What Is It?

This is a post I published originally in November 2010.
Enjoy--


It is shaving cream! I had too much fun doing this project with 2nd grade. I couldn't wait until they got to my room. They were going to love this technique.

The class before this one I had them practice drawing fall leaves on manila paper. The final leaves were drawn again on manila paper; and then traced with a Sharpie marker.

 The next class period we reviewed 'warm colors'. Then I sprayed cheap Barbasol shaving cream right on to the table. Most of the kids have used it to spread on a table and write in it. But I spritzed thinned tempera paint (liquid watercolor is preferred) onto the shaving cream! Right on top! They were surprised to see that move.
As you can see we laid the paper directly down on to the top of the paint/cream.
Gently we used just our finger tips to help the paper make contact with the paint. No smashing or you get a huge mess! :)
Carefully peel the paper off of the cream and lay down in a clean spot. Hold the paper with one finger and use a plastic paint scrapper (3 for $2) to "shovel" off the cream. I used the phrase "shoveling off" since it is  like shoveling snow away from you. The paper doesn't get very wet just damp so the kids can
easily carry it over to the dry rack.
Now some tips!

• I used manila but white has a brighter color when it dries.
• I spritzed the paper until they said "stop". They could use any combination of red, orange, yellow or brown.
• Cheap WM spray bottles quit working after a while. So we had to use it like a dropper. Still looked cool.
• Cleans up with a wet sponge.
• After each print you need to recreate a bumpy texture with the cream. The paint is not suppose to cover the whole picture, just in spots.
• You can still do this if you travel. Keep the shaving cream in an aluminum pan covered with foil and take it with you!

I originally saw this done at the KAEA Fall Conference in Hutchinson 2009. But I am sad to say I didn't get a chance to try it last year. This year 2010 I attended another KAEA Fall Conference in Manhattan on printmaking and this was shown again. I just love those KAEA teachers and how they share their work!

Give it a try, you'll like it, I promise!

Peace-

Just a Few More

When this post gets published I will still have another week of school left. Now I know a lot of you don't get out until June but here in the Midwest that is late. But since construction was running late we didn't start until Sept. 7th, last fall. Between cutting inservice days, and adding time to the end of each day we made up the three weeks we needed to get our required days in for the year.

Starting about April 1st I started thinking June would never get here. Now as I write this it's finally May. My hope is it will fly by fast. But those darn kids don't want to do much this time of year. Testing is done, the weather has warned up and stayed warm and they are feeling it. Hope we can all survive each other.....

Here are a couple last shots of what we have done the last month.

1st Grade

1st Grade

3rd Grade Letters

4th grade X-Ray hands in pastels

Thankgoodness for Pumpkin Pie!

I love, love, love this kindergarten project. I started doing it three years ago and I do it every year.   One reason I love it is it has circle, square, rectangle, triangle and pattern in one project! I start early so I can do a different part each day.

 First we talk about how to make orange and I put a squirt of red and yellow tempera right on the paper plate. They mix it together and cover the whole plate right up to the edge.

 The next class we trace a large circle and design our plate. The third class we cut our piece of pumpkin pie, and glue crumpled tissue paper, or in a pinch brown paper towel, for the crust. You can also glue the piece of pie to the plate on this day. The last class we cut strips of paper into squares and make a pattern with them around the edge of our place mat. Glue the plate with the pie on it to the place mat and Voila! done. They look so cute hanging or sitting around. I make sure they take them home in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Revealed!

Revealed!
Here is the result of the painting lesson I gave you a peek of the other day.

I just love the way my 2nd grade did on this project!  Since this picture we have added drawings of things around the camp and mini canoes. I am having so much fun!

Just a Peek!

More to come later!

This is what I love---

Such talented people! Check out this video from "the art teacher's guide to the internet". Let me know what you think!