Drawing with Scissors

Sorry for being MIA! I have been busy getting the year underway with projects and activities! I started the year off with a collaborative hand project and an adventure to the Museum to get us inspired for our first all school theme of Art History inspired projects!

Matisse is probably one of my favorite artists just for his use of color. One of the lessons I remember most from student teaching that my cooperating teacher did was a Matisse paper cutting one. After seeing these beauties on Pinterest via Drip, Drip, Splatter Splash, I knew I had to try my hand at it with 1st and 2nd graders.

I can statements for this project: I can "draw with scissors" like the famous artist Henri Matisse.

Before Project Day 1: 1st grade finished their school museum activity early so we did an all class activity where I gave them some old, terribly faded, paper and challenged them to cut different shapes. I didn't let them keep anything as a way to practice not being invested in your art to the extreme.

The rest is the same for 1st and 2nd grade...
Day 1: Did a little intro about Matisse and watched one my FAVORITE books When Pigasso Met Mootise.

We also had a nice discussion about how Matisse must have felt when he found out he was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Pretty awesome when six and seven year olds can connect with humans so innocently...

Then I shared with them what we were going to create and that the only similarity in our art works was going to be the direction of our paper. I showed them how to make a swirl and reminded them how to cut something from the center of their paper. Then the scrap paper boxes went out and they got cutting! No pencil allowed :) They got a large manila envelope to keep their pieces in for next time.

Day 2: Did a small review about Matisse then watched another AMAZING YouTube find! Apparently this series is Italian (I think!) and only a few have been translated including van Gogh and Pollock. Which is a shame! They are a great resource and perfect language for elementary!

After the video I did a demonstration about composition with pieces I had cut. We talked about three main things...not too much of one color by each other, connecting pieces to others, and not piling them all on. They had to arrange everything before they could glue. Some kiddos in the first class used glue stick (even though I advised against it) and their projects fell apart so glue sticks were put away for the other classes!

Really love these, and my kiddos who really struggle with drawing and coloring were really successful and I could see the love of art back in their eyes!

McDill Elementary...

These two contrast each other so well :)

Jefferson Elementary...