SPLAT! is BACK!!!

Several years ago I did an all school art show on the theme of BUGS! It was so much fun!! One of my favorite projects from the art show was a first grade lesson I called SPLAT!  I had the kids imagine a cartoon book just splatted on their windshield.  What would it look like?  How would it's body be?  I made them stand up and try to pose like the bug(hysterically funny!!).  Then I had the kids trace with Sharpie & paint with watercolor.  This time we made it a marker project.  

Repurposing Markers

So after my last post on MARKERS ( http://www.artwithmre.com/2017/09/markers.html ), and the amazing response/discussion on Facebook that came out of it......I thought I'd share about my repurposing of markers into liquid watercolor (I thought I'd done this recently..but I couldn't find it...only a post from 2011 when I first tried it - http://www.artwithmre.com/2011/05/as-seen-on-blogspot.html ).

So a couple years ago I started repurposing markers WITH my students.  I brought in empty water bottles(washed & dried)...and filled them about half full with tap water.  The students and I took our box of dying/dead markers...and started coming up with color combinations we wanted to try. We made predictions of what colors we thought they'd make.  It was science, writing, and art all rolled into one fun experiment!!

You can easily drop 6 markers into a standard water bottle...possibly more depending on the thickness.  We noticed our colors were pretty light the following week.  So I told the students we'd allow evaporation to happen...and that should make a more concentrated color.  We left them for over a month before we tested them again.  The color was deeper/richer when we retested them.  Then I just decided to leave them...and see what would happen.  

A few grew mold.....but most became great liquid watercolor to use in our classroom!  The best part...they were already in a bottle!! Easy to pour..easy to store!!!  

MARKERS

Markers are probably my least favorite art supply.  Markers dry out, kids color with them anyways, they smudge and smear....I just don't care for them!  BUT KIDS LOVE THEM!!!!!!!  

So I keep them around to appease the masses. I have blue lid boxes for markers.  Each table get a box filled to the point of exploding!  We have to go over with EVER class about markers making a click sound to insure they are closed....not to color marker over marker...and...if it seems to be dry...LET MR. E KNOW!!!

 I separate my markers out based on color...so it is easier to replace bad markers & see what you have left in your reserves!  Simple clear plastic shoe boxes do the trick!! Most of the boxes have two colors in them....except one! 

Do you have this problem...WAY TOO MANY PURPLES?!?!  Where do they all come from? Why do I have so many?? Do kids not like using purple...so they don't get used up?  Do purple markers last longer than other colors?? WHAT'S THE DEAL?!?!?! 

What is your least favorite supply??

Chirpin': 1st Grade

         

As you may have read...I'M SO READY FOR SPRING!  Nashville is warming up...so my projects are taking on a much springier feel!!!! ha ha  I LOVE THESE 1st GRADE BIRDS!!!  I told the students we were going to create fun, colorful, springy birds.......and man did they deliver!! After drawing their picture with pencils...I had the students trace their pictures with black crayon to form a bit of a resist. We used markers to outline/color their picture next.  Lastly, I sprayed their work with water.  I love the look...and the kids were so excited when the colors started moving.  The resist does create a small wall between colors so they don't get totally mixed up.  

CHIRP ON FRIENDS...CHIRP ON!!!

Circle Weavings: 3rd Grade

Hey gang!!  I know I post circle weavings every year...but I never get tired of them! Plus...this year I feel they "LOOK" very different.  We studied African art second nine weeks...patterns/colors/meaning/traditions.  Their weavings were influenced by that study.  

FOR CIRCLE WEAVING INSTRUCTIONS & OTHER EXAMPLES

CLICK THIS LINK!!!

http://www.artwithmre.com/2012/12/circle-weaving-step-by-step-guide-tips.html

Each class had a mandatory color of their choosing (from a list of traditional African colors) & black. They were then allowed to select 3 other colors.  I was not concerned with a set pattern to their yarn colors...just that they would use the same colors over and over.  The background was later colored using the colors(or as close as they could find) that they used in yarn  I feel this year the background were so much more dynamic! 

Op Art: 4th Grade

Ms. Sanford, my SUPER student teacher, did an amazing job on this Op Art project! It is a great project for introducing point perspective, shading, reflection...and other art concepts.  If you haven't done this with your student yet...GO FOR IT!  

Picasso Me: Kindergarten

My kindergarten classes are great this year!  I decided I'd do some Picasso inspired self portraits with them this week.  We discussed Dora-Maar, and how she did not look "normal".  We talked about the different perspectives showed in the work..and the unusual color choices.  I was amazed by how many found the humor in making themselves "not normal".  In the past, my kindergarten students had a hard time grasping anything other than realism. This group is all in...and I'm excited to introduce them to some other abstracted works!!!  

Incised Plate Prints:1st Grade

My first graders created buggy incised plate prints this week.  They are turning out pretty good.  I spray the paper with water first though...to help the transfer.  They are just using markers...didn't want to get into ink with this group of 1st graders!! ha ha  

Doodle Bugs: 3rd Grade

More work for the Going Buggy for Art All School Art Show!  I'm so excited to put this thing together!! It is going to be such a fun & colorful show!!  My third graders did a great job on their Doodle Bugs!!