Head in Search of a New Body

My simple master for the kids to follow.

Free Form Designs on Trays

Old jewelry and wooden objects make a lovely design work for even the youngest children who need a bit more containment when doing a free form activity. 

Reflections in a Mirror

Mirrors, foam and wooden blocks and a tiled ceiling make for cool reflections!

Mother's Day Bonanza

Each Mother's Day our students give a clay project as a surprise from our clay program. This year we added a Mother's Day Art Portfolio with art projects from the last few months and examples of writing or other paper work the student has done. The combination makes for an awesome presentation for Mom to open!

A pinched coil is simply wrapped into a spiral.

Press mold leaves 

In the kiln

Flower hands are stapled to the front of a file folder that holds all their papers.

Lucky Mom to view this variety of awesomeness done by their child and to get a keepsake clay rose to have forever!

Copying Drawing Masters

I have three teaching degrees, one being a BFA in Art Education. As a child I loved nothing more than doing coloring books with crayons. It did not stifle my creativity, but instead make me think about color, line and design. I studied how the pictures were drawn and often tried to copy them. So, now with decades of teaching art to my students I never hesitate making masters for them to follow and copy. It allows very young minds to analyze shape, form, structure, space and color. My students are able to reproduce my master at a much higher level of artistic expertise than if they were simply asked to draw a tree with birds in it without a finished work to view first. These children are not yet in kindergarten, yet with the help of a master which I draw at a child's ability level, they are able to create startling finished work.

These drawings were added to their Mother's Day Art Portfolio.

Imagine their mom's delight at these guided drawings!

 

Ocean Study Shell Designs

You know those ugly shell necklaces no one wants? 

They are perfect for this type of ocean life study design!

My bags of shells need a format for exploration and this 

will work well!

Hardware tile samples display the shells while a 1940's estate sale mermaid enjoys the company! Do kids love doing this?
I love doing this!

Budget Shell Math

Estate sale bracelets, shells and wooden numbers from an old puzzle make for a unique counting experience. 

Foam numbers from Target and tiny shells from an estate sale create this fun counting work

We are in landlocked Nebraska, yet I do a lot of work with shells.

I find boxes and bags of them at estate sales from those 

unknown people's trips to Florida.

Estate sale shell shaped dishes from the 1950's finish this one off 

as well as felt numbers. 

Free Form Wheel Designs

Estate sale items that are one of a kind make this 

interesting construction activity. 

Basement workshops that are selling cast offs produced odd and varied objects such as cork balls, wheels and pulleys. 

The silver turtle shell napkin rings add the finishing touch.