Press Here June 13, 2013

We have 3 preschool classrooms at the Morse, and 9 students will be kindergarteners in September.  They got together and came for a sneak peek class in the Art Studio this week.  We read Press Here, which is such a fun and interactive book.  If you’re unfamiliar with Herve Tullet’s books, you really need to check them out, he is amazing!  His website is full of games and videos and activities.  Students were given circles in various sizes and were tasked with creating a design using the circles. After gluing the dots on, they had to create a direction for the page, similar to the directions in Press Here.  I think they’re all excited to come back to the Art Studio in September!

  

  

New Easels April 23, 2012

I just bought a bunch of new table-top easels.  The preschoolers were the first to try them out…I think they loved them!  We gave them paper and paint and let them paint whatever they wanted, and got some great abstract results.

Some pictures of them in action:

   

Going to the Zoo March 27, 2012

The Special Start preschool (and all 4 K classes) are going to the Franklin Park Zoo next week.  To prepare the preschoolers for the monkeys and apes they are going to see, they created a mural in the art studio.  Using tissue paper leaves, the students glued a jungle onto canvas.  Flowers, bananas, and branches were also added.  Yesterday, they sponge-painted stencils of lemurs, mandrills, gorillas, and tamarins onto the canvas- all animals they’ll see at the zoo!

 

This mural will be on display at the Morse School Art Show, April 23-28th!

New Year, new updates! January 16, 2012

Well, it’s 2 weeks into the new year, and I’m finally ready to make some updates…life has been busy at work and home lately!

The Special Start preschoolers came to create snowflakes for their seasonal tree in their classroom.  Instead of the traditional cut-out snowflakes, they created the snow with tissue paper and glue.  Following lines pre-drawn, the students traced glue lines.  They then crumpled small pieces of tissue paper and pressed the “snow” into the glue lines.

Easy!

Flower mural April 5, 2011

After the pre-schoolers drew their flowers on the canvas, they painted tissue paper squares on top for color.  Their drawings were painted over with thick black lines.

Look for this mural at the Morse School Art Show!

Flower power March 10, 2011

The pre-schoolers are starting a springtime mural.  They collaborated on one canvas with drawings today and will soon paint.  In their classroom, the students have been studying, observing, and drawing flowers.  So far, their mural is resembling a retro 70’s flower pattern.  Looking forward to seeing how it ends!

A Mystery Bulb November 4, 2010

The Special Start preschoolers planted an amaryllis bulb last week.  After investigating the bulb and noticing its roots, the kids painted their own version.  Using a shoebox and marbles, the preschoolers dipped the marbles in paint and rolled the marbles on paper in the box.  This week, the kids predicted what they think the flower will look like when it blooms.  They chose from a variety of shapes and colors of flower petals.  We will also be charting the plant’s growth in the next few weeks!

Blue Week October 14, 2010

The Special Start preschool has been focusing on a new color each week.  When learning about yellow, we printed with corn on the cob.  When learning about green, we printed with leaves.  This week, while learning about blue, the students came to the Studio to make a big blue sky.  Using different shades of blue paint and a variety of foam rollers and stampers, the students painted layers and layers of paint.

Recycled Robots May 27, 2010

The Special Start preschoolers have been working on these robots for a couple months, a little at a time.  The bodies are used cans from the cafeteria and all the paper is from the Art Studios’s scrap paper bin.  The styrofoam heads were scavenged from a box of foam I bought for a different project a few years ago, but not got to use…I’m very glad the foam has finally been put to good use!  The students learned how to accordion fold for the arms, and stamped their own handprints for the robots hands.

Check out the robots in the library!

Springtime Mural April 15, 2010

The Special Start preschoolers came to the studio today to make a very special group mural, on canvas.  Last week, they each took a photograph of the dogwood tree outside their classroom.  These photos were glued on first.  Then, the sponge painted stencils of springtime flowers they have been noticing on walks- crocuses, grape hyacinths, daffodils, and forsythia.  Finally, tissue paper was glued on for stems and leaves.  This mural will be at the Morse School Art Show at Gallery 263 in a couple weeks.  Now we only need to come up with a permanent home for such a beautiful work of art?