3rd Grade Art

Welcome back Colts. There are only 2 weeks left of our school year, and this week we are going to continue to explore art related to nature.

Last week we created art from natural materials like rocks, sticks, mud and water. This week we are going to practice taking great nature photographs, and we will create some drawings and paintings inspired by nature. Below are our first 2 nature art projects for this week.

1. Nature Photography

2. Lotus Flower Drawings

Check back on Wednesday for more art projects and videos if you are feeling very artistic this week and want even more art to work on.

Remember to share photos of your art making with me, and check out what other students have created in the Student Art Gallery.

Nature Photography

The video below gives tips and instructions for taking interesting and artistic nature photos.

When we take nature photos, we can either think big or small. A "big" picture would show lots of ground, trees and sky, like a landscape. A "small" picture would show something close-up like a flower or a plant. Try taking some big and small nature photos.

This is a project that can be done in your yard, or even in the house. If your family is able to go to a park or natural setting however, you may be able to find more interesting things to take pictures of. Make sure if you leave the house you are being safe and that your family always knows where you are, or comes with you on your artistic photo adventure.

After you take lots of nature photos, share about 5 of your favorite photos with Mr. Posey, so we can put them in our Student Art Gallery.

Videos about nature photography:

Lotus Flower Drawings

Watch the video below to learn how to draw a lotus flower.

Flowers in Different Styles

For our last nature art project, I would like us to use one of our nature photos from earlier this week as a source to create a painting or drawing. I will show you how you could do the a drawing or painting in different styles; realistic, impressionist, and expressive. Choose a photo, style and coloring material, and see if you can create a stylish flower drawing.

If you were not able to take your own flower photo, you can take one now, or look one up online.

Nature Art

Nature Art - Andy Goldsworthy's Earthworks

Videos about the Artist Andy Goldsworthy:

A short clip from the Andy Goldsworthy film "Rivers and Tides":

A longer film about Andy Goldsworthy called "Stone Wood Water". (18 minutes)

This film is 3 parts, and is for anyone who wants to know more about Andy Goldsworthy and Earthworks art. Some of the video quality is not great, but still worth a watch. Relaxing and really interesting. I really like it and hope that you do too!

Nature Art - Rain Shadows

Another way to use art to connect with nature is to make a rain shadow. If there is no rain, you can also use artificial rain, like from the hose or from a spray bottle.

A short video of Andy Goldsworthy creating a "rain shadow".

Nature Art - Maya Lin and Mud Shaping

The artist Maya Lin reshapes the Earth into artistic designs. We can do something similar by using mud like clay. This is a messy project, so I understand if you don't want to play in the mud, but I hope some of you give it a try.

Nature Art - Michael Grab Rock Balancing "Gravity Glue"

After posting Monday's video with the rock balancing section, a Kohl parent told me about a Boulder artist named Michael Grab who is a master rock balancer. I thought I would try again and this time really focus on getting a good balance. Watch his videos below, they are the closest thing to magic that I've seen in a while.

Nature Art Update - Thursday and Friday

Mr. Posey Reads - Oh the Thinks You Can Think

Last Week's Project: Unique Characters in Dr. Seuss Landscapes

For this week's project, we are going to use our imaginations to think up some unique and interesting cartoon characters. The characters can be almost anything that you can think of, as long as they come from your own imagination. After you create your character, add hills and trees in the style of Dr. Seuss, using curved striped to make them look round and 3D. Watch the video below to learn how to make the art project for this week.

Dr. Seuss Art - Part 2 - Hot Air Balloons with Form

Watch the video below for another art project about showing 3D form in a drawing.

Last Week's Project: The Random Character Game

We are going to play an art game called The Random Character Game. To play this game, you roll a 20-sided virtual dice 4 times, and the numbers will tell you what you need to draw.

