Fantastic Fundraiser { thank you, APRYL }

What a blessing it is to be able to teach art as part of the curriculum in an elementary school and even bigger blessing  to work with some of the most generous and art friendly parents out there. They are so supportive of the program with kind words, a helping hand, running fundraisers, and cheerfully donating supplies. Myself and the students are so grateful to be able to teach/learn at a school that values all disciplines.
This weekend was no exception. Apryl Stott organized and a held a fundraiser for our art program during the annual Craft Fair. What a hit!!! This darling hands and footprints project turned out beautifully and was so fun to make. It was great to see the Moms and their wee ones getting painted up to create a little piece of love to hang in their home. There were even requests for Mommy and Me classes to do these again. Leave a comment below if you are interested in receiving more information about an upcoming class/gathering/workshop/#goodtimesinart.

Faux Stained Glass | Winter elementary art lesson

I find myself telling the kids,"Slow Down. Art takes time. It's not a race." Four weeks later, we are trying to complete our Chagall inspired paintings. Do I make them rush or stay on the slow and steady course of quality not quantity? I opted to encourage them to continue to do quality work. In our fast paced world, it's often quite difficult for students to stay with a project over a long period of time, returning to it with the same interest and vigor in which they started is often a challenge for teachers and parents. I am most impressed with their commitment to their pieces. Visit the Chagall Lesson post to see our work in progress and completed masterpieces.
As a supplemental project for those who had finished, we studied Stained Glass. We discussed the traditional means of creating a stained glass window and observed the shapes -- were they geometric or organic?

For our version we used the following materials:
Printer paper
Pencil
Ruler, compass, protractor (optional)
Copier transparency sheet
Marker
Tempera paints and brushes
Elmer's glue with black paint mixed in or black sharpie
Hole punch ( optional )
Ribbon ( optional )

Steps One-Three. Student is working on Step 3 with a clear transparency over her drawing

#1. Sketch out a winter themed subject on plain printer paper. Keep it large and not a lot of detail.

#2. Divide the background into shapes, drawing wiggly organic shapes or use a ruler, compass, or protractor for geometric shapes.

Step 4 - painting on the transparency

#3. This step is optional but most students chose to do this instead of keeping the paper and transparency lined up together while painting. Place the transparent copier sheet over the drawing. Using a marker, trace the drawing. This creates the map to follow while painting.

#4. Using primary colors ( to practice color mixing) of tempera, paint in the shapes.

#5. To complete the effect, use a black sharpie to outline the shapes and/or subject. The black tinted Elmer's glue will create a raised effect mimicking the lead framework of traditional stained glass.

First Grade - stained glass before black edges completed

#6. Punch holes in the upper corners and thread some ribbon through the holes to hang in a window.

McKayla - 4th Grade 

Delaney - 4th grade

Architecture for 4th Grade

I found this wonderful spooky house lesson on smArt blog and adapted it to our lesson on architecture. We briefly discussed Frank Lloyd Wright, some renaissance churches, local buildings, including the school, and asked the question if the design of the building made us want to enter? Did it tell a story? Could you get a feel of what was going to happen inside from the outside? What kind of emotion does this "art we walk through" convey?
It began with what fared to be the most challenging part of the lesson--measuring and the spatial challenge of folding the cut paper in the correct directions. ART IS EVERYWHERE...and it helped us learn these fundamental mathematical skills, Art Works!


The photos to the right show the mathematical part of the lesson--measuring and the spatial challenge of trying to figure out the proper folds to make the "step" pattern and cutting in an inch and half way up our folded paper gave us some needed practice in precision and measuring with a ruler.

It was time to add the architectural features. We mostly focused on the pitch of a roof and its purpose and the frame and pane of a window. Many of the students added landscape architectural features to complete the feel of their homes. Some were spooky, some from the desert, and some made just for dogs.

