grey scale or gray scale?......

Well, it doesn't matter how you spell it....4th and 5th graders are currently taking the "gray scale challenge"....we are learning how to use our tools ( in this instance, EBONY brand pencils) to the best of their ability...and to see just how many shades of gray we can squeak out of them to create a patterned design in the round. We are learning about the element of VALUE in art, and simultaneously having a grand time seeing who can find the most shades with their pencil...at last count, grand total was 58...We will post some of our finished works of art when they are complete!

how to fold a paper fortune teller.....

we are READY, 2010-2011 school year.....

Here we go!....welcome to another year in the studio! Your place to practice right brain thinking, creative problem solving, imagining, visualizing and self expression!....welcome to all of my new 3rd grade artists...and welcome back to my 4th and 5th graders. I am looking forward to another year of working with you to find your creative voice. My hopes and dreams are that you will come to class with an open mind, and an open heart! See you very soon! Ms. G.

learning about warm and cool colors......

putting silly bandz to a good use......

I was watching a piece on the national news about a week ago. It was reporting that the extremely popular 'silly bandz' kids have been wearing have been banned in a number of school districts around the country; the reason being that they are considered to be a huge distraction. For those of you who might not know what they are, they're rubber bracelets that come in various shapes:planes, stars, hearts , the alphabet, etc. that you wear around your wrist. As a teacher, I have not found this to be the case at all. In fact, a bunch of my third grade students have put them to great use! We have been learning about color for the last number of weeks, and just completed a project around warm and cool color families. A bunch of my fabulous artists came to class yesterday and showed me they had sorted theirs into warm and cool color families!.....now, if THAT doesn't warm a teachers' heart, I don't know what would! Letting me know that they are carrying all that I bring to them out into their world is such a gift.......

Nigerian metal repousse......

the finished product!......

Here are the completed community nests!....as you can see, there is one for each grade level

(3,4,5)....each 'egg' has been filled with 'food' brought from home by each student...items such as beans, lentils, rice, oatmeal, Cheerios and peas are inside each...meant to represent your family and how they feed and take care of you. The eggs were sewn shut and placed in the nest. Each artist wove a reed into the felted sides to represent themselves as part of a community, and added additional strands, as diverse as a pet horses' hair, gift ribbon from a birthday, and old shoelace from favorite sneakers and hair from big sisters' trim! All in all, this was a great experience!