Directed Draw of Self

My favorite, most gratifying art projects are the directed draws.  I love it when the kids listen, watch, and then draw.  It boosts their confidence so much, it makes me feel proud of them, and I cannot stop looking at their amazing artwork.  At times, I am not sure who is enjoying themselves more, me or them. LOL

We are getting ready for our Open House at the preschool and I wanted to get some really jaw dropping art on the bulletin boards.  So, we skipped Valentine making yesterday and I did a directed draw of themselves.  We did this in October, and sadly I sent those home so I cannot compare their progress.  I do know that these creations that were made yesterday, are so much more advanced than a couple of months ago.

When I do directed draw, it goes something like this...

We are drawing ourselves today.  When we draw our heads, they can be circles or ovals.  I am doing a circle today.  Watch and then repeat after me.  {I draw my head and then they draw their head}.
Know we will do our neck.  Next is our body that is like an oval.  Then legs, Then arms, and then hands and legs.  As we go along, we talk about the shapes, we look at our bodies. For the hands, feet and sun I gave them some options of how they wanted to draw them.  I am so impressed and I hope you are too!!

                                             Bulletin Board of the whole class

                                          A few really cute ones...

                                           This is my son's.  He gave himself Mater teeth. hahaha

                                                   This artwork I cannot stop looking at!!!

Shapes, Rulers, and More

Shapes, Rulers, and More!!

Step 1:  Talk to the kids about how to use a ruler.  Give them a black permanent marker and have them make shapes on their large white paper.
Step 2:  Paint each shape a different color.
Step 3:  Feel very proud of the amazing art that you just made. 

I thought of this project in the middle of the night.  I would say this is a "me original".  I did this with my Pre-K class- 4-5 year olds.  Some of the comments while doing this project were, "this is awesome", "i love this", "this is so cool", "can I make another one?", "can we do this again?".  Oh how that makes my heart flutter and my pride soar as the kids see what amazing artists they can be!!  This is a must do with Pre-K kids, it is such a confidence booster!  Also, apparently this project covers 5 kindergarten ready benchmarks!! :)

Milk Bubbles Paper

http://www.kinderart.com/painting/milkbubbles.shtml

I think everyone should try this!!
I used a rectangle baking pan so paper would fit.  I used letter sized white construction paper.  When you do the paper, lightly place it on top for about 8-10 seconds and QUICKLY flip it over onto a drying rack.  You may want to put a tray or drop cloth under drying rack, it will drip oil.  It takes days and days for this to dry.   I promise it does not smell like milk and it had no greasy oil residue coming off of it.  And it is totally worth it!

I used the milk bubble paper as part of my art journal project.  All of the kids made theirs with the paper too.  It is pretty awesome.  You can use the paper for so many things.  

Bella Butterfly

I cannot take credit for this rewarding art project...but I can take credit for passing it on! :)

We did this all in one day.  It was fun.  We used white crayon on the background.  We wrote our names and did swirly lines. 
 http://www.kinderart.com/painting/bellabutterflies.shtml

Sun, Rainbow, & Clouds Mobile

Last summer I worked summer camps at the preschool.  It was so much fun...and some weeks I was a little over ambitious with my projects, i.e. the Sun Rainbow Cloud mobile.  The only ambitious part was my stringing and threading 24 of them!!!

This project took about 4 days...

1.  Have adult prep the paper bowl sun.  Staple 2 bowls together.
2.  Kids glue on sun rays and paint both sides.
3.  Kids visited the beading table to bead their "raindrops".
4.  On pre-cut poster board rainbow shapes, the kids used small circular sponges to paint the stripes of the rainbow.
5.  On the other side of the rainbow, we sponged the kids hands, and did a handprint.
6.  On pre-cut poster board cloud shapes, the kids applied a mixture of shaving cream and glue to the clouds.  Then they sprinkled some silver glitter on them.
6.  Everything but the clouds and the "raindrops" gets Mod Podged.
7.  I used a needle and some thread to string all of them up.

The kids LOVE these.  They look cool.  They jazz up any kids room or playroom.  They look great hanging in the classroom.  Your kids made them all by themselves...mostly. :)  Give it a try.