Gearing up for the Fall Festival

As an art teacher, I have to share how thrilled I get when you visit the art studio and share stories of how your child is inspired to create and is exploring art outside the class room. One parent even shared how her son referenced Van Gogh when he feared he would get his ear ticked during a hair cut.  Yes, this makes me extrememly giddy. Another brought her Dad in as he was "wearing" her own art. He had her sun drawing tattooed on his arm. ART IS EVERYWHERE, in mathematics, english, science, life skills, and in this case, representing the love, dedication, and committment to one's children. I think Jadera's smile says it all :)

Jadera and her Daddy, Robert, of Undead Ink Tattoos and Piercing in Sparks

How we have seen the school-home art connection in class. Students have been encouraged to share the work they are creating at home in front of the class. Public speaking is a difficult task for many adults so why not start at an early age to build their confidence to share their ideas and thoughts with others in a public forum? I offer extra credit for this and beyond the class points, the pride they clearly feel is worth millions of life points. My own daughter loves art but is very shy to share publicly. She is working her way up to feeling "ready". Encourage your little ones to try. I will always stand up with them or they may have a friend come to the front of the class to help calm those nerves. Once they do it, they'll realize it wasn't that scary afterall.

Fall is here and the autumn art projects have begun!
We've been working hard on many art projects as we gear up for the Harvest Festival. I don't want to give too much away as I know you would rather see the childrens' fabulous creations in person when you visit, but here are a few enticing peaks...plus I get to try out the new Panoramic option on the iphone camera!
The "Hall of Bulls" made by 2nd and 3rd grade Paleolithic Cave Artists

The Colorful Culture Mural

Titled by Evan King, Writings by the 3rd and 4th grade, Dimensions guessed by Sonja Boettcher and Ruby Snyder

Visit SmART blog, the blog that inspired the mural,  or our First Art Blog for detailed lesson plans.

This is the very beginnings of our architectural art lesson. The spatial learners rocked this lesson and became wondeful teachers themselves as they assisted the others who were struggling with this..maybe, just maybe, they helped me too ;) They will be adding the architecural features and landscape design over the next week. The houses will be on display during the Harvest Festival.

The Kinders are learning about Nevada rock art and will be creating a piece of varied lines and shapes that celebrates Nevada's ancient artistic roots.

SEMI-FINALISTS for the ART SHOW

Additionally, the K-4th Culture drawings have been completed and the first round of the selection process has been completed. Congratulations to the following students for creating intriguing art pieces that stood out and told a story. The next selection process will be completed by a panel of professional artists and will be hung for display in The Mixed Blessings Art Symposium at TMCC. Good luck semi-finalists!

KINDERGARTEN

Amadeus M

Sterling J

Grace O

India R P

Emma V

Sahara D

Keagan M

Andrea 

Portia A-C

Sehaj T

Baljeet J

FIRST GRADE

Joshaya S

Jed L

James P

Sage V

Taryn K

Dominique C-T

Austyn J

Eric O-G

Amaya G

SECOND GRADEAustin Reif

Mehul P

Kayla S

Ava G

Lisa K

Meleyna V

Andrew A

Sofia B

Tyler F

Jackson F

Nate Y

Bansari P

Jaxon G

Sydney 

Bella P

Maya S

Olivia J

Ruby S

William M

Audre M

Madison H

Kaston B

Ginger S

THIRD GRADE

Allen C

Giovanni S

Annika W

Kailey F

Mitchell B

Ana S

Sophie D

Linda K

Shae J

Yasmin T

Kenny H

Kari S

Genevieve D

Ankush J

Dominic S

Katie A

Willow V

Daniel R-S

Julia K

Monica S

FOURTH GRADE

Emre D

Angelina B

Reyna C

Mary P

Jammie V

Mackenzie C

Micaiah M

Guiseppe C

Soha R

Tyler H

Leigh S

Ethan S

Sean S

Juliana T

Samantha H

Reese W

Connor A

Mckayla F

Megan M

Gavin V

Grace Y

HARVEST FESTIVAL

Finally, I will be hosting an arts and crafts booth at the Harvest Festival. To continue our culture theme, I chose to highlight Dia de las Muertos ( Day of the Dead) by making plaster skulls for the children to paint. Magnet strips can be purchased at any craft store and added to the back for fabulous magnets to hold all that artwork on the fridge! We will also be making decorative goody bags to hold all the kids' winnings from the evening's games.  If anyone is interested in helping me out with my booth, half hour here or there, it would be greatly appreciated and a lot of fun. Leave a comment below or email me at skye@skyesnyder.com.



Art at Home | Art in the World

There are many great resources out there to bring art from the classroom, to home, to the world. This post will share a few different links to a variety of topics; contests, art shows, science, and culture.

