check with your child to make sure they are not missing any assignments.

To end this post, here are some pictures of the Halloween pumpkins:

Week of October 15-18

In art class we have been working on learning/reviewing the essential elements of art.  This week we have just begun to combine different elements and learn additional art vocabulary as we begin doing projects.  This week we have done both a free-style sculpture combining line, shape, and space.  At the end of the week we just did our first watercolor project.  Students learned about resists using crayon and watercolor.  They were guided to draw a series of spider webs on their paper using only white crayon.  They could then choose from any color of paint to paint over their drawing to see how the crayon resists the paint and you can see the image behind the paint.

Week of October 8th - 9th

Because this week was only one day each for my classes, we decided to use this time to work on projects that needed just a little more time.  Most of the students were able to get everything they had half done completed.   

Enjoy your fall break.

Week of Sept. 30th - Oct. 4th

First, I want to thank all of those students and parents who took the time to come and visit me in the Art Room during SEPs.  I hope you enjoyed getting to see a little of what they have been doing so far in art.

This week we finished learning/reviewing color.  We talked about primary, secondary, and tertiary colors as well as learned about complementary and analogous colors.  We talked about colors as they are used to express emotions and feelings.

Because I like to start each month with a fun project for the students, we created chalked pumpkins this week.  We talked just a little bit about texture in their drawings and how using different mediums as well as different drawing techniques can create a different look to what we are creating.  When drawing their pumpkins they were to add texture elements.

They also had the opportunity to do a paper folding activity to create 3-D fall leaves.  These leaves and some of their pumpkins were used in creating the hallway display.

Next week is a short week with Fall Break on Thursday and Friday.  I will only get to see each class once, so I will let students use this last day to work on finishing a variety of projects that they may only have partially completed.

September 10-27th

During the past few weeks we have been focusing on learning/reviewing the essential elements of art.

We began with an "art walk" where we looked at a variety of different paintings and photographs to look for elements of art and use art appropriate vocabulary to describe and compare them.

We studied line and did a fun musical chairs type drawing activity.  We studied shape and form by designing individual triangles that we then turned into a pyramid.  This past week we have been working with the element of color.  4th grade students learned about creating secondary and tertiary colors using primary colors by mixing primary colored play-do.  All students learned about the color wheel, relationships between complimentary and analogous colors, as well as how color can be used in art in evoking and expressing emotion.

Next wee will by SEPs.  I look forward to meeting and talking with any of you that would like to stop by and visit the art room.

Week of September 3rd thru 6th

This week students worked on creating their portfolios.  I believe in having students create portfolios as a place to keep all of their artwork throughout the year.  It gives them the opportunity to look back at what they've learned as well as to see their growth in their creative abilities.

This week students also finished their puzzle pieces for our collaborative display.  I am excited at how neat it looks all put together.  I hope to use collaborative art to involve students in building teamwork throughout their classes and in creating other artwork items this year.

Week of August 27-30

We've survived the second week of school.  Let me begin by saying Thank You again to all of the families that have sent in various supplies for the art room.  Every donation helps a lot.  Because we use a variety of art supplies as well as other supplied in creating projects (and cleaning up after creating), every single donation helps.  Other things you can continue to send throughout the year include toilet paper and paper towel rolls, magazines, and newspapers.  These items can be used in a variety of ways when creating projects during the year.  Other items we use a lot of include glue sticks, pencils (lots and lots of pencils), watercolor paints and colored pencils.  I appreciate any donations at any time during the year!

This week in art class the students have been working on creating their own unique puzzle pieces.  These puzzle pieces will all be combined to create a unique puzzle display in the classroom.  Because I get to do art with about 250 students this fill our class bulletin board.  The completed puzzle will remain on display throughout the school year.

Students who fail to use time wisely or have missed class this week will be able to bring a puzzle piece home and complete it.  These are their first creative project to be graded.

Next week students will begin creating their portfolios.  Portfolios are used to store all of the artwork they create throughout the year.

Week of August 20-23, 2013

Welcome back to another exciting school year!  I am thrilled this year to have 8 classes of 4th-6th grade students to get to spend my days with.

We have had two class periods together in each class this week.  During our first class students were able to participate in a classroom scavenger hunt to help them find where everything is in our new classroom.  We then went through primary classroom rules and expectations.

During our second class together I introduced the idea of art through a fun children's book.  We then talked about the "Artistic Process" in a similar style of the scientific process.  We began talking about the way we move from the original thought and idea of an art project through creating a plan, gathering materials, creating the work, critiquing our results, and finalizing a project and displaying it for others to see.

We will follow this same procedure next week as we begin our first art project.  Students will individually design and create a puzzle piece that will be combined with all of the pieces created by all of the 8 classes to create a collaborative art piece that will be displayed throughout the school year.  I am excited to see what they come up with and the final results.