The chart below shows the word that each number stands for. For example, if my first roll is a 6, I find the column That says "1st roll", and then find the word that lines up with the number 6, in this case it is the word "purple"". If my second roll is a 4, the chart shows me that that is "cat". So I know in my art I will be drawing a purple cat. If my 3rd roll is a 10, that word is "fuzzy". And if my 4th roll is 8, that word is "Ice Cream Cone". So my sentence to draw would be:

A purple cat with a fuzzy ice-cream cone

Then you try to draw what the words say. Get it? Roll 4 times for every drawing, and make as many characters as you would like.

Watch the video below to learn how to play The Random Character Game.

Click here to Roll a Virtual 20 Sided Dice

Extra Art Project for this Week:

The Heart of the Community - BVSD Collaborative Art Project

Kids and adults from all over the school district are making Heart Art for a giant community art project. I think it would be great to share some heart art from our creative Kohl Colts! Follow the instructions below to submit your Heart Art.

CLICK HERE to submit your Heart Art

Blended-Sky Landscapes with Silhouette Subjects

This week’s home learning project uses a technique called a color fade, or color blending. This can be done with all types of art materials, but works best with colored pencils or watercolor paint. Pencil, crayons, and markers will also work. Using color blending is a very useful technique in art.

For this week’s lesson, we are going to use color blending to create a beautiful blended sky, and we will create the subjects as silhouettes, shapes that are filled in with solid black. Watch the video below to learn how to make a blended-sky landscape with silhouette subjects.

Color Blending Part 2 - 3D Objects

The blending techniques that we learned about this week are great for creating a beautiful blended sky, but the can be used for other things also. These techniques are also used on objects, when you are trying to make them look 3-Dimensional, or when they have natural color blending that you would like to show in your art. You could use any object, like a piece of fruit, a ball, or a toy. Set it up so the light is hitting it from one side, and try to use blending to draw the item as a 3-Dimensional object. Watch the video below to learn how to use blending to create 3-D looking objects in your art.

Art About Horses

Start by watching the video below of Mr. Posey reading the story "Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum".

Art Making Activity:

Create a piece of art with a horse as the subject. Your art can be realistic, or you can create a horse from your imagination which will show your unique style. For this project you can use any materials that you have available. Watch the video below for more information about making your horse-themed art, and for demonstrations on how to draw horses in different ways.

CLICK HERE to share photos of your art

Art History: More about the art pieces in "Horse Museum"

Want to know more about the horse art pieces in the story? Watch the videos below to become a horse-art expert! Look for a new video every day this week.

Horse Museum - The Art - Part 1

Horse Museum - The Art - Part 2

Horse Museum - The Art - Part 3

Horse Museum - The Art - Part 4

Stippling: Extra Art Activity

Watch the video below to learn to make art using the technique of "stippling".

CLICK HERE to share photos of your art

CLICK HERE for the Horse-Art Student Gallery

Completed 3rd Grade Projects:

Art for A Purpose #1 - Positive Propaganda Posters

Art for a Purpose

Big Ideas for 3rd Grade Art

1. There are different styles and skills that can be used to make art.

2. Artwork is often made for a specific purpose.

3. Art can be made as a response to the art of others.

4. Learning to recognize features in art gives us more tools to make art.

5. We can make art that expresses an idea.

6. There are basic skills to learn in an art studio.

7. By connecting our own lives to our art, we make the art more meaningful.

8. Art helps us to understand the culture and history of different people.

Art Inspired by the Art and Culture of Asia

Art of Asia #1 - Zen Tangles

Art of Asia #2 - Sand Mandalas - Symmetry and Balance

Art of Asia #3 - Calligraphy - Katakana Names, and Kanji

Art of Asia #4 - Sumi Inkwash Landscapes and Japanese Painting Techniques

Art of Asia #5 - Origami

Click the YouTube links below for the origami videos we used:

Origami Fox

Origami Samurai Helmet

Origami Twirling Bird

Origami Fan

Origami Spring

Art of Asia #6 - Wabi-Sabi Functional Pottery

Kohl Community Mural Project

We are in the process of creating our 7" mural for our float in the Broomfield Days parade this year. This piece of art was designed by Mr. Posey and is being colored and embellished by every student and adult in the school.