3rd Grade Halloween Silhouette Pictures

The 3rd graders had a fun time this week creating these very cute halloween silhouette "haunted" pictures. We used markers and then created basic shapes to make a haunted tree, dancing skeletons, spooky cats, spiders, bats, pumpkins and owls. We painted swirly clouds in the sky and finally we added white eyes to make our spooky creatures "jump" off the page! This has been a very fun project!

Parents: This would be a great project to do at home! We used black Crayola washable markers. Eyes were added with simple "paper punch" circles! Encourage your children to focus on the SHAPES of the creepy creatures.

2nd Grade Pattern Pumpkins

The 2nd grade classes had a fun time pushing their drawing skills one step further this week by creating these darling pattern pumpkins. First, we looked at real pumpkins and studied the shape and color. We touched the pumpkins, looked for scars and studied the stem. Then we used sharpies to draw a practice pumpkin in our sketchbook. We drew organic "bumpy" lines with the sharpie and then we added structure lines. Finally we added shading with organic and geometric design. Then we drew our final artwork on bigger paper. We shaded the features of our pumpkins with tiny pattern and design. As a final step, we painted our pumpkins with watercolor. This has been one of our favorite projects.

2nd Grade Line Art

If you walk down the 2nd grade hall this week you will find rows and rows of hands tied together with multicolored cord. The 2nd grade classes have been working on building "community" and this art project was a developed as a way to create an art project that would symbolically link the entire 2nd grade. We talked about color and how the bright color band moving across the hand represented energy and a beauty that unified all people. If we joined hands and work together... anything can be accomplished. Each child traced their own hand on white card stock and then drew a beautiful organic line across the palm of their hand with a sharpie. We then added color with markers in a symmetrical pattern. Finally we divided the rest of our hand into sections with a sharpie and then created organic and geometric patterns with a black sharpie. We also added our name to part of the black and white design as a way of personalizing our artwork. The black and white pattern looks beautiful in contrast with the color band. We hope you come visit the 2nd grade hall to enjoy this beautiful project.

Kindergarten Twisty Trees

This week we had one of our most favorite Kindergarten art projects.... Twisty Trees! First we looked at the painting "The Mulberry Tree" by Van Gogh. We saw how the trunk was twisty and old and how the branches were twisty and curved. Then we made our own twisty trees using paper bags. After we twisted our branches, we added little tissue paper leaves in warm colors. Our trees looked very beautiful. We talked about how we could use our little twisty tree as a decoration in our homes to remind us of fall.

Kindergarten Scaredy Cats

This week the kindergarten classes had fun drawing "scaredy" cats with markers. First we studied the picture "The Scream" by Edvard Munch and we talked about how people express feelings of fear. We also looked at the colors in the picture and learned that orange and blue are complementary colors. Then we talked about how a cat might show that it was afraid. We drew cats with arched backs, claws and hair that was standing on end! Finally, we added a face with crayons, drew a snow pattern in the sky and then added design to our pictures! Be sure to compliment your favorite kindergarten student!

First Grade Line Art

The first grade classes have been learning about line art this week! First we learned about curvy lines, straight lines and angle lines. Then we drew a soft curvy line through the middle of the circle. We added beautiful rows of color on each side of our curvy line. Finally, we divided the rest of our circle into sections and filled each section with a pattern created by lines and shapes. This looks great! The first graders have been doing fabulous work in art!

3rd Grade Bark Art

When the third graders come to art, they start the lesson by doing a simple sketch in their sketch book. Mrs. Sampson uses the sketch to reinforce skills that will help them with the art lesson. The 3rd graders have been busy getting ready for their school program on October 22nd. As part of the preparation we have focused on creating Mexican folk art and doing little sketches in our sketchbook. Some of the classes also created "tiger" masks which are an example of Mexican Folk Art. This picture shows the work of Stephanie Cox, a student in Mrs. Jacobson's 3rd grade.

More 3rd Grade Mexican Art!

Here are a few more colorful "bark art" pictures created by the 3rd graders at East Elementary!

2nd Grade "Zoo in the Sky"

The 2nd graders had a wonderful art time exploring the patterns in the night sky! We read the book "Zoo in the Sky" published by the National Geographic Society. We looked at a Star Chart... a map of the sky and learned about constellations. We each selected one famous constellation and drew a colorful animal in the sky... then we added stars to our constellation and then we painted shooting stars, comets, planets to create a beautiful piece of art that is "out of this world!"

First Grade Primary Colors

The first graders started out the school year learning about the primary colors. We read the book "Mouse Paint" and learned how the 3 mice found 3 jars of paint and mixed the colors to create all colors on the color wheel. After we read the story, each child created their own abstract painting using the three primary colors.

Hubble Telescope

The 2nd graders have been learning about space and patterns in the night sky. For our first art lesson we looked at pictures of space taken by the Hubble telescope. We noticed the colorful gases and beautiful formations in space! We decided the most beautiful art in the world has been recorded by the Hubble telescope. For our art lesson, we learned how to blend colors by creating a watercolor wash as we created our own fantasy space picture. While our paintings were drying we made a black frame for our picture in the shape of a telescope and decorated the border with metallic markers. These pictures are just beautiful! Come visit the 2nd grade hall to enjoy the beautiful artwork as you take a flight of fancy into outer space!

1st Grade Rainbows

The 1st graders at East Elementary school learned all about rainbows and how a PRISM makes the light bend to create a rainbow. We read " A Rainbow of My Own" by Don Freeman and we learned all the colors of the rainbow in order. We also learned about warm colors and cool colors. When creating our artwork, we used sponges to create beautiful shapes. We learned how to OVERLAP our colors to blend colors. These beautiful creations are sure to bring a smile to your face.

Kindergarten Blankets

The kindergarten children at East Elementary have had fun learning about LINE. We starting our learning adventure by reading a traditional Ute tale... Coyote Steals a Blanket. As we read we looked at the beautiful lines on different blankets. For our art project, we created our own unique blanket from construction paper. We drew thin lines and fat lines, zigzag lines and curvy lines. Then we printed lines of white circles with tempera paint. Finally, we cut straight lines on each end of our blankets to create fringe. Come check out the colorful creations!

3rd Grade Mexican Folk Art

The 3rd graders at East Elementary have been having a lot of fun getting ready for the artist in residence program coming up on October 22nd. We have been learning about Mexican folk art since the beginning of the school year. We have sketched little adobe villages, bean pots, flowers and calendar stones. We have cut beautiful Papel Picado (pierced paper) banners to hang in the halls of the school and we have also been working at creating our own colorful versions of bark painting. Each child has completed several works of art to decorate for the fiesta! We hope you will all come see the school on October 22nd to check out the colorful Mexican art!