Accordion Fold Books

So, I know I brag about my Art Majors a lot, but they are such a cool group. They're the youngest group of students I've ever worked with who have shown such self-direction. In a lot of ways, they are truly guiding their own learning and developing as artists.

A week ago, I showed this class the basic concept of an accordion book and how to build the structure.
I didn't anticipate this reaction.

This group is so into making books, they walk in the door and begin immediately. They won't stop at the end of class. It's out of control, but in an amazing way. I have students collaging, drawing, painting, folding origami pieces, staining paper with tea, and so much more. Some of the books have perfume samples built-in so there is a smell element!

For me, an art class is all about the process and I am so proud of the hard work and creativity that has already gone into these books!

An accordion book is a book with one long piece of paper inside. The paper is folded back and forth to make the pages (like an accordion)! No one is finished yet, but they're making great progress. I'll post the finished products sometime in January!

Voice Thread

Hey! Check out my very first classroom Voice Thread below! Although, it's having some problems switching from slide to slide. It loads a lot faster if you hit pause and then play again.
If you know how to fix that, let me know.   :)

Ugly Face Jugs!



from http://www.briandedmond.com/pottery

Fifth grade art majors have been learning about the tradition of ugly face jug pottery in the southeastern United States. The tradition dates back to the 1840's and is rooted in African slave culture.

 It's really interesting to read stories about the origins of the craft. Some people say that faces were added to pottery to scare children away from harmful substances and others say they were to keep evil spirits away. Nobody knows what the truth is exactly, but the tradition of building ugly face jugs continues today in the southeastern US, particularly in Georgia and South Carolina. Only now, they're made as fine art pieces and not so much for practical uses!

 Fifth grade art majors have been building their own version of ugly face jugs! They used coil building to construct these sculptures and have been practicing using the score and slip method to attach pieces of clay.

 
Ugly Face Pottery Resources:
The Black Potter
Face Jug History

Festival of Trees

In college I was involved with fundraising for quite a few charitable organizations. But the closest to my heart is the Palmetto Health Children's Hospital in Columbia, SC. Every year, Palmetto Health hosts a Festival of Trees to raise money for the Children's Hospital.

If you've never been to this Festival of Trees, I highly recommend it. They've been doing it for years and it is awesome. Many businesses and organizations donate decorated trees and wreaths for the silent auction and it is BEAUTIFUL! They know how to kick the holiday season off in the perfect way.

This year, I was determined to get PES students involved. I knew my 5th grade art majors could come up with something amazing!

Decorating with handmade ceramic ornaments and paper flowers!

Going to deliver the finished wreath!

The Palmetto Health Festival of Trees is located at the Village at Sandhill this year, which is a little different, but the space is perfect! Stop by to see (and bid on) our wreath from November 20-21, 2010.
Here's a map to the Festival once you're inside the Village at Sandhill- it's right across from Brixx pizza, which is quite delicious.

Art Majors

Have I mentioned how much I love my Art Majors? These 5th graders chose to "major" in art and they come to Art twice a week instead of once. They. are. amazing.

In the couple of weeks that we've been in school, they have constantly impressed me. Their spirit and enthusiasm makes me smile early in the morning, which is saying a lot!

We have been looking at the artist Chuck Close and using grids and photos to create self portraits. Grids are a tricky concept for 5th graders, but they have gotten off to such an incredible start. I am SO PROUD of their perseverance and hard work! The drawings below are unfinished, but I wanted to share them anyway!