Pop Art!

Romero Britto Pop Art

My 5th graders recently created pop art in the style of Romero Britto. They were asked to choose a symbol representing pop culture today and illustrate it in his style. Romero Britto is from Brazil and currently resides in Miami, Florida. I introduced the kids to him through watching videos of him working in his studio along with various clips of his work he has created around the world. I though it would be neat to kick off the school year with a mural created by my 5th grade art students since the Olympic games were held in Brazil this past summer. I joined 2 pieces of bulletin board paper and sketched out a design that incorporated our school's motto, "we are crew" and our school mascot, the Rock Rest rocket. It took us approximately 3 class periods to complete with 40 minute blocks. The only thing I'd recommend is thicker painter's tape so the walls stay clean. (oops) Overall, I loved having bright colors in the hall leading to the cafeteria and hearing the "ooohhs and ahhhs" of the students passing by.

 

Now we are finishing up our individual pieces and  getting the ready to send to Romero himself via email. Romero stated that he wants his work to make people happy and celebrate life. I think my students have accomplished that with their work already!
We used faber castel markers and they were terrific!  Thanks DeepSpaceSparkle for the tip!
I had the students draw their main shape in the middle and then abstract it with a curved line running across their paper to make shapes. Then, they used repetition and pattern to complete their pieces. Wowzers!! Hope you are inspired to create as much as I was!

Spring Break Re-cap

Spring NCSU game

This year, spring break was the best! We did a stay-cation and found lots to do in our hometown of Charlotte,NC. I planned a special outing and lunch out with the girls for each day of the week. My favorite time was just painting my butt off this past weekend with the pouring rain outside for a whole afternoon! WOW! Got to do that more often! I was soooo happy painting and in the zone for hours!!!

Enjoyed beautiful azaleas at WRAL gardens, Raleigh. A family tradition

Visited the Jim Hunt library where a robot get your book! Very bright colors, looked like Google head quarters.

Bike Ride at Reedy Creek Park, Charlotte with a picnic lunch

Visited Why not an American ark, petting zoo in Monroe, NC. A favorite for the week!!
They had every animal imaginable!

Painting wooden Easter eggs, crosses and bird houses. (love Micheal's arts and crafts for this)
The girls painted for hours!

Happy Spring everyone!!
Keep calm, just paint!

Dana

Spring is here!!! Monet's Waterlilies and Matisse Cut Outs

Yea!!!
Finally, spring is here after a long winter and very chilly temps here in the Carolinas. I painted a backdrop for my 1st graders who are learning about the artist Claude Monet. They used cool colors for the water and drew water lilies with pastels. As a final touch, they added a pond animal such as a frog, alligator or dragonfly. These were so fun to make! At the same time, my kindergarteners were practicing their "cut and turn" skills as I call them with scissors and made curvy cut outs like the artist Henri Matisse. The bold colors on the flowers really pop in the hallway! Love it!
What are some successful lessons you have done with these 2 artists. Message me and let me know. Comments welcome!!
Keep calm, just paint


Dana

Doodle for Google

Hello everyone!
We've been busy in the art room getting ready for spring. Blossoms to come soon featuring some inspiration from famous artists!
About a month ago, I introduced my students to the "Doodle for Google" contest. The theme was "If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place..." We watched videos from the doodlers (artists at Google) and even participated in a live video chat! The students were challenged with this theme and had to think of solutions to the world's problems today. The best part about this contest has really brought the world to my students living in their tiny community here in rural NC.  I get so excited watching their faces light up in amazement as they see how art can be a career choice for them one day. Even at Google!
Here are some of my favorite entries that I will send off soon. From there, 50 finalists for the grand prize will be chosen. I've got everything crossed for my talented students! So proud!
Say a little prayer for my students and wish us luck!

-Dana
Keep calm, just paint!