I'll be honest and say that when I was growing up and even through my college career as an art major, I never used to appreciate abstract art.  I always thought it was kinda pointless and silly.  Over the last few years though, I've really learned to love it.  The more I learn about it, the more I appreciate it and I've found that it's a style of artwork that is super fun and expressive to make and kids love it too.  It's a great way to be free and uncritical of oneself while creating!

I've been doing abstract artwork with Pre-K, Kindergarten,1st and 2nd graders and just having the best time teaching it.  Each grade has used a different process and different materials.  The basic goal is to do lots of layers of lines, shapes, and colors to build up an aesthetically pleasing piece of artwork that was super fun to make.  

​Enjoy these photos of the process and final work. 

There's something about creating their own robots that child artists just can't get enough of.  The freedom of creating whatever imaginary functions on a human-like machines just makes kids super excited and creative!  As you can imagine, I love using robots to teach elements and principles of art and design.

This project was cross-curricular as 1st grade scholars were learning about lightness and darkness in their science unit.  It was awesome seeing students lightbulbs go off as they made connections to their science learning and using highlights and shadows in art class.  

To begin this project, students each drew their own large robot design on a piece of 12" x 18" paper.  They had to use lots of different shapes and be creative and silly with their designs.  Once their drawings were done, they used a light blue tempera cake to color their entire robot.  The "oooooh, ahhhhh" moment was when I demonstrated how to add a stripes of white along once side of their robot to show light reflection and a stripe of dark along the other side to show shadows.  The students said that it suddenly made the robot look alive.  Adding such a simple detail really made the robot go from looking 2-D to 3-D!  

After they added their highlights and shadows, they had fun adding lots of colors for the rest of their fun robot details.  The students had such a great time making these.  I overheard the students telling stories about their robots adventures, their powers, and their silly robot names.  

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Do toy dinosaurs and building block towers sound fun to you?  Well, ask any 1st graders and they would definitely answer "yes!"  So, here's the thing.  To be totally straight-forward, kids do not usually enjoy making still-life art.  They say things like "this is boring" and "can we do something else?"  As a teacher, it is my job to take these queues and make learning more exciting.

Over the years I've started teaching 1st graders how to draw still-life imagery by giving them colorful dinosaur toys to draw and letting them build towers out of colorful blocks and draw them.  These activities are engaging and it teaches students to practice drawing what they see.  Being and observational artist is important!

1st graders each created their own mini dinosaur book for this project.  Before the students arrived, I assembled them each a tiny book with about 10 pages for drawing on.  The books were about 4"x4".  To begin this, each student carefully wrote the word "Dinosaurs" and wrote their names.  Some kids chose to decorate the front.

Over the next three classes, students passed around little dinosaur figurines taking turns to carefully observe and draw a bunch of different dinosaurs.  Before starting the drawings, I read a book about dinosaurs so they had an idea of which dinosaurs were meat eaters, plant eaters, which ones flew and which walked.  The 1st graders were very, very excited about this project.

They drew the contour lines of the dinosaurs with fine tip Sharpies first. I instructed them to really focus on shapes and textures.  Next they used colored pencils to color the dinosaurs the colors of the figurines.  If the dinosaur was mostly blue but had a black belly and brown spots, they had to be sure to use all three of those colors.

On the last day of this project, we looked at labeled images online of different dinosaurs and the students flipped through their books and added in the names of the different dinosaurs.  Some students even knew all of the names without having to show them.

At the end of this, each student had their own little dinosaur book to take home.  Some students worked so meticulously that they only had three dinosaur drawings, while others filled both pages of their entire book.  These 1st graders were extremely excited about proud about this project. I will definitely repeat it next year.  I also love the idea of doing small books like this with other grades with different sorts of plants or animals too.

These pictures do not even begin to do this project justice.  I was totally overwhelmed with cuteness as the third graders did this adorable clay snail project.

