2nd Grade Fish Prints Collage In the Style of Eric Carle...

First we randomly painted a 12x18 inch 90# piece of white paper using 2 colors of tempera paint.

My tables are set up by color so I put out the corresponding color paint on each table. Students were able to more to the table color of their choice.

The paintings were put on the drying rack for next week.

The following week students flipped the paper over and drew a large fish of their own design. Then cut it out.

Make sure to save the cut out parts of the paper, we will be using them later in the project.

I put out the colors again the second week but this time I gave them sponge stamps the 5th grade had cut for one of their projects.

Students used the sponges to create designs on their fish.

I use to just paint on the tables but I learned to use over sized manila paper for place mats at 

ART SCOUTS

It makes it easier to put the fish on the drying rack too.

Place the stamped fish on the drying rack for next week.

In the third rotation students use the scrap painted papers from the fish to create seaweed...

and layers on their fish.

Make sure to keep an eye on the sink.....

4th Grade STEAM Lesson Creating Topography Maps...

4th Grade is studying the watershed tables in Virginia and the major rivers. In art we look are were some of these rivers start and the path they take to the see. The blue ridge mountains and the Shenandoan Valley run through virginia so we are creating an artist eye version of a topographical map. 

After looking at real topographical maps we created our own mountains. Some of the students named their mountains and added in rivers and lakes.

As you can see on this map of the Shenandoan area the maps are very boring to look at from an artist's point of view. 

So we changed that! Using your creative mind and your artist eye, students painted their topographical maps in brighter more vibrant colors.

My sketchbook and a Virginia Watershed map found on the Virginia State web page, as a Texan from Houston I am

trying to understand what a mountain is all about! If you have never been to Houston it is all at sea level and flat as a pancake.

A finished piece. 

(in the works----we are going to try doing a value change on the mountain rings and adding plastic wrap for texture and a salt resist in the rivers)

Another idea for painting the circles is Value Change.

Select one color and keep adding white to it until you get to the top.

 Somehow I was able to talk hubby in to taking us back through Middleburg....I love that place!!!

Next we looked at the work of Miguel Chevalier 

His "Magic Carpet" work reminded us of the colorful topographic maps we created so we 

created our Map/Magic Carpet inspired art out of Foam Sheets. 

https://vimeo.com/91624877

You can bulk order this foam sheets form Dollar Tree. The link to order is HERE

They loved this part of the project!

An alternative to the foam paper which can get costly is bright neon paper.

Start from the bottom and build up your mountain.

Trace around your last piece before your glue it.

Then cut it out just slightly smaller than the tracing.

Another approach to this project is to add lifters between each color. We use cut cardboard strips.