nearly there!

Frantically trying to complete art pieces before the hols so we can start afresh in the new year.
These are some of the finished, grouted mosaics created by our y4's.

mugs

In ceramics club we have been making mugs/beakers. We used rolled slabs formed around tubes. After bisque firing, yesterday we glazed them and today they are being fired for a final time. Fingers crossed that they don't split (or leak when used!).

mosaics

Today y4 began making their mosaics. They are using a mix of tiles - small ones that can be shaped with scissors and larger, glazed ones that can't! 

Next week we'll grout them.

printing(2)

Yesterday the y5/6s continued to explore the possibilities of print. We began to investigate overprinting as way of enhancing our designs.

collaborative painting

Finally managed to do some 'real' art this week with the children. In y5 today they had a go at creating some paintings as a whole group. They each had one colour and were instructed to paint half of the paper. 

The 'painting' was then passed to another person who, using their colour, painted half of the remaining space. And so on and so on until the whole sheet was blocked in.

They then started to add stripes, again passing the paintings around. We had taped the sheets to thin boards to both keep the paper flat and aid easy movement.

Next, they added spots (using cotton buds to apply the paint.

To further enhance the pieces, the children used felt pens to draw lines, stars etc.

The resulting pieces were a riot of colour and pattern. 32 children = 32 abstract artworks.

 We're thinking of using them to create lengths of bunting.

more cards

Made some new cards - collaged patterned papers for the dresses and drew the rest.

Packaged with envelopes- am still thinking £2 each or 3 for a fiver.

going round in circles

Tenuously, as part of their Ancient greek studies and with a nod to Pythagoras and Euclid, y3 created some designs and patterns using the 'old' compass-drawn method. 

 

 

 

They actually enjoyed the preciseness of the task and 'magical' way in which the patterns emerged. None of them had ever used pairs of compasses before!

Meanwhile y1 have been making bugs from lollipop sticks and card;

STOP PRESS

Have just listed 'Manchester Derby' on ebay (see previous blog entry). Please feel free to check it out.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190906051650

Today in the parallel class we sketched elephants. I first got them to draw their version of a pachyderm in the top left -hand corner. I then showed them several different ways to depict an elephant - using a letter 'e', beginning with a circle and adding a letter 'g' and finally, starting from a square, then adding a 'g'. Hopefully from the pic below you can make out the different methods and see that they were certainly able to draw more recognisable images than at the start.

We then went on to using a 4x4 grid to create a very simple 'elephant' pattern that we are going to use to create embroidered, applique pieces.

woodblock printing

In y3 today, as part of their studies about India, we used our woodblocks to print onto fabric. We designed and made the woodblocks last week from balsa wood - a thick piece with cut balsa sheet glued on.

 

 

The children were encouraged to line up their blocks carefully to ensure a regular repeat pattern.

An overview of some of the printed pieces of fabric.

The intention is to display them by draping them around a simple silhouette, so as to resemble an Indian woman wearing a sari.

fridge magnets

In Enterprise club this week we made fridge magnets. We covered MDF 'wheels' and wooden shapes with patterned papers. Self-adhesive magnetic strip completed the assembly. I like the way one girl chose to begin creating a range of patterned animals. 

free painting

Had some 'spare' time after finishing our Warholesque self-portraits so we did some 'free' painting. I love the way the children painted beyond their lines and weren't at all bothered about colours flowing and mixing.