Fun With Collages

 I'm not a big fan of collages. But I am totally into recycling. And besides there might even be a question on the End of Course exam about collages........

So I decided it would be fun and there are ways that I could incorporate it into future art lessons.

 

It could be the start of teaching about storyboards for interior or fashion design. Scrap booking is still big and that's fun of lots for people. I also think it's good for teaching composition. My recycle bin at home was packed with some catalogs that would work really well and I had a stack of cardboard from one of my PTO moms.

The first week I read the book Trash! Trash! Trash! (Sorry, couldn't find it on Amazon. Any book on recycling would work.) I cut the catalogs in half down the middle and removed the staples. Then I spread them across the tables for the students to go through them. Students could chose 10-12 pictures from the catalogs pages to put in their art folders for the following week.I suggested they come up with a theme for their collages.

 

 The second week students covered their cardboard with construction paper and placed their pictures down. The third week they added assorted stickers, foam pieces, buttons, puzzle pieces and other interesting doodads. In hindsight it didn't need to be 3 weeks. 1 or  2 could work depending upon your supplies.

Students were able to add words to their collages with these labels. I received boxes of unused labels from a student's grandfather. They could use either side, however I showed them how to write backwards to create raised letters.

  

 

 I did these collages with my kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders.

Soooooo had a bunch of these inserts from laptop boxes taking up space and decided to use them to make assemblages with older students. Did this with the 4th graders as they had seen an assemblage during their museum trip. Then as the last few days of school were upon us-I used them with 3th and 5th until they were GONE!

 

Also had a bunch of assorted doodads for students to use. I put out scissors, glue sticks and white liquid glue. It was a one day "make it and take it" as I don't have the room store them.

 My sample:

 Student work:

 

 

Collages are a great end of year activity. I am going to do a better job saving scrap paper in anticipation of doing it again at the end of next year.

Friday was my last day with students and the next 2 days I will be cleaning up my art room.

There were quite  a few fun activities I did last week that I will share over the summer. Also if you are a Florida art teacher and are willing to travel to Sarasota or Palm Beach there are some interesting workshops being given by the FAEA. Click here for more info. You don't need to be a member to participate, however it will cost less if you are a member.

Thanks for Reading and Enjoy your summer!

Inspiration: Steven Kenny

 I am with the artist Steven Kenny (click on his name to be taken to his website) at the opening of his exhibit at The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. 

(The hat I have on is 'cause the opening included a costume contest.)

The inspiration pieces by Steven Kenny, that I shared with my students as we began our paintings.

 

                                            The Arrival                               After the Flood

For several years now I have been taking my 4th graders to The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. As part of this field trip, they get to see their work displayed. Which is very exciting! Click HERE to see how it all started! Just in case you would like to display your student's work in a museum.

As I prepare for this event, I check out what will be on exhibit at the museum to inspire my students so that their project will relate to what they will be seeing.

The first time I saw the painting The Arrival by Steven Kenny something just clicked! Maybe because I'm from the north and I now live in Florida. But I absolutely love that painting. And with a little research I found his painting After the Flood, which again makes me think of Florida. I was really excited to see that Steven Kenny's work would be on display when I took my students to the museum.j

 

                                                   (student work)

After showing my students the inspiration paintings, I modeled how to use the paint to create an outdoor scene. I demonstrated a beach background, however I told my students it just needed to be outside. At the time it was winter in Florida and an art teacher friend of mine up north wanted me to do an exchange with her and her students. They would do a winter scene up north and I would do one in the south. Basically to show how different our winters are. The Arrival was the perfect way to start the conversation.

 

I wanted my students to paint their backgrounds without any interference and not to worry about what they would place in their paintings.

 

The following week we practiced drawing figures with manikins and students drew what they wanted in their paintings on a separate piece of paper. They colored with markers and colored pencils. Then they cut out their figures and anything else they wanted to add and glued it to their paper. I showed them how to blend in what they had glued down as some couldn't quite cut out small areas.

Check out how wonderful they came out!

 

The Student Expressions Wall

Students checking out their art work

Soooo in the event you have clicked on the artists name and noticed how some of his art may not be appropriate for elementary students.......... I did include that information on the permission slips and did keep the children away from some of the more graphic paintings........ sigh.

We all had a wonderful time at the museum and now I'm gonna start planning for next years trip!

Thanks for Reading!