The Elementary Art Studio: Happy New School Year!

This is my 10th Happy New School Year (8th at Vickery)!!!

Six weeks have gone by, and I now that everything is in full swing, I am happy to able to get back to the Elementary Art Studio Blog! #iloveVickery

I am very excited to have 50 minutes with each class this year, where I previously had 45. I took the opportunity to create a class structure chart, though as I stress to my students, it is only our goal, and not concrete.

So far I have loved having the chart as a visual cue for the students, and myself. I don't remember to move the magnet all the time, but now the kids have started to notice and remind me. In the past few weeks, the upper grades have focused on drawing, and their warm-ups consisted of shading activities, using a Double Bubble Thinking Map to compare and contrast two artworks, and thinking critically about what is important to them as an artist. Most days I hope to skip silent studio because some young artists have waited all week to share their art making ideas with their friends, and need to collaborate. At other times, however, the artists will need time to reflect and prepare on their own. Depending on the class activities, critique may be woven into class discussion during studio time, or saved for the end.

I have created another new area this year devoted to making sure we cover as many artists, words, and questions as possible. Even though each grade level may have a different focus artwork, the art of the week is there for everyone.

I told my students at the beginning of the year that I would expect them to go above and beyond with their artwork this year, and have reinforced my high expectations by sharing with the artists what Walt Disney told his Imagineers as they were completing their work, to "Plus it". The kids have responded positively to this phrasing, and perhaps it is also the fact that it comes from Walt Disney, and not just me. I don't have a strict rule about what it means to "Plus it"; it could be anything from adding more color and pattern, to adding a piece of collage, or simply looking at the finished artwork and reflecting on it for a few minutes.

When the artists are finished, they title their work and write an artist statement, which is done on a paper they have stapled into their folder. Artist statements will vary based on project, and I will give the artists a range of prompts or questions that will be added to or modified throughout the year. For their first artist statement, the artists had to answer the question, "What do you like most about your artwork, and why?".

Kindergarten Still Life
Last week I added blocks and still-life objects to the drawing media center for Kindergarten. I did ask that if they chose to use the blocks, that they draw a picture of what they had built with them. I was a little at surprised how many students chose still-life objects and other drawing center activities over blocks. My still-life objects, which were very popular, are little toys I have collected over the years, many from fast food restaurants, and I explain to the students that artists sometimes do play, but the studio is where we work, and we use the toys to practice our observational drawing skills. The following are some "first" still-life drawings.