Second Grade Leaf Plates

In Second Grade we started our ceramics unit by tying in their number corner's look at pinnate vs. palmate leaf types. The resource I used from the American Museum of Natural History's website is here. We left our campus and explored the amazing Capital Crescent Trail as a class. We collected various pinnate and palmate... Continue Reading →

Grade 4 Makes An Impression

I tried drawing from observation and impressionist style paint application with my 4th graders and they did a fantastic job! The results are phenomenal and I hope you enjoy some photos of their process and final pieces.

Becoming Kieth Haring

My Second graders started out the year learning about the term "Public Art". They looked at Kieth Haring and other artists and learned the term "Mural Art" as well. Once we had a good handle on this type of art we started on a journey to create a design with a variety of lines just... Continue Reading →

Art Club is a Wild Ride

To start the year off, my after-school art club made paper roller coasters. Part of my new job includes running two after-school art clubs. One for grades two and three, and another for grades four and five. It is an awesome opportunity to try out projects with the kids, and see what works and what... Continue Reading →

New, New Digs!

I have recently accepted a job at the Washington Episcopal School, just outside of DC in Bethesda Maryland as their elementary art teacher. I am following my children into what I hope will be their school until 8th grade! I am going to be teaching 2nd-5th grade art classes, and I couldn't be happier! The... Continue Reading →

Book Nook Update!

The Deco Arts Camp book nook has been a huge hit so far! We love to see campers reading! Its been a great spot for early finishers or campers who need a break from a challenging painting project. It's good to see the room working as a second teacher.

Silk Screen Sensation!

This summer a new feature we added to the Deco Arts Camp was the opportunity to silk-screen T-shirts and aprons. Historically we've always silk-screened, but creating a useful keepsake is new! We do not use chemicals to "burn" the screens. Instead, we cut out stencils and use those stencils under our screen to create our... Continue Reading →

Fabulous Figure Drawing!

In my sophomore Studio I class we have been practicing different approaches to the figure. For the most part, we used vine charcoal and a little bit of black chalk pastel for extra oomph! We started this unit with sweeping gesture drawings, focusing on capturing the overall movement of the figure. Then we looked at... Continue Reading →

Small Boxes of Personality

Inspired by the weird box of boxes I hoarded over the years and saved from the giant purge of our old art classroom, I started the year with this quick warm-up project. Students were asked to create small works of art inside (and outside) of these small boxes. The whole process was completely up to... Continue Reading →

Still Slaying the Still Life!

Once again we created single object still life paintings. I swear they get more and more dynamic every year! This project comes as the final piece in our study of color theory. We do this through studying the color wheel, color terms, and finally color relationships. Right before this project each student had the opportunity to design... Continue Reading →

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