Jim Dine oil pastel watercolor paintings 1st grade

Jim Dine oil pastel watercolor resist painting

My demonstration video 

I don't remember where I saw this original idea. I've been doing it for years.  If you know please let me know. 

I introduced the heart paintings created by Jim Dine. We discussed his many hearts and I explained to the children that he is from Cincinnati Ohio.  Students are excited to hear this since we are only about thirty miles from the city. 

I gave students a 3 1/2" x 4" square piece of construction paper and taught them how to make a heart. 

Students then folded their 12" x 18" multi media paper into six boxes and traced their hearts in the centers. 

Students took oil pastels and created various designs in each heart. We discussed the many options such as using warm and color colors and patterns. 

Don't forget to blend!

The next class students painting watercolors in each box.

 I love these. This project took two, fifty minute classes. 

Choice Boards for the Art Room

Choice Boards for the Elementary Art Classroom

I'm taking an online class through the  Art of Education.  One of the things I  have learned from the class are Choice  Boards.  I created one for students to use when they finish early with a project. Students look at the poster above the file and pick an artist to write about. These are artists that they are familiar with so it should be easy for them to pick one. They take a handout and draw a picture of a painting by the artist and write three sentences about the painting. They can also write about the artist. 

Sorry I'm still trying to figure out how to download a PDF of this. Here is a photo until I figure it out. 

Winter Birch tree collage 1st grade

Winter Birch Tree Collage

I got this great idea from http://adayinthelifeofthisartteacher.blogspot.com/2013/03/birds-and-birch-trees.html. She actually got the idea from "Deep Space Sparkle". 

The students loved this project. I showed them the book "Snowballs" by Lois Ehlert. Students of this age should be familiar with this children's author and illustrator. We discussed how we thought she created her illustrations. 

 I also showed them real photos of birch trees. We discussed the texture and what would be an easy way to create them. We took a piece of cardboard and dipped it into black paint and created the trees. 

Actually this was pretty easy for my 1st graders. 

We then took a 12" x 18" piece of multi media paper and created patterns in each box with crayons and painted over them with watercolors. This took two class periods. 

On the third day they cut  out their trees and glued them to their chose of sky colors. Funny how most of them picked the turquoise color. 

Students then made their  birds out of their patterned papers. Students could create their own birds or trace over a basic bird pattern. I found them on the blog "A Day in the Life of this Art Teacher". I don't like using patterns, but for this age sometimes it helps to offer them if they want them. They still look like their own birds with their own patterns. 

 Yes this little guy likes wearing his Spiderman gloves!

. I was surprised how long it took the students to make their birds. This took the entire 50 minute class period. 

This one won the Principal's award at my art show held in the Spring! 

The final step was to add snow. We used a white oil pastel. Next time I think I will encourage them to make branches. 

Kindergarten Jim Dine Heart Collages

Jim Dine Kindergarten Heart Collages

I found this idea on http://drawthelineat.blogspot.com/2013/01/colorful-heart-collage.html. I just changed it a bit. 

On the first day I showed students the many heart paintings by Jim Dine. I also showed the students the sculpture he created of Pinocchio that is outside the Cincinnati Art Museum. Our school is about thirty  miles from Cincinnati so I always like to show art around our community. Jim Dine was  born in Cincinnati so the children are excited to hear this. 

We then created our background using tissue paper squares and Mod Podge (you can also just use glue and water). The children love doing this because it is messy and different from what they are used to working with. I have brushes I only use for these activities, although soaking the brushes in hair conditioner softens them back up. 

On day two we discussed complementary colors. I  allowed students to pick two complementary colored 4 1/2" x 6" squares of cut construction paper. Step by step I showed the students how to make a heart on both pieces(we kept the papers together). This took awhile! Students then glued the pieces onto their tissue paper collages. 

Students decorated their hearts with oil pastels.  We reviewed various lines and how to make the hearts look like they have motion. I'm still not sure which ones I like better, the ones where they just used black or where their used multiple colors. 

The children loved their collages and were so proud of them.