A Late Look At Our Barnes N' Noble Art Show

I have reached a point where my phone can literally not hold another picture, so I have begun to transfer them to my computer. This led me to discover that I never uploaded pictures from our wonderful art show at Barnes N' Nobel this year! Yikes!

So here they are. . . finally.

Second Grade Daruma Dolls

Daruma is a traditional handmade Japanese wishing doll (or charmingly referred to as a "GOAL DOLL" that keeps us focused on achieving our goals!

It is a centuries-old tradition from Japan that is positive, motivational, and fun.

Second Graders made these goal dolls by wrapping paper mache around a plastic egg. After the egg had dried students chose a color to paint their daruma dolls. 

The five colors of daruma dolls represent different TYPES of GOALS.

A RED Daruma doll is for LUCK and GOOD FORTUNE. 
A PURPLE Daruma doll is for HEALTH and LONGEVITY. 
A YELLOW Daruma doll is for SECURITY and PROTECTION. 
A GOLD Daruma doll is for WEALTH and PROSPERITY. 
A WHITE Daruma doll is for LOVE and HARMONY.  

Once students chose a color for their daruma, they wrote down a goal to go along with it. As students created a goal one eye was filled in on the daruma doll and the other left blank, as a sign of commitment to completing ones goal. Once a student completes his/her goal, they can fill in the other eye.

Third Grade Bonsai Trees

Third grade has been working on bonsai trees and pots throughout the first semester. The project began with making coil pots and glazing them. Once that part was completed students created 3D wire and pipe cleaner tree sculptures. To top it off students added leaves made from tissue paper.

It's Been Awhile

This first year has just flown by! We are in countdown mode now, but the last couple months have been packed full of activities and the school ART SHOW!!! It was quite the undertaking, with over 1,200 pieces of artwork covering all the halls.

So now over the last two weeks of school I will bombard you with all the projects we have been creating for the last couple of months!

To start here are some Kindergarten paper lions!

Canopic Jars

So these beauties were started wayyyyyy back in December before holiday break, they were finished up upon our return in January and I'm finally getting around to posting them. So this was quiet the project.

This project went along with our Ancient Egyptian unit. The fourth graders looked at canopic jars and discussed the uses and the reason behind the animal heads on each jar. Then students brainstormed ideas for their very own canpoic jar. The next several classes were spent building up the form around a yogurt cup with newspaper, masking tape and paper mache paste. This part really stretches some students thinking, having to transfer a 2D drawing to a 3D sculpture.

After weeks of building their creations it was finally time to paint. My students simply used tempera paint which they then covered with a paint on clear acrylic sealer to prevent the paint from chipping off.

 Since wrapping up Ancient Egypt we have zoomed forward thousands of years to look at astronauts and outer space with our next art with science unit.

Barnes N Nobel Art Show

So the last couple of weeks have flown by! The elementary schools in my district just finished up our big art show/fundraiser and it has been crazy. All the elementary art teachers participate in displaying student artwork at the local Barnes N Nobel. It is a great way to connect with the school community and raise some money for the art program. Each teacher displays around 100 pieces and on award day students come with their families to be recognized for their awesome artwork and then parents get to do a little holiday shopping. Barnes N Nobel then donates a percentage of the sales from that day to the art program!

It was a fantastic day and thanks to the tremendous support of the school community our little art show raised over $10,000  in sales at Barnes N Nobel!