October goodies...Spooky Trees, Nighttime pumpkins & Mama Spiders

We've been very busy in the art room!  October was filled with all things fall and spooky!  In first grade, we made Nighttime Pumpkins.    In second grade, we worked to finish our Louise Josephine Bourgeois "Mama" spiders and in a few third grade classes, we created blown paint Spooky Trees.  Below are photos and descriptions of the projects.  Enjoy!


Night time Pumpkins in 1st Grade.  1st Graders learned how to draw Pumpkins in black oil pastels using a "segmenting method" building from a center oval and drawing curved lines down on each side to create segments.  They then added stems and drew two leaves on their paper.  Students learned how to use Primary colors (yellow, red, blue) to make Secondary Colors (Orange and Green).
They painted their pumpkins and leaves yellow then added Red to their pumpkins to make Orange mixing their paint directly on the paper.  After cleaning their brushes, students added blue to their leaves to make green.  When their paintings were dry, students cut out their pumpkins and leaves and glued them down to black paper.  Using white, brown and green chalk, they added highlights, stems, vines, a moon and stars.  Some students added extra details like a fence or even a rocket ship! Aren't these just gorgeous?

Second Grade Mama Spiders:  Students used Sculpture Wire, tissue paper, Mod Podge, newspaper, googlie eyes and pipe cleaners to create these whimsical spiders.

Students learned about Louise Josephine Bourgeois- a  French/American sculptor who's Bronze Spider sculptures were 30 feet high and 33 feet wide!  Ms. Bourgeois made these sculptures as an ode to her mother who passed away when she was 21 years old.  Ms. Bourgeois felt her mother was like a spider because she was a weaver, protector, and very cleaver (like a spider).    My room is currently over run with more than 100 spiders but it's quite exciting! Every child who enters my room comments on them.   Here are a few examples of the Second Grader Spiders.   I will post more photos as I begin displaying them.  Some will come home and some will be kept for display at the end of year art show.

Third Grade Spooky Trees:  Students in 3rd Grade learned how to create a water color wash using yellow and red water colors to create a fall sunset background.  After their backgrounds were dry, students used watered down tempera paint and straws to blow spooky trees.  Some students added trees higher up on the paper to give the feeling of depth to their compositions.  Additional details such as bats, spiders, witches, ghosts, etc. were added using a black Sharpie Makers.  I love the way the students solved problems (trees to short, trunks too thick) and their imaginations to create these fun works of art.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!