Original Works

Original Works orders are due back this week! Thanks to these students for helping stuff the envelopes and sort the art!

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Thanks to these kids for their help getting our @originalworks1989 packets ready to send home! @faystonschool

A post shared by Nora (@artclass_allday) on Oct 21, 2019 at 5:40am PDT

Zentangle Landscapes

What is a Zentangle?

Zentangle is a way of creating drawn art from repetitive patterns. It increases focus, mindfulness and creativity. This process should connect body and mind and help the artist feel relaxed and present, similar to a state of meditation.  I feel that it is an important art tool to teach at the beginning of the school year.  This technique of careful, focused drawing can help students (and teachers!) deal with stress and find focus when it is most needed.  

There are many ways to draw a Zentangle. Click here to learn more about the Zentangle Method. Click here to watch some Zentangle techniques on YouTube. 


Fifth and sixth graders created Zentangle Landscapes for their Original Works submissions. We used Sharpie markers, Crayola Super Tips markers, Crayola watercolor pencils and regular colored pencils.

Matisse Goldfish Collage by Grades Three and Four

Third and fourth graders looked at Henri Matisse's Goldfish painting as inspiration for their Original Works Fundraiser collages.  We started by painting a variety of colored paper using different watercolor techniques.  Then we used crayons to create a patterned background using watercolor resist.  We looked at several examples of Matisse's paintings and collages for inspiration for the patterns and colors of the background and shapes to include in our collages.  

Painted paper using liquid watercolor paint, salt, plastic wrap, bubble wrap and other techniques:

Collages inspired by Matisse's Goldfish:

Kindergarten Butterflies inspired by Eric Carle's Collages

Kindergartners are quite familiar with Eric Carle's book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."  It is a favorite moment in this story when the caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly.  Inspired by this transformation and the colorful collage art in Carle's books, Kindergarten artists used tissue paper collage to create their own beautiful butterflies.  These pieces will be used for our Original Works PTO fundraiser.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (360p) from Nasim Bobat on Vimeo.

Tissue collage flowers inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe

For this year's Original Works fundraiser, first and second graders created flowers in the style of Georgia O'Keeffe.  We looked at examples of O'Keeffe's work and close up photographs of different flowers.  Artists imagined themselves as bugs on the flowers to create make sure they filled the page with their creation.  They chose warm or cool colors of tissue paper to fill their flowers, then painted background with tempera in the opposite set of colors.

Here are some examples of Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings and pastel drawings.  Notice how she blends colors and captures the details of each flower. 

This color wheel shows warm and cool colors:  

Here are the flowers made by first and second grade artists: