Fine Arts Night

My last Fine Arts Night at Shadowbriar took place last Thursday. This has been an end of year tradition at our school for the last 4 years and I hope that the next art teacher will be enthusiastic about continuing the tradition after I'm gone.

Here are the four bulletin boards where I displayed 4th and 5th grade art made this Spring. If you click on the images, you can get a better look at the individual pieces.

The other photos are some of my favorite "Artists in a Box" and the Modern Mona in an Old Navy shirt is one of my most favorites in the entire show.

Art Scopes

The third graders made "Art Scopes" in my class a few weeks ago to take on their annual trip to the Museum of Fine Arts. An Art Scope is sort of like a telescope, but it's used for looking at art. Basically, it's just a decorated toilet paper tube, but used with a little imagination, it can be a lot of fun in the museum. I went on the field trip to the MFA last week with the third grade and they were so cute with their little Art Scopes hanging from their neck and holding them like a telescope while looking at the paintings.

Shadowboxes at Shadowbriar

This is a miniature room that I made from a Capri Sun box. I made this last fall as an example when my fifth graders were doing a similar project. I spent an entire weekend making this and had the best time!
This spring my fifth graders are doing another shoebox project that I call "Artist in a Box." Guess which artist this fifth grader is doing... This student is doing a John Newsom box also. She was one of the students who actually got to meet John last year when he spent the day in my classroom as a "guest artist". Notice the books and pencil on his blue desk.This is the John Newsom box I made as an example for the assignment. It's not finished in this picture, so you can still see the uncovered cereal box This is the back of my John Newsom box...

You Are What You Eat - Day 3

Here are the two fruit and veggie portraits finished! After the faces were colored, students cut them out, glued them to a color-coordinated sheet of construction paper and then cut out again.

Teacher Appreciation Portraits

My fourth and fifth grade art students drew portraits of teachers at school for a "Teacher Appreciation" bulletin board. Here is my portrait, drawn by one of my fifth grade girls. I think it's so cute and is a good likeness.

You Are What You Eat - Day 2

Here are the drawings after the students had another day to work on them. Today they outlined their drawings and began adding color. Next, they are going to cut out the face, mount it to construction paper, and cut away the construction paper to leave a border around the edge.

I don't think the chin is wheat afterall...it looks more like spinach now. I love the carrot hair! I love the symmetry and balance in this drawing and I like how the student drew the fruits and vegetables large, leaving very little extra space

You Are What You Eat - Day 1

This week my 5th grade students have been looking at Guiseppe Arcimboldo portraits and then making their own portrait using only fruits and vegetables. These are two great examples that were started today. I'll post their progress until they are complete.

I love the wheat chin in this one... I love the strawberries in this one...

My classroom

Here is my awesome classroom. I have spent many many hours here during the last 3 years (my first two years teaching were in a different classroom). This has been a special place to me and I hope the next art teacher enjoys it as much as I have. My favorite part of the room is the art history timeline that goes around the room near the ceiling. Also notice the lovely tulip painting on the right painted by my sweetie last year when he spent the day with me at school as the "guest artist from New York." I never told the kids that he was also my boyfriend becuase I wanted the focus to be on the fact that he was an artist and not "Ms. Trout's boyfriend!" It was funny to see their reaction when they noticed the picture of John and me on my desk. They would say, "Ms. Trout! Is that you with John Newsom the artist?!" And then they would ask suspisciously, "So is he your boyfriend?" It was really cute.
This is the artist's library. Guess whoooo painted the owl? I LOVE that owl painting!
Here is another beautiful painting that John was so kind to paint for my classroom. I absolutely love the ladybugs (and so do the kids!) I also turned one of my chalkboards into a "Surreal Gallery" and "Curation Station". Students can create a surreal scene using magnets I made from magazine pictures (this idea was borrowed from MAQ-Mobile Arts Quest) or curate an exhibit with magnetized mini artworks.
My desk is in the corner.My art club painted the ceiling tiles last year.