Murals: The Best Time of My Life

Have your ever dreamed of an amazing picture in your head and wondered what it would look like on paper?  How about on the walls?  I had one of the best creative summer's of my life (2010).  Can you imagine endless blank walls....I had 2 rooms to do whatever I wanted to in.  When I saw each room I instantly knew, I am not kidding you, INSTANTLY KNEW exactly what how I wanted to turn these blank walls into something alive, colorful, inviting, and fun.  I drew them on paper.  Then I drew them on the walls.  The feelings that surged through me as my pencil moved across the life size easels are in describable.  I felt giddy...I had perma-grin...I think I had tears in my eyes.  I am not sure I will ever be able to fully describe how emotional that summer was and how this project healed me. 
The first set of pictures are from the first room that I did.  I had some wonderful helpers.  They followed my crazy ideas and helped me paint this room.  Kudos ladies, Lakyn Reed (my daughter), Diana Bradley, Susie Long-Clark, and Melissa Dubal.  And kudos to my son and daughter who sat for hours on end in this room while I painted and painted and painted.  Their patience and willing to live in mom's dream world is truly amazing.

they are knocking the wall down.

The next room is in the basement.  It was once a garage, and now it is a huge low ceiling room.  Hmmm...what to do... Here is the Park Room....

Anyone interested in me turning their blank wall into a daydream? :)

Art Journaling: Hand Tree

This art journal page is one of my favorites.  I cut phrases out of magazines.  I cut tissue paper leaves.  

The green paper I used for the top of the tree, we made with Milk Bubbles.  (a totally different art project:)!)  

(There is a post about the Milk Bubbles Project.)

I glued, drew, and mod podged.

Art Journaling: Doodle Page

1.  Draw a funny shaped oval with pencil.
2.  Use fine tipped permanent marker and trace that line.  Then leaving space, trace line and repeat many times.  Let your pen have fun and make new shapes.  Just keep tracing and following lines using different colors.
3. Inside oval, write your name and words that say what you love to do or what makes you happy.

                                                                My 5 year old's page.

                                                             My 7 year old's page.

                                                                        My page.

Art Journaling: Face Page

I taught a Summer Art Club once a week.  I decided to try Art Journaling for the first time.  This is one of the pages in their book.  Our first meeting, I took a close up photo of them, printed it, and had them cut out just their heads.  I told them they could turn themselves into whatever they wanted.  They used some really permanent markers that I found at Staples.  I know I certainly had fun with this one.

Smoosh Art

Smoosh art is so fun. 
You need: plexiglass, paint pots with spoons and a large paper.
1, Have the kids spoon globs of paint onto the paper.
2. Place plexiglass on top and smoosh down.  Really hold it down, move your hands around to get the paint to move. 

This is a project that the kids can do over and over and over again.

*Sometimes I draw an oval or square for the kids to drop their paint into.

City Buildings

We had so much in Pre-K building our cityscapes.  We used our art toe decorate for our Recycle Town.  I pre-cut rectangles, squares, and triangles.  You definitely want to sue bright and bold colors.  Purple or Dark Blue is good for background.  I also let them us some gold, silver, and bronze markers for decorations.  I love how this looks.

Recycle Town

Over the summer I had been thinking about new craft projects at school.  Homes and family are the main themes at school in September.   I was stuck on this building your home idea....and then I found a website that talked about building your own houses with recycled items  And, my project was formed in my brain.
 
1.  Have kids bring in boxes and recycle items like egg cartons, toilet/paper towel rolls, oatmeal conatiners, tissue and cereal boxes, and newspaper.
2. Cover the floor of your art area with newspaper or a drop cloth.
3. Pour glue into containers and set big paintbrushes next to it.  Also get out tape- whatever kinds you have on hand.

4. Have student pick one box and 3 recycle items from the big pile of goodies.  Let them create their own house.  Assist with glue and tape.
5.  Wrap house in newspaper.
6.  Go to the painting table where there are trays of primary colors.  Have them choose one color and paint.

7.  The next day, I gave them colorful foam shapes that they glued on.

Then set up a whole Recycle Town for the parents to come in and see.  The kids LOVED this project.  And the parents seemed to think it was cool.  I know my child, who is in the class, brought his house home and his cars used it for months.

So much fun!!