A lot of catching up to do....

Since my last post, I have met 7000 fellow art teachers, trekked the streets of NYC, spent too much time in an airplane, reorganized/cleaned an art room, and started preparing for an art show; all this in addition to what goes happens on a regular day in the art room.  The thing that I perhaps love the most about my students' art is hearing all the stories that my students attach to their work.  When they talk about their pictures their faces light up and they become so animated.  Here are a few of the stories that have stuck in my head.  I wish I could remember more of them.

 This collage was inspired by a video on Henri Matisse that my students viewed while I was gone to my conference in NYC.  The video was short (just 10 minutes), but this student loved the shapes of Matisse's cutouts.  In the lower corners of his picture you can see a boot on the left and a shoe on the right.  After making the rest of the picture these happened to be two left over shapes that looked like footwear.  Adding the laces to the shoes was the perfect finishing touch.

This sculpture was originally started as separate projects, but as the two boys worked near each other the projects merged into one.  We are witnessing a ghost hunt in a very haunted jungle!

This student was the 1st and for a while the only student in his class to work on a project like this.  (Since then his project has inspired others.)  This project started when he found one of the sticks and thought to himself that it could be used as a mast for the sails; it grew from there.  With a little help, he was able to create a fantastic pirate ship on the high seas complete with a shark following the ship.

This Lego creation depicts a shark chasing after a yellow boat.

Even though my memory does not help me to remember all the stories about my students artwork, you can still learn a lot from your child when they bring their projects home.  You will be amazed at what they will remember and share with you about their project.  Here are some additional works of art that I am sorry to say, my memory is a little foggy on the background stories.  That doesn't make them any less wonderful to look at. So enjoy!

 These are biodegradable packing peanuts.  When dampened they stick together.  They make such wonderful sculptures, but after 2 classes my stash was reduced by half its size.

Whew!  I think that catches us up.