Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Here is a bit of information on the next trip that I am planning to Costa Rica.  This is a trip for students and is activity based.  This is not a trip for couch potatoes! We will be hiking, kayaking, white water rafting, zip lining, etc...

If you would like additional information about the trip please contact me. 

http://www.eftours.com/preview-tour.aspx?gt=589116

Annual 3rd Grade Art Symposium

Mrs. Judy Parker singing a traditional Japanese song with the students.

3rd Annual Art Symposium

Jan. 25th was the first day of our four day Art Symposium.  Designed specifically for 3rd grade, this event brings together all students from our three schools.

This year our theme is Asian Art & Culture.  We have four different artists participating:

Tom Baumgardner- Kimono Kites

Judy Parker- Japanese Carp Banners

Allison Cooney- Dancing Dragons

Louisa Yee- Chinese Brush Painting

Pittsburgh Glass Center

Recently, I had an opportunity to take a class at the Pittsburgh Glass Center.  What a fabulous place!  So much to learn and so little time to do it.  I took the 3 in 1 Combo class and spent a Saturday hopping from studio to studio (2 hours in each studio-not much time to get too fancy).

http://www.pittsburghglasscenter.org/index.aspx


I started in the flame shop and learned how to make a glass pendant.  Our instructor was wonderful and sadly, I have already forgotten her name.  Oh how the brain ages!  It was so much harder than I expected but I managed to complete mine (with a little assistance of course) and it came out surprisingly well.  Here is a photo (sorry not the best photo) of the finished piece. 

HOT SHOP
Next, it was off to the hot shop!  Yes!!! Really, who is not interested in working with hot glass?!  A few years ago while teaching at the Senior High School I invited artist Brody Shaw in to do a 10 day residency with my students.  So I was fortunate to have had an opportunity to make a paper weight before.  So this is my third paper weight. Nick was my instructor at Pittsburgh Glass Center and he did a great job-patient and kind.  There was a lot of activity in the hot shop-many folks renting the studio and turning out some beautiful pieces.

Here is a little info about Brody...
http://www.etsy.com/people/brodyshawglass

My last stop- learning how to do fused glass pieces.  Having done a good bit of stained glass before, this was a little easier for me.  Cutting glass and all is second nature.  So with a little instruction and a solid hour and a half of work time, I set about cutting small pieces of glass and creating a simple pattern.  I have a blue and orange theme going on throughout my day. 

This one was just a fun little last minute throw together project: 

I spent a good bit of time on this one, cutting and laying out the colors. 

This is a trivet:

I have always been fascinated by fused and slumped glass and have done a good bit of research on the technique.  Sadly, the kilns we have at school are much older and it is impossible to hold the kiln at a specific temperature (which is necessary for glass) and so I have never had an opportunity to try this.  I do hope to go back to the PGC and do some slumping!  Sooner rather than later ;)

Candy Canes

Candy Cane Drawings

Our Candy Cane drawings illustrate SPACE by using overlapping.  My second grade students are learning to overlap. They are trying to remember that when things overlap that means we cannot see what is behind an object; our object or candy cane is not invisible.  We talk about how to show something is in front of another thing correctly.

I asked each student to draw at least 8 candy canes.  3 had to overlap.

Needle Felting Workshop

Briony Jean Foy demonstrating wet felting to the group.

Needle Felting Workshop at

Society for Contemporary Crafts in Pittsburgh

On Jan. 17, the GLSD art teachers had the opportunity to take a workshop at the Society for Contemporary Crafts (SCC) in the Strip District in Pittsburgh.  We worked with a few other area teachers and the artist Briony Jean Foy to learn Needle Felting techniques. 

It was a great day to learn and practice new techniques and interact with art teachers from other districts. 

Click here to see a few of the pieces that the GLSD art teachers created, pieces from the other teachers and pieces created by Briony.
http://www.glsd.k12.pa.us/751610923222257610/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=63075


To learn more about SCC:
http://www.contemporarycraft.org/The_Store/Splash.html

To learn more about Briony Jean Foy:
http://www.brionyfoy.com/



My work:

Name Aliens

Name Aliens

My 3rd grade students are having a blast practicing cursive handwriting in a creative way.  We are making Name Aliens.  This is also a great example of symmetry. 

To create your Name Alien you will need a 12 x 18 inch piece of drawing paper. 

1. Fold it in half long ways (like a hot dog bun).

2. Write your name in cursive on the center fold line.  Press hard with the pencil.

3. Fold it back in half and rub on the outside transferring the pencil lines to the other side of the paper.

4. Open and go over the lines with your pencil again.

5. Trace with a sharpie marker. 

6. Add silly eyes, nose, mouth, ears, feet, hands, etc.

7. Color with markers or crayons.

More to come.....