Britto: My Favorite Contemporary Artist

Two years ago this month, I went on a cruise and fell in love with Romere Britto's art. I absolutely love the bright colors, uncomplicated patterns and the overall happiness I feel when feasting my eyes upon it.  And since I teach elementary age kiddos, this artist would be perfect for teaching sooooo much of what I need to teach them. 

I started with a few images I pulled off the internet, showing students what Britto looks like.

 

And then showing them this wonderful example of his use of lines, shape, colors and patterns.

Which we had a big discussion about.

I showed a few more images and had students talking about why his art is soooo happy!

   Then I modeled on this practice sheet for them, what my expectations were. The top part was to help inspire their patterns and the bottom part was for them to FILL with the patterns they made.

Download here. They always have the option to make their own motif to create a pattern.

I did this during the last few days of school with my kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders.

 

 

They had a choice of using markers or colored pencils.

 

   

 

 It's sweet that one student decided to be patriotic about it!

Now for my Higher Order Thinking on this, I encouraged students that were done early to apply what they learned and create their own design. By any chance did you all remember I mentioned this was during the LAST FEW DAYS of school? Not a whole lot of applying going on. HOWEVER, and this is a big one-THEY WERE ALL ENGAGED AND FOCUSED!!  

Okay, maybe they were all talking and fighting over the markers, it doesn't matter now!!!

Happy Summer everyone and Thanks for Reading!!!

Trying to figure out gadgets and widgets on my blog........... I added a Share This which will share to Face book and Twitter, so please share if you see it!

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Blending Analogous Colors

 For years I have motivated my primary students with picture books relevant to the art project that I planned to teach them. But, since last summer, when I had the opportunity to take not ONE, but, TWO teacher institutes, in DC, I have started to incorporate art posters to motivate my students in ALL grade levels!

I learned magnificent ways to incorporate art posters into my teaching. You can find one of those activities here.

Getting incredible feedback from students when using the art posters, has motivated me to pull out, and plan lessons around them.

And that is what I did last week in my art room.  My inspiration was Helen Frankenthaler's painting titled Blue Atmosphere.  Students were encouraged to look at the reproduction poster and tell me what they thought about it. And why. Most of them liked the colors, how they blended and how they could find different shapes in it. Some didn't like the color red or that it was abstract. I was glad they were able to share that with me. I did a really short power point to show my students more of Frankenthaler's work along with photos of her working in her studio.

  

 I modeled for the students how I used (water soluble) markers to make shapes-both geometric or organic and how I used a paint brush with water to spread out or dilute the colors and we watched how they blended together.

Then I explained to them how I had set up the tables with analogous colors which are colors next to each other on the color wheel. And that I did this so their work would not turn brown, by accidentally using complementary colors. At the red table they would find red, yellow and orange markers. Yellow table had yellow, blue and green markers. And red, blue and purple were on the blue table.  They were expected to do 3 different pictures, one at each table on watercolor paper.

 

 When students were finished I had them display all three pieces together and hold a discussion with their table mates. They were to pick out the best one and explain why, tell which order they were done in and decide if we could tell that they were all by the same artist. Was there something that tied them together?

 

 

This simple project was really enjoyed by my students. I loved listening to them discuss all the colors they made when blending them and how excited they got. The funny thing is I don't even know what made me think of using markers to do this.  Except, of course, all the paint had been packed up. The gel sticks from Faber-Castell would have worked for this project........yes..... that's been packed up!

Three more student contact days and two more afterwards to finish packing... taking a deep breath!

Thanks for reading!!!

Packing To Return

 After what felt like forever, but, in fact was only 2 years I am packing to return to my school.  I have mentioned in passing that my school has been undergoing renovations. Turns out art has been moved to a new location on campus along with music. We will BE housed in a Fine Arts building! I will be getting a NEW kiln, tables, chairs, storage shelves, desk, AND updated technology. AND admin is getting everything I put on my wish list! Wish list included new artist posters, art career posters, clay boards, drawing manikins and stuff I don't remember! Hahaha, it will be like Christmas morning when I unpack!
 
In the mean time I'm packing my little heart out! I started a few months ago, so as not to be overwhelmed. But....... I forgot final grades were due today and ended up staying late. Sigh.....

 

 

So far I have packed what apparently amounts to 3 pallet loads according to my new plant manager.
I don't believe that I have much more to do-but I'm pretty sure I'm underestimating it! 

Anyway I read a really great article from the Art of Ed: 8 Helpful tips for packing up your entire art room.  Worth the read if you are packing for a move. I have already implemented #7 and have a box set up for the first week of school! Gonna do self portraits! First week AND again at the end of the school year. Read of several art teachers who do that and think it's an awesome idea.

Had my first give a way-AND the winner is Angel Holmes! 
Thank you for all the wonderful comments!

Want to show off this years masks. Directions here.

 

 One of which inspired one of my little kindergarten students to copy.

 

I have also started a face book page Primarily Art with Mrs. Depp I am hoping to write about little inspirational artsy things. Also, hopefully it will be a way to communicate with students and their families.

Thanks for reading!
 


 

Free Art Challenge

 

 My students LOVE FREE ART! It gives them the opportunity to create something from nothing. While some of the students told me they do this stuff all the time at home, I suspect most of them don't. So I am very happy to give them the time to do this.

I gotta GET RID OF THIS STUFF! I REFUSE to pack it to bring to my home school (renovation will be complete for the new school year.)

Therefore the art teacher said, "There shall be free art!"

 

 

 

    

 I was hoping to be really organized about it, like the design challenge with Tim Gunn in NOLA. But I have too much to get rid of and too many students that really want to do their own thing. Sooo with that in mind I have categorized the finished projects. Above are some of the vehicles.

Here are the light sabers-

   

The castles-

 

 The robots,

   

A bounce house -

 Clothing- an apron, shirt -

 

 and a bag-

 

Let's not forget a mask  and a helmet!

 

 I got really excited about these little fairy houses, mainly because of the  fairy door project from earlier in the school year. I was also thrilled to be using all those bottle tops from the bobble head project.

 

 

 Check out the beach front property above on the right!

 

Had a wonderful time talking with my students about their projects. I also suggested to classroom teachers that the children write about what they made. Which apparently they have done before with their art projects. YEAH!!!

Would love to hear what you do with recycles! Thanks for reading!!
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