This week each student also brought home a disclosure document that details our class rules and expectations as well as a list of supplies that we can use in the classroom.  I am thankful for the supplies that have already been brought in!  If each student brings in just one item from the list it will help benefit all of our 8 classes.

I look forward to a great year exploring art ideas and concepts as well as creating with your children.  I believe that inside each of them are great ideas and creativity waiting to be expressed.  If you ever have questions about projects we are working on or what we are doing in the art room please feel free to email me at jenniferharding@alpinedistrict.org or call me at the school 801-756-8531 room 158,

A New Year, A New Room

It's almost time for a new school year to begin, and I am excited to be meeting my students next week.

I have been busy this summer.  Some of the things I have done this summer include moving from our old classroom to our new art classroom just down the hall, taking online courses in art and education, and attending a fun summer Elementary Arts training through the district.  I have also had the opportunity to spend a lot of vacation time with my family and found several good books to read.

Moving our art room has given me the opportunity to re-decorate and create some new fun displays in our room.  I also have discovered a great collaborative art piece that was done by Forbes students a number of years ago.  I have also started planning some of the fun projects we can do this year.

I hope you are all as excited to get back to school as I am!

Week of February 5th thru 8th

This was a very busy week.  With a minimal day to start off the week and then two common start days the kids were troopers just going along with all of the adjusted times.

This week in the art room we had one last class period to work on any missing or half finished projects.  I am very proud of how quickly most of the students got right to work and completed anything they hadn't turned it.  At this point just about everyone is caught up!  Those who are still missing things can work with me individually to create a plan for getting them done.

I enjoyed seeing so many of my students and their families at SEPs this week.  I love getting to show off the great things my students are doing in class, and I hope they like to show them off too.  If you didn't have a chance to visit during SEPs and ever want to see what we have been doing in the art room you are always welcome to come and visit. 

At the end of the week 5th and 6th grade students began our next project.  With Chinese New Year being tomorrow we are creating paper Chinese lanterns.  These lanterns will hang instead of float, but offer the opportunity for each student to create four unique art panels.  We have talked about how Chinese art is very detailed and intiquate in design.  They will be working on creating panels that have detailed designs as well.  This project should take us at least a few class periods to complete because I want them to focus on the details of the designs they are creating. 

One we have some of the lanterns complete watch for them to be on display in the art cabinet in the front foyer.

Week of January 29th thru February 1st

This week we learned about the artist Jim Dean.  We talked a little about Pop Art and the use of everyday items in artwork.  Jim Dean has several prints that were done of hearts.  Following the examples of Jim Dine students created a page full of heart prints of their own.  Several of these will be displayed in the Art Cabinet in the school foyer during the first weeks of February.

During the remaining class time this week students were allowed to work on any assignments they had missing.  Most of them were able to use this time wisely and finish off several projects they had just about finished.

Week of January 22nd thru 25th

This week students got to work on another fun winter project.  They each created a landscape painting of trees.  First they created their trees by ripping painters tape and placing it on their paper.  Once they had created their grouping of trees they were then allowed to paint over the taped trees to create a background.  They were instructed to create a horizion line behind their trees and to use the other elements we have learned so far this year to create their landscape.  They were allowed to create any type of sky they wanted, meaning they could choose to do a sunset, sunrise, or night sky.  They were asked to include shadows from their trees as well as value elements to show highlights.  Once the paintings were dry they then removed the painters tape and were left with white voids for their trees.  They completed the landscapes by adding in texture and other details on their trees.  There were several students that completed their project this week, but many others will have time next week to finish.

Week of January 15th thru 18th

This week has been spent learing about the art element, "value".  In doing this students completed a project where they each drew a snowman using value to show the light and the shaded side of the snowman.  These were a lot of fun and turned out great.

Week of January 8th - 11th

This week has been lots of fun in the art room.  We have been busy getting back into a normal routine and doing a winter art project.  I talked to the students this week about the art of quilling paper and how individual quills are used to create projects.  This turned into more discussion about other forms of paper art and how quilling or shapping paper can create art. 

Students this week worked to create a quilled paper snowflake.  There were actually 3 paper options given to them.  The first was creating paper quills and then making a snowflake by gluing the individual quills together.  The second was a combination of paper folding and quilling.  The thrid was a paper weave project that also created a snowflake.  Students were allowed to choose from the three designs and create their own snowflake. 

I am impressed with the detail many of students put into creating their snowflake and am happy with each and every one of them.  I think it is fun for the students to look at all of the snowflakes as they are hung together and really notice how even though they all followed similar patterns every one of them is unique and different in just a little way. 

We have displayed some of the snowflakes in the front lobby art case, others in the classroom, and even more in the hallway.  If you get a chance to be in the building check out the great art your students are creating.