Brainstorm about what culture is. You will notice most of the 4th graders related culture to their ethnic heritage. However, many did not know what was unique about their ethnic heritages. 

We have begun a very exciting project for our K-12th graders; a collaborative art show with many artists including our very own art educator, advocate, artist, Tia Flores and the internationally known arts writer and activist, Lucy Lippard. The project, Mixed Blessings Symposium, focuses on culture and our environment. Some of our students will be presenting their art work in this show. Our students have been contemplating their cultures and sharing the unique differences and similarities of each of them.

As a home extension, here is a link to a PBS lesson from the children's show, Maya and Miguel, that encourages celebrating one's culture with family. The lesson is from episode #114, Family Time.  Create a "cultural collection" with all your family members.
More information on Mixed Blessings will be blogged at a later date.

ART CONTEST
Ms. Braik's Geology Club is participating in a wonderful art extention sponsored by AGI, "Imagine Me, An Earth Scientist". It's open to anyone, so even if your child is not in Geology Club, visit the site for contest entry form. Submissions must be postmarked by October 19th.

Art and Neuroscience
CNN recently published a great article, "What the Brain Draws From: Art and Neuroscience" which discusses the tricks that artists have developed for centuries to fool our perception and the importance of color.

Color Wheel - elementary art class

This week we are introducing the color wheel to the primary grades. I found this uncomplicated color wheel on Art Projects for Kids --if you are interested in printing one for home, it's a free download.

The kinders and first graders will  practice drawing and cutting circles to make their own color wheel. Once completed, we will label the colors and begin our discussion of the senses to prepare for next week's lesson using fruit, the senses, and the color wheel.

Shared on smArt Class

The upper grades have already been introduced to the color wheel in years past, therefore, we will be applying our knowledge in a discussion of our artist of the month,  Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890). By analyzing his Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, 1888, the students should be able to recognize the energizing power of color placement. In this painting, Van Gogh uses the complementary colors (opposite on the color wheel) orange and blue to direct our eye around the image while giving a "glowing" effect from the night windows. When two colors are placed next to one another simultaneous contrast occurs. Simultaneous contrast occurs when any two colors are placed side-by-side. The edge where the two colors meet will change our perception of that color. Impressionist artists used this technique in their works. Van Gogh, a post-impressionist,  uses simultaneous contrast in its most bold form--placing complementary colors next to one another. By doing so, Van Gogh's paintings have a vibrational quality to the colors. The windows glow by placing a blue color immediately next to them. The cobblestones add movement from the repetition, pattern, and color choice. By using the opposite warm and cool colors, it adds depth because cool colors recede into the background and warm colors come forward.

This discussion will help our students choose colors for their CULTURE & IDENTITY piece coming up.

Analyze Van Gogh's The Night Cafe in the Place Lamartine in Arles, September of 1888 with your child.

Look around the house. What items can your child find that represent complementary colors?

Welcome Back from Art at Coral Elementary!

The 2012-2013 school year has begun and it 's time for my K-4th Art Smart students to start creating.

Before we get into lessons, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Skye Snyder and this is my tenth year teaching and my first year at Coral Academy of Science Elementary School here in Reno, Nevada. I am thrilled to bring my education and art background to an alternative school. At Coral, all the students, Kindergarten through 4th grade participate in a fine art curriculum. The students will be learning the art elements and principles of design in a nurturing yet challenging environment. It is my goal to guide our students to become keen observerers of their world and encourage them to visually express their ideas and creativity while learning skills and artistic techiniques. 

I hold a Masters degree in Education and a Bachelors in Art and Anthropology. Additionally, I am a working artist creating photographic portraiture for over twenty years. I invite you to view my online photography presence at Skye Snyder Photography or on Facebook.

As a reminder, this blog's purpose is for sharing information and showcasing our proud students' work to a larger audience. No photographs or names will be used on this blog without written parent/guardian consent. All comments will be moderated by me and I ask everyone to be supportive and encouraging when leaving comments for our little artists. Thank you.

If you are a parent and wanting to communicate, please come by the classroom to talk in the morning at 8am or email me at ssnyder@coralacademy.org.

I am looking forward to experiencing your child's creativity.