Coffee Filter Sunflowers

I was looking for a simple Fall sunflower craft to do with elementary students. I decided on this coffee filter craft as it's pretty straightforward and uses very inexpensive materials. I found the lesson on the Family Corner website and modified it into a painting project. The coffee filters (basket style-pack of 100) were bought at the Dollar store. Each students needs just 2 filters.

Start off by showing the kids a slideshow of Van Gogh's famous Sunflower series. He did a few different versions of sunflowers; his most famous ones being painted in Arles, when he lived in the South of France. They are some of his most famous and iconic works and one sold at auction in the 80's for almost $40 million dollars!!

Vincent Van Gogh, "Sunflowers", 1889

Using watered down tempera paint, students paint the filters in various shades of yellows and light oranges. Let dry.

While the filters are drying (doesn't take too long), have the students create the centers. We use plastic lids to trace- they are a perfect size, or you could free-hand draw the circles. We use the back of old cereal boxes, although any heavy paper will do.

Paint them with tempera in shades of browns and yellows- whatever you want, really.  If you make the edges darker, it looks quite realistic. We use round brushes and stipple the paint in an up-and-down motion to create some texture. Instead of paint, you could also collage on brown paper or glue on seeds, beads, etc.

Ok- once the filters are dry, stack two together.

Fold in half once. Then again in half.

Draw some long petals.

Cut out and unfold.

Layer one flower on top of the other, making sure to stagger the petals to allow the underneath ones to show. Glue together just in the center with white glue.

Then add some more white glue in the middle and glue on the painted cardboard center.

Once these are all completed, you could make a class version of Van Gogh's sunflowers in a big paper vase and hang them on the wall for a colourful display. Or students could attach green pipe cleaners (chenille stems) to them. We simply mounted ours on blue paper for contrast and to represent the brilliant blue Provençal sky.

Fractured Cubist Oil Pastel Drawings

This is a very colourful Cubist lesson I found in a 2008 issue of Arts & Activities magazine.  It was entitled: "Playing with Picasso" by Art teacher Debra Tampone. The project is inspired by Pablo Picasso's painting "Three Musicians" from 1921. If you like Cubist lessons, you might also like this project I did using coloured pencils.

I begin by showing my Grade 7/8 class a slideshow of famous Cubist works- have them identify the typical characteristsics of the style. Identify key words such as 'fragmented' or 'shattered'. Notice the flat and angular planes, the random angles and the planar shifts. We also discuss Picasso and his influence on contemporary art.

Pablo Picasso, "Three Musician's", 1921



 So here's how I created my sample. First, students need to choose one object, or three related objects and draw them three times onto a sheet of cheap white paper or newsprint. The paper we used was about 12 x 18". I chose one of my favourite subject matters: French macarons. The object chosen will become the title of their final artwork, for example, in my case, "Three Macarons".

Vary the sizes of the objects, but draw them fairly large. Just a simple contour drawing- no shading. Arrange them on the paper so there is a fairly equal balance between positive and negative space.

Then outline them all with a black marker.

Next- cut the drawing apart into 3-5 puzzle-type sections.  Encourage straight angles.

Again, vary the sizes and shapes, but nothing too small. Outline all the edges with a black marker.

Then, re-arrange the pieces into a new composition: a fragmented version of the original drawing.

For the final good copy, take another piece of paper the same size as the original (about 12 x 18"), and carefully place it ON TOP of the cut pieces. Carefully trace, with a black marker, the entire composition including the edges of the cut paper. Some students like to tape their pieces down to the table so they don't move around at all.  Because you're tracing, make sure your good copy paper is not too thick.

Finally, colour in the design with oil pastels. Choose 3-4 colours for the objects and then 3-4 constrasting colours for the background. Students practiced blending these colours together beforehand with their fingers. You want to encourage value changes and soft gradations which is a typical characteristic of the Analytical Cubist style. We used Pentel brand oil pastels; I also really like the Crayola portfolio brand- they are very soft and creamy and ideal for blending.

"Three Macarons"

Here are some results from a Grade 7/8 class.

Ta da!

"Three Chocolates"

"Three Clocks"

"Three Strawberries"

Costume Collage



Elizabethan



This is a collage project in which students need to research the traditional folk costumes or fashions of a country or culture of their choice. After choosing an outfit, they translate it into a paper collage. I usually do this project with Grades 9 and higher. Here's how we made them:

I have a bunch of photocopies from an old vintage book showing traditional folk costumes and the fashions of different time periods that I let the kids look at. It's easier, though, to have students research for costumes on the internet and then print out a picture full size in black and white. Students can also choose to illustrate a time period (for example, Roman, Egyptian, or the Elizabethan period). I find maybe half the class chooses to do a costume from their own cultural background, and the other half chooses a culture they are simply interested in. But there's always a wide variety.

So here's my example- I show students step-by-step as the whole process is a bit finicky.

(at least the way I do it is! ha!)

So here's my photo that I'll refer to in order to create my collage- it's from an old calendar- 16th century Spanish formal dress.

On a white sheet of paper, re-draw the image in a very simplified manner, looking for the general shapes. I don't include super small details nor facial features. This is going to be my pattern or template, just like in sewing. Then I number each shape according to what type of paper I'm going to use. So, as you can see below, for example, there are two # 4 shapes- they will be the same paper. Once it's all numbered, I like to make a photcopy of everyone's plan, so they have a back-up sheet.

During this time, I lay out an assortment of papers for the students to rifle through for ideas.

I've used: painted paste papers, scrap colored paper, patterned origami paper, doilies (useful for lace), magazines, marbled papers, etc. This is a great project for using up all your saved paper scraps. Also have a few tones of skin colours.



paste paper, doilies



Ok- then you cut apart all the shapes, and use them as a template to trace over your chosen paper. This is the fiddly part, especially if you have really small pieces. I have to say, the kids always just seem to figure this out and learn by trial and error. Between classes, I have students save their pieces in a plastic page protector or manila envelope and paper clip pieces together if necessary. To assemble, well, it's rather like a jigsaw puzzle- re-assemble all the pieces onto a heavy sheet of colored paper.

Refer to the original plan sheet. Use a glue stick for adhesive.

don't lose any pieces!

Here's a couple more of of the template plans...

Here are some Grade 9/10 results:

Ta-da!



Swedish




Roman: this student hot glued on a small stone to match the pose of the original photo.





Japanese

 



Elizabethan

   


18th century France



Italy or Malta..



detail showing the various types of paper including paste paper, doily, and origami paper