Cat and Fish........

If you have never come across the picture story book "Cat and Fish" by Neil Curtis & Joan Grant you just have to get your hands on it. The illustrations are all out of this world. The detail is exquisite and all done using only black and white. It is a fantastic book to read to the Year 4 students to show that by using a reduced pallet of black and white you can achieve anything. Below is the picture storybook and above and way below are my students drawings. They could choose either cat or fish and either work black on white or reversed. We discussed line and pattern as well detail. They all achieved a very dramatic result and were extremely proud of the end results! 

Scratch foam fish...

These prints are the work of my crafty little Year 1 students. The theme was fish and the 4 scratch foam prints above are just a sample of their interesting ideas that they decided to print up. Just their ideas are just so pure and innocent. I hope you admire them as much as i do!

A few more etchings......

These are just 3 more perspects etchings created by my fabulously talented Year 5 students. I think each one captures a moment brilliantly. The line work and detail show much commitment to the medium. I am rather proud of the designs achieved!

The Bar- John Brack and 3.2 million dollars!

The Bar- 1954 (above)

I was lucky enough on Friday to attend a full day Pd at the NGV- Federation Square. Any day where i get to be away from school and not teaching but learning in my books is a plus. I spent the day surrounded by the tranquil walls of the gallery immersed in art and while i was there i had to pop up to level 2 to see the galleries latest acquisition. After the galleries fight to obtain this John Brack masterpiece- 'The Bar' last year and was out bided, it finally reigned supreme and bought the painting for 3.2 million on Thursday. Right now it sits on the wall next to his other probably most famous (and a huge favorite of mine)- Collins St, 5pm- 1955. (image below) I am a massive fan of this brilliant Australian artist and can't wait to get to the John Brack exhibition from the 24th April to the 9th August 2009 at the NGV- Federation Square.  (check out the link) This being the first retrospective in 20 years it shall be so worth the wait! And seeing as it opens on my birthday, surely that must be a good sign.........

Latin American Grand Final- 1969 (above)
Men's Wear - 1953 (above)
Junior Latin American - 1969 (above) 

Crazy Houses means Lino Cuts.....

All Year 6 students deserve a chance to get to know the artists / architects Antonio Gaudi and Hundertwasser! Two of the most intriguing and inspiring  men that ever walked the earth. Both visionaries and ahead of their time when it comes to design and construction, just getting your head around their works can blow your imagination into another dimension!

So once i introduced the students to both artists and their work i set about getting them to come up with their own crazy house designs in pencil. I came up with 4 examples (above) in texta of what i would carve in lino. Students then transferred their designs onto lino cuts and off they went. After a demo on how to hold the carving tool, safety, how to carve, different effects each student went about their own lino. One out of a possible 90 students cut themselves! I think that is a fantastic outcome. I must be a master teacher.............. below are just a few examples of their lino cuts, enjoy!!! 

Etchings inspired by Edvard Munch...

"The Scream"- by Edvard Munch 1893 (above). Here below i gave my students a quick demo on how lines and movement in an artwork can make your eye travel and draw you into their world without words......

These are my Year 5 students who after studying Munch and his highly evocative artwork- "The Scream" were inspired to etch their own grief stricken soul in the world. The students were challenged and each were pushed to the limit when it came to line and evoking emotion through background and tone. The works look spectacular!

An excellent example above- this student really excelled! 

Creatures of the Night......

These devilishly ghoulish drawings were produced by my very cheeky Year 1 students. We brainstormed many different ideas of what creeps around at night and what lives in the night. Vampires, ghosts, ghouls, fairies, elves, witches, goblins, black cats and owls were just some of the ideas floating around. These are just four of the delightfully cool images drawn with white ink on black cartridge by them. Next Gel fx pencils were used to add colour to the night of horror.............. students loved this activity! 

Looking For Crabs?

These delightful 3D pop up crabs were made by my fave Year 1 Class. We first read the picture story book- "Looking for Crabs" together. They had to trace the shaped body/ shell and create/ draw their own feet and nippers/ craws. Once drawn and embellished, they were cut out, folded and stuck to another background so the crabs shell became 3D. I was looking for colour, pattern and shape. The students had quite a challenge a head of them but here are 3 examples of the bright crabs they created. I thought they did an exquisite job!