kindergarten architecture printmaking

I love introducing printmaking to the kindergarten artists. The printmaking process is such a magical one and the kinders get completely absorbed in experimenting, collaborating, and creating. I see kindergarten for 30 minutes each week. That is not a lot of time to introduce the lesson, admire a wiggly tooth, demonstrate the technique, have the class create, reflect, and clean up! But during this project, I really do enjoy standing back and watching moments of creativity and collaboration go off like a fireworks show.



We focus on famous local Saint Louis architecture for this project but Maggie had different ideas. She really wanted to do Big Ben:) She tried really hard all by herself to make the numbers backwards on her printing plate (because I had warned them that their names would appear backward if they wrote them on the top of the plate)- so clever! I've since added some famous world architecture references for our young globe trotters.



I show them how to print one time on the middle of the paper. It usually takes them one print before someone realizes they can put multiples on a page. And that student shares this idea with another student and so on. If I had told them to do this they would have missed the joy of discovery. These moments are like fireworks that start off with a squeal of delight and then spread around the room as discoveries are shared.



I love how this one fills up the entire paper.



And this one is the Chain of Rocks Bridge. It looks like the bridge and its reflection in the water.



Another discovery I wait for is for someone to ask if they can use more than one color. I watch even more fireworks of collaboration and experimentation go off!



A natural printmaker at heart! This artist really collaborated to collect some of his favorite prints from his friends all on one paper.



Great night and day scene.



This takes two art times to complete. The first art time is spent drawing on the printing plate and the second time is devoted to printing. Fireworks show included!



Even their leftover printing plates look great!

hope is the thing with feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all...
-Emily Dickinson

The second grade artists thought of this poem and the bird metaphor as they created a clay bird on which to place their own hopes! Above is a bird shaped collection of their hopes. I also did this project with my fifth grade advisory at the beginning of the year as a place to put their academic and personal hopes for the year. Something about stamping each letter of their hope into the clay really helps to strengthen the concept for them.



I was inspired to do this project after seeing Kristin Love's beautiful Poetry Birds. The second graders really responded to her use of texture and fluid shape.


I love the way Andrew creatively stamped in his name and his hope for more art in the world!








Hope for strong friendships.


Hope for quiet- from his sister:)


His original hope was to discover that dinosaurs really do still exist. After considering the space constraints, he shortened it to find.




I am always asking them to be brave artists so I was pleased to see some hopes to be brave!




Aashna was proud to share with us that her name means hope.

sew loved art show opening

Thank you to everyone who visited the Sew Loved opening night! The gallery was packed with artists and their families talking about all of the great soft sculpture art while noshing on grapes and cheese cubes.


The photo above was taken at the very end of opening night. This young artist wanted to stay until the very last so he didn't miss the chance to share his art work with any last minute gallery goers.





Stop by to see the colorful work of Sandy's 6th grade math group also displayed in the gallery. They created ratios comparing the different colors used in the exhibit!



We had 60 pieces in the show submitted by students, teachers, parents, and grandparents! Here are a few to share with more on the way. I am so impressed with the inventiveness of our creative artists!

sixth grade color investigation paintings

I love these free form color investigations! I first saw this project here created by Olivia Gude (love all of her work).

The directions are simple (download the complete project details here):
1. Choose a shape and make it your mark in your painting.
2. Choose a hue. Make many variations of your color without it becoming a different color. Push green until someone calls it blue!
3. Vary the color in hue, value, and chroma.
4. Now choose another hue and use variations as an accent.

The sixth graders did a beautiful job with their color investigations. I certainly enjoyed hearing the excitement and joy of new discoveries being shared along the way. Not wanting to waste any of their color combinations at the end of class, some of them even made abstract monoprints from their color mixing palettes!