Sneak peek of cardinals on branches

These are turning out great, I can't wait to share the finished projects!

Wintry sneak peek!

A little sneak peek of what we're working on in 5th grade!  A review from October in value and blending makes this project really turn out well.  I can't wait to show you the finished pieces! 

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So I JUST realized that all the posts I'd written from November and December didn't publish from the blogger app!  My apologies for the delay!  It appeared as though they had posted from the app but I obviously should have double checked!  Here's Christmas only about a month late! Yikes! 

1st grade Santa paintings

A new one this year is first grade's Santa faces.  Another great quick project when I'm running out of days in December.  Things pop up here and there and I miss seeing a class in the rotation, so this one is a great in that they were able to complete it in just one art class. 

The sticky note flags helped to remind them where NOT to paint.  They get a little carried away sometimes! :)

Third grade baubles!

This is one of my favorite projects found on Pinterest that I repeat each year in third grade!  It's perfect for teaching shape, texture blending and analogous colors, as well as value and highlighting.  

We start by tracing circles onto white paper, adding a highlight, and painting.  We discussed blending and the color wheel, taking care not to get paint into the highlight. I usually use watercolors, but this year I tried tempera.  I think I like this version, but I just love the fluid texture that watercolor usually gives them!

Next we cut out our circles and glue them onto black paper so that the highlights are all turned the same direction. 

Adding the branches with color sticks and if they had time, they could add lights. 

Rudolph in Kindergarten!

My little Kindergarten "deers" :) finished up these adorable Rudolph paintings this week!  I did a modified version at one of my schools because we were short on time.  I love how these turned out! Another quick and easy project to teach line, shape, and foreground, mid ground, and background! (Unless you're short on time!! Then it's a close-up! :)

2nd grade Christmas trees

These super quick Christmas trees turned out to be just the right project for my 2nd graders this year.  They were able to finish them quickly and still learn a thing or two about line, shape, and of course the color wheel!

Santa Clause suits!

I've seen this design floating around on Pinterest for several years, and this year I needed a super quick project for my 5th graders.  This one was perfect and we finished it completely in one day!  I love these!  We did a short value study with paint and practiced blending to show texture. 

Whew.... Who knew snowflakes could be so hard?!

After a particularly disastrous snowflake-cutting lesson this week, I think I have learned my lesson as well!  I was tasked with decorating the Christmas tree in our school auditorium for the holiday program, so I was determined to use some student work this year.  Usually there is not enough time for us to create anything in art for the tree.  We are usually still finishing up fall projects until the beginning of December, and by then, it's too late.  So... In a last minute decision, I attempted snowflakes with 4th grade.  Thinking how much fun it would be and how "everyone needs to know how to cut a snowflake correctly, right?!" Riiiight. Maybe not.  

  It's all in the folding I told them... It was downhill from there!  Bless their hearts they tried so hard!  We did end up with a good good, no, GREAT ones though!! 

Lesson #1,436....Paper snowflakes... Harder than I thought. :)