We began with pounding out a chunk of clay into a flattish blob.  This was to be about the size of their hand and to be used as the ground under the snails..
To create the snails, the students made a fat clay coil, then flattened all but the end for the head.  Then they rolled up the coil to make a cute little snail.  For the head, they pinched out antennae and gave them eyes and mouths.  The funnest part was watching the 1st graders use paper clips to make either super happy snail mouths or super grumpy snail mouths depending on which way the paper clip was held.
The students had to make at least two snails.  Some made two, some made 12.  After the snails were made, they had to give their shells texture and then scratch and attach the snails to the ground.  

The students had SO MUCH FUN with this project.  They were singing songs about snails, making up goofy stories about their snail families and working hard to create these awesome little clay snails.

After the clay was fired, we used neon and regular watercolor sets to make these snails nice and colorful!  I really focused on filling the whole space with color "Do you see any white area?  If yes, keep painting..."
They did such a great job and when they were done, I sprayed them with an acrylic finishing spray.  They ended up glossy and super bright.  

I spent a lot of time laughing as the students created these and as they sat on the shelf before going home.

I love the music videos that OKGO makes, I've already shown three different ones to the students this year.

I also showed this video of students creating six different Rube Goldberg-inspired networks.  (Rube Goldberg was the engineering master of simple machine networks)

I love the topic of simple machines and so glad that the 1st grade students spend so much time learning about them.  To bring together science and art, I've created this project that I call "SIMPLE MACHINES, COMPLEX MINDS."

To begin the project, I show them OKGO's music video "This too shall pass."

The first graders loved both of these videos and as they watch them I hear many gasps and giggles.


After the students watched the videos and I reiterated what a simple machine is, we got down to the nitty gritty of making artwork :)

They began this project by choosing a sillhouetted profile template that was most like them and tracing around the outside.  Each student had to make at least one change to the design so that it looked more like them.  Many students chose to alter the hair. 

As they create a personalized silhouette of themselves, we discussed how our thoughts and ideas are all very unique, and very complex.  We are all individual, interesting people.  Each of us has ideas and processes them differently.  That is where the "complex minds" portion of this project comes in.  
To symbolize an idea, the students each began this project by drawing a lightbulb inside of their head.

From the lightbulb, the students each designed a unique network of simple machines to represent their complex minds and how they all thing and process ideas differently.

We did our drawings with black Sharpie, and afterwards used neon watercolors to paint it in.
These turned out so amazing and it was awesome to watch the students get really involved and excited about the network of simple machines that they were creating.  It was so much fun to walk around and have the students explain exactly what was going on 'inside of their head.'

After reading the book "Fish Eyes: a book you can count on," the first graders discussed the magnitude of different types of fish and underwater creatures and the different ways to draw them.  
We began this project with a long, thin piece of white paper.  The student each designed and drew one fish, at least as big as their hand.  Then, they had to attempt to draw the same fish, with the same shapes and lines, but in different sizes.  Each student had to draw at least four fish.
After having all of their fish drawn (some drew 4, some drew 10), they traced over their drawings with crayons.  
After using crayon to add underwater details such as seaweed, clam shells, and bubbles, using watercolor paints, the 1st graders painted in their fish with bright colors.  During the next class, they used cool colors to paint the background water.
The paintings turned out adorable and in the discussions and creation of the art, we talked about how to draw multiples of the same design, as well as warm and cool colors and appropriate use of supplies.

The first grade students started their year out by learning about warm and cool colors.  We used words such as lava and sunshine to associate with warm colors and words such as iceberg and ocean to associate with cool colors.  

Students also discussed the importance of hands.  According to the first graders, hands are important because...
"They are used to eat yummy food"
"You can give people hugs with your hands"
"Hands are used for making art"
"You write letters and books with hands"
"You give people presents with your hands"
......and on and on



To begin this project, the students started with a piece of card stock and learned how to use watered-down glue to collage tissue paper.  

After collaging one half of the paper with warm colored tissue paper,  the students did the other half with cool colors.  Each took one class period.

After these had dried, the first graders traced their own hand, on each side of the collage and then cut them out.  It was a great practice for them to cut such intense, jagged lines from the tracing of fingers.  I found that the first class struggled with the cutting, so for the next class, I printed out a squiggly line drawing for them to practice on before cutting out their hand.  That seemed to help.

