April Art Update!

Welcome back to the Westlawn Art Blog for another art room update! There will only be one (maybe two) more updates before the school year comes to a close. It has been, and continues to be a pleasure to teach your children, something I don't take for granted. I hope they are enjoying what they are doing in art class and are teaching you a little something too ;)

This past month we did some recycling and reusing by creating two projects from empty t.p. and paper towel rolls. The 2nd grade students made some Pop Art Popsicles and the 4th graders are still in the midst of creating Telescopes for their upcoming 4th grade musical. Thank you to those of you who sent in those items! We are set for now ☺

Speaking of recycling and creating art out of cardboard... did you hear the Westlawn Cardboard Challenge is happening again this year? What a neat opportunity to have fun making an original art creation! I believe the deadline for sign ups is May 13th. Have your kids sign up if you haven't already!

NEWLY on display in the front hallway of Westlawn are two third grade projects... Collagraph Prints and Warm and Cool Agamographs. Two of my favorite projects I teach ☺ Check them out below...

Collagraph Prints featuring Ms. Ingham's 3rd grade class

 Warm and Cool Agamographs featuring Ms. Beebout's 3rd grade class

Don't forget to check out YOUR child's grade to see what they've been up to! See you back here at the end of May. Chow for now ☺

March Art Update!

Hello and happy spring break everyone! If you are not laying out on a beach somewhere (oh how I wish I was), I hope you are at least enjoying some extra quality time with your family and are finding some time for rest and relaxation from your normal routine. I'm glad you're here to take a look at what the kids have been up to in art during the month of March. Our biggest art related event during this past month was the Cedarburg Cultural Center Student Gallery of Art that started on March 13th! If you have not made it over there to see the artwork from the Cedarburg schools, as well as some of the other schools in the area, you need to go! You will not be disappointed! Of course there is also professional artwork around the perimeter of the gallery, so LOTS to see, from all ages!☺Congratulations to those Westlawn students whose artwork was selected to be on display! Check out pictures from the art gallery opening on the "Art Shows" section of the blog!

Westlawn art display at the Cedarburg Cultural Center Gallery of Student Art

Other displays that have been featured in the front hallway of Westlawn during the month of March include the following...

Clay Picture Frames featuring Ms. Laux's 2nd grade class 

(put up over spring break and will stay up for most of March)

Henri Rousseau Inspired Jungles featuring Mrs. Huber's 2nd grade class

Clay Coil Mugs featuring Mr. Noel's 4th grade class

THANK YOU to the handful of families that donated disinfectant wipes! We are set ☺

If others are in the mood to donate as well, we are still in need of sponges and candy (for class rewards). Also... EMPTY TOILET PAPER ROLLS!!! The second grade students are beginning their "Pop Art Popsicle" art project and need more toilet paper rolls to create the popsicles. I have some, but need more! Those can either be delivered directly to me or dropped off in the paper bag outside of the art room door. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your help ☺

As always, please visit your child's grade to see more pictures and updates. Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you around school!

February Art Update!

Welcome to March! Glad you stopped in to take a look at what the students did in art class during the month of February. WOW... it's been a crazy month. The students and I have been awfully busy, particularly with the creation and completion of all the space themed projects that were on display for this year's Westlawn carnival! Between displaying those projects, preparing for our art and music 5th grade field trip, choosing and prepping artwork for two art shows, and maintaining all other day to day tasks, I am wiped, to say the least! But... it's all worth it when I see the joy on a student's face when their artwork is on display for all to see, or hearing from a parent how much their child enjoys art class and how much they've grown as an artist. Comments like that mean the world to me, so thank you for your continued support in your child's education and and interest in their involvement in the arts.
Please check out your child's grade to see lots of pictures and descriptions about what took place during the month of February.

Other News:

• If you are at all interested in helping out in the art room, please email me! I often need extra help and am so grateful to have willing and available volunteers!
• We can use some of the following items in the art room if you are willing to donate them... disinfectant wipes, sponges, and candy (for occasional classroom rewards).

Below are some pictures highlighting our busy, but fun, month of February...

Westlawn 5th graders at the Harley Davidson Museum on their combined art and music field trip!

Westlawn artwork on display in the Cedarburg District Board Room.

3-D artwork at the District Board Room

5th grade space craft sculptures on display for the Westlawn carnival!

Some more artwork from the WL carnival... pictured here are 4th grade space chalk drawings!

December/January Art Update!

