Terrariums! enrichment class

Every second of my enrichment class this afternoon was pure fun! We learned about how terrariums are mini eco systems. As we added each layer we discussed why we were using pebbles, charcoal, etc. and why they would care for our plants. Then they began to create their miniature "world". They used paper clay today to form the characters in their world. Next week we will paint the clay pieces and add even more details. I am uploading what feels like a thousand pictures because I'm so in love with what they made and I can't seem to edit myself!!

 

Young at Art at the Tampa Museum of Art

The Tampa Museum of Art put on an exhibit this weekend that represented K-8 schools fine arts programs in Hillsborough County. Each public, private and charter school was asked to submit a student piece that represented their art program. I was thrilled with the idea and I chose a marionette made by Sarah K in Ms. O's class!

Sarah is in third grade and is inventive, resourceful and hard working. I remember the first few times I taught her at the beginning of her second grade I would see her completely absorbed in her work and I was immediately curious about what she was making. I love watching her process and I love whenever she has a little discovery she always comes to find me to share it with me. While making this marionette she figured out that by wrapping wire around this teeny, fluffy trim she could create a tail that would twist in different positions and hold the position. Art teacher love!!!

Sarah and her marionette are what I dream our art program at LP is all about. I hope the kids are curious about what they can achieve with their hands, I hope they apply meaning to their art making and I hope they feel like little explorers when they come into the art room.

Thank you Sarah and family for your support!!

                                            Seeing her name on the display was so cute! ;)

Sarah's fantastic mongoose marionette displayed in the case

Sarah and I ;)

The crowd listening to the presentation. I was happy to hear the speaker say one of my mantras- "the wonderful thing about art is that there is more than one answer"....amen to that!!

 Sarah and I walked through the exhibit. We viewed and talked about the other student's work. They didn't list the materials used in the information tags so we had fun guessing how they were made. I enjoyed seeing her critiquing. I have to get her ready for all the critiquing she will do in her art program at college!! ;)

           My daughter studying a piece portraying a lion that was done by an 8th grader in the county.

First grade mosaics

These were done the same way as second grades but we used plastic pieces instead of glass- just in case ;). The color really came alive with these though.

Second grade mosaics

These I poured cement into egg cartons and let it harden first. Then the kids used Elmers glue all to glue the glass on and I grouted them later. We also finished them with paint. It was really interesting to see how they utilized the paint colors with their mosaic colors.