Mr. Nelson's Art Blog

  This student led printmaking lesson involved us experimenting with gel printing plates and different colors of paint. In this lesson, we were instructed to use the gel printing plates to create many unique shapes and colors using different stencils and prints that were provided. The goal of this lesson was to develop a nature collage using organic and geometric shapes and at least 3 different colors; some cutouts pieces were also supposed to overlap one another in the picture. For my project, I wanted to develop a nature setting that involves a pink and orange sky and a sunset. I included many different colors in my project, ranging from colors like blue and purple to pink and green. I also had many unique shapes, including cutouts of flowers, a bird, and a cow to provide an even greater nature feel to my picture. This project was a very unique one as it was something that I have never done before, but I had a lot of fun taking part in this activity. An extension activity that co...

  This activity was a student led lesson that involved developing a fish using different shapes and colors, as well as using three different kinds of paper folds on our fish and its environment. The lesson, designed for a 4th grade classroom, started off with an introduction into marine biology and the many types of fish that exist in the world. After learning about how fish evolved, we were told to design our own unique fish using different colors of construction paper; we were also given a sheet of blue construction to use as the "background" for the fish's environment. In addition, we were also told to give our fish three different characteristics that describe our created fish. For example, mine had a very unique tail and shape, with sharp fins and gills that make it stand out from other fish. Overall, it was a very fun activity to take part in. An extension activity would be for students to present their fish and determine what fish should be selected as "king o...

  This project, designed for a 4th grade science lesson, combines the color theory, the scientific method, and Jackson Pollack paintings into a very fun activity. With this activity, students are introduced to the scientific method and its importance, as well as reminding them of the color theory. After this, students performed three different experiments that involved the color theory. Students were told to get four pieces of construction paper, two pieces of black or white paper and two pieces of any color they choose. Three rubber bouncy balls and a shoe box were given to the students, and they were then instructed to perform three different color tests using paint; the paint combinations were red and blue, red and yellow, and three colors of their choice. As the tests went on, students filled out a scientific method worksheet to go along with their experiments to help further their understand of the scientific method. To complete the project, students were then asked to create ...

  This project had us create our own personal totem pole using symbols that represent us. It was a lesson designed for a 4th grade classroom. When developing the totem pole, we were instructed to split the pole into three sections and use a combination of colors for each section. One section was supposed to have warm colors, one was supposed to have cool colors, and the last section involved using complementary colors. The top section of the totem pole involved things that I have an interest in, such as movies, music and video games; the complementary colors of red and green were used to make the objects stick out. The middle section showed my large interest in sports, and I used a series of warm colors like red, orange, and yellow for this section. Lastly, the bottom section had the word family and used cool colors like purple, blue, and green to make the section pop out. After completing each section, we were then instructed to glue the top and bottom section into a circle and cu...

This Vincent Van Gogh inspired project involved creating a unique landscape on construction paper. When looking at Van Gogh's paintings, they are very colorful with many unique shapes and landscapes that are the subject for his paintings. For this project, tissue paper was used for a good portion of the activity, helping to add to the landscape. Depending on the type of landscape you want in the picture, tissue paper can be shaped and cut into different forms and then glued down with a gel medium. In the case of my collage, it is set in a country landscape, with a sun setting behind a set of hills with a gray and blue sky outline at the top of the page. Additional pieces of construction paper and crayons help to add to the collage, with lines of white adding to the many hills that exist in the countryside. Students who make a Von Gogh Cityscape college could make a presentation out of it to share with the class. These colleges could be made for a scene from a story, movie, or book;...

This project was a very unique one as it combined a number of different elements to make a very cool and interesting activity inspired called Animal Safari. The start of the activity required us to make ruby rose glasses that would be used to reveal a picture of an animal that will be hidden behind warm colors (red, orange, yellow). After completion of the glasses, we selected a drawing of an animal and had to copy the animal by hand on construction paper by using upside down drawing to complete the picture. Finally, the complete picture will then by covered by different patterns (stars, swirls, etc) that are of warm colors. After covering the picture, the rub rose glasses can then be used to reveal the hidden picture behind the shapes. An extension activity that can be used with this project can involve placing the hidden animals within an ecosystem. Students could develop their own ecosystem, whether it is a rainforest, a desert, a grassland, or a forest, and place certain animals wh...