Thank you for visiting the Westlawn Art Blog to check out what the students have been up to in the art room during the months of December and January! Many of the art projects from these previous months were multi-step projects that took a number of classes to complete. There were also the occasional classes where the students would spend some time working in their sketchbooks (always a valuable use of time!), taking an assessment related to their unit of study, or doing a one day seasonal project to break up their longer term projects. We continue to have lots of fun in the art room and the students continue to impress me with their hard work, creativity, and overall great behavior. They make my job a joy! Please take a look at what your students have been up to by clicking on their grade!

Pictured below are the Westlawn art displays that have been up since the last art update...

Catching Snowflakes featuring Mrs. Sheppard's Kindergarten Class

Clay Snowmen featuring Mrs. Spaeth's 1st Grade class

Sketchbooks featuring a variety of 2nd-5th grade students

When I Grow Up Self-Portraits featuring Mrs. McCalmont's 1st Grade Class

Coming soon...

5th Grade Hero Prints

3rd Grade Creative Color Wheels

4th Grade Clay Coil Mugs and Vases

And...

SPACE themed artwork by ALL of the students that will be displayed at the Westlawn Carnival on February 20th!

Speaking of the Westlawn Carnival...

I will be entering a watercolor painting of Westlawn into the auction! The auction item will be a 11.75x36 inch print of the original painting that I gifted Dr. Sanders when he retired last year. There will only be ONE copy for sale... so don't forget to enter your bid!

Speaking of Dr. Sanders...

Have you heard he published a book? I actually had the honor of illustrating it and to see it printed in book form is SO COOL! Below is the link to the book as well as an article written about PJ and his collection of stories. Dr. Sanders is an avid hunter and his book contains stories of his adventures (and misadventures) with his beloved dog Josie. Who knew our formal principal had such a gift of writing?! There are even rumors that he will be writing more in the future... possibly a children's series?!

http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-According-Josie-Between-Hunting/dp/1515388352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450577262&sr=8-1&keywords=the+Gospel+According+to+Josie

 https://townnewstoday.com/pj-sanderss-the-gospel-according-to-josie-signing-book-talk-thursday-evening/?area=grafton-cedarburg

Thanks for stopping by! We'll "see" you again at the end of February!

Coming soon... December/January Art Update!

Due to a a shortened month of December (with winter break) and the fact that all students are still in the midst of their current projects, the next art update will be December and January combined. Please check back at the end of January to see a bunch of pictures and descriptions about happenings in the art room. See you then!

November Art Update!

What a wonderful month of November it was! I hope everyone had an excellent Thanksgiving and enjoyed some precious time with family and loved ones!

Thanks for stopping by to see what has taken place in the Westlawn art room during the month of November! During this last month, the kindergarten students combined shapes and creative thinking, the 1st grade students revealed what it is they would like to be when they grow up, and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students completed their personalized sketchbooks made from paper bags. A HUGE THANKS to PIGGLY WIGGLY in Cedarburg for donating enough paper bags for all the 2nd-5th grade students!!!

If you didn't get a chance to stop by school to check out the artwork on display, Ms. Emmer's 5th grade class had their beautiful American Flag Paintings hanging on the bulletin board, and all the kindergarten students had their Patriotic Pinwheels hanging from the ceiling in honor of Veteran's Day (thank you to Mrs. McManus, Mrs. Pelikan, and Mrs. Klein for helping with the display)! Mrs. VanGroll's 4th grade class replaced the American Flags with their breathtaking Georgia O'Keefe Inspire Landscape Paintings!

If you wish to see more from your child's grade, simply click on the tabs at the top of the blog!

Ms. Emmer's 5th Grade American Flag Paintings and Kindergarten Patriotic Pinwheels

Mrs. VanGroll's 4th Grade Georgia O'Keefe Inspired Landscape Paintings

October Art Update!

Wow! A lot has been going on in the art room this month! If you have not been asking your kids what they have been doing in art class lately, you will be able to see the evidence of their hard work right here! Pumpkins, scarecrows, and leaves, oh my! That's just a few of the projects too! Please click on your child's grade to see more pictures and descriptions of projects from this month! Thanks so much for stopping by, and don't forget to check back in at the end of November to see what happens next in the Westlawn art room!! :)

This month the kindergarten students and Mrs. Snieg's first grade class have their artwork on display at Westlawn!

Kindergarten Pinch Pot Pumpkins!

First Grade Scarecrows!