After the hands were cut, they used a thin black paint to write their names on the hands.

Once both classes had finished, I cut out large black circles of paper and mounted the hands in a radial design, reaching out into the world.

The artwork now proudly hangs in the office of the school Principal!

The First grade project "Simple Machines, Complex Minds" is finished.  I am super excited about the finished results.  The first graders are SO creative and inventive!

The 1st graders at Evergreen will be learning about Simple Machines this year.  Simple machines are those that do not have motors and use force to move something-think gears, wheels, levers,etc.
I came across this blog post: http://thomaselementaryart.blogspot.com/2013/04/3rd-grade-machine-brains.html and was inspired by the 3rd grade project "Machine Brains".  
I adapted this project for the 1st graders and so far am extremely pleased.  The students are really getting into this!

This video is a great example for the students to see the force and movement with in a simple machine network. Students love it, they laugh, they ooooh, they ahhhh.  

After showing the students this video, I explained the project which I call SIMPLE MACHINES, COMPLEX MINDS
I talked to the students about how complex and intricate their minds and thoughts are.  They are such a great group of 1st graders, they are so creative and smart.
To begin, the students each select one of three templates of a profile that they feel looks most like them.  Then, they pair up with a partner and take turns holding the template while the other traces.  Then, they must make at least one modification to the profile to look more like them (change hair, nose, chin, etc).

Then students must begin by drawing a light bulb which symbolizes a thought or an idea.  From there, they must design or invent a network of simple machines visually representing how a thought might be processed in their complex minds.  For one class, I had them use pencil for their drawings, then later go back with black crayon and trace their drawings.  For the second class, I had them use sharpies right away.  I wanted to see which would yield the best results.  

As for process, the students were all VERY engaged in and excited about this project so far.  They all developed very imaginative networks of simple machines and were really pumped to share this with other students and with myself.  Below are images taken on/after day two of this project.

Next week, the students will use Neon Watercolors to create vivid paintings and then cut out the profiles and glue onto a dark background colored paper.

Below are two finished examples:

1st grade: Simple Machines, Complex Minds Lesson 

Overview:
1st grade
2-3 days
The students will draw a profile of a person and fill the space with a network of simple machines.  After drawing, will outline with crayon and then paint with watercolor.
Learning Outcomes:
The learner will be able to recognize and draw a variety of simple machines
The learner will use pencil, crayon and watercolor to create a colorful artwork.
NC Essential Standards:
1.V.1.2 Create original art that expresses ideas, themes, and events.
1.V.1.3 Recognize that symbols, subjects, or themes are used in the works of others to communicate.
1.V.1.4 Understand characteristics of the Elements of Art, including lines, shapes, colors, textures, form, and space.
1.V.2.3 Create art from imaginary sources of inspiration
1.V.3.2 Execute control of a variety of media.
1.V.3 Create art using a variety of tools, media, and processes, safely and appropriately.
1.V.3.3 Use the processes of drawing, painting, weaving, printing, stitchery, collage, mixed media, sculpture, and ceramics to create art.
1.CX.2.2 Identify connections between art and concepts from other disciplines, such as math, science, language arts, social studies, and other arts.
Materials:

• Images for inspiration and reference
  
• 12” x 18” white paper, pencils, profile portrait templates, crayon, watercolor, paintbrush, scissors, glue 
  

Art Vocabulary:

• Profile, Portrait
  
• Shape, Color, Movement/Rhythm
  
• Simple machines 

Interdisciplinary Concepts:
Simple Machines

Here's just a little sneak peak at the 1st grade mobiles project we are doing.
These are some of the clay medallions that the students made.  They were made by making clay textured medallions then firing.  After coming out of the kiln, rather than glazing, the student colored on them with oil pastels, then painted over the piece with watered-down Tempera paint and then rinsed them in water. This is the effect. I love, love, love them. Plus, the students had a blast.  The 1st graders at Evergreen are amazing!