Matisse Paper Cutouts (2016)

This is a favorite project for me that will probably be a repeat every year---it's a good way to get my 2nd graders to just relax! Check out my previous posts for this project here and here.

Made a few big changes to the project including a pretty big emphasis on geometric and organic shapes and using glue sponges.

I Can tell you something about the artist Henri Matisse.

I Can cut organic and geometric shapes.

I Can identify and sort organic and geometric shapes.

Day 1:

Introduced Matisse with this great video!

Then we looked at his artwork and discovered that he used a lot of shapes and dived into organic vs geometric. After we talked about organic and geometric shapes, they paired up with dry erase boards and I put different shapes up on the SMART board and they had to identify them as organic or geometric. After a few rounds of that,  I showed them my example and told them to start cutting (without much instruction) and gave them a large envelope to keep pieces in.

Day 2:

Reviewed organic and geometric shapes using Plickers (USE IT, you only need 1 device!). As a review of Matisse they filled out their artist book pages,which have gotten a little revamp from last year. I'll update on those soon. After their page was filled out I showed them my demo of cutting a variety of shapes and sizes in different ways to get their wheels turning. They spent the rest of the time cutting away and adding to what they already had cut last time with reminders to be cutting both organic and geometric.

Day 3:

Reviewed the shapes with a little shape sorting as a whole class using laminated shapes. Then they heard a Matisse book that I highly reccommend. Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter, found here on Amazon.

After the story we watched my demo video of arranging and gluing and talked about composition. "Bad" examples are always important during this step for my kiddos to really understand what makes a composition work (and not work). 

The second big change for the project was using glue sponges to assemble their artworks. It made a HUGE difference in craftsmanship and glue amounts...i'll NEVER go back for this project.  Not everyone finished gluing so I had them toss out or take with their extra paper that they weren't using on their projects and only had them put the pieces they were using on their projects back into their envelopes. 

Love this little section--started off as a gun (a no go!) and transformed into a spigot! 

Day 4:

Students who didn't finish last time had time to finish and we wrapped up by filling out part 2 of our artist book page and filling out a rubric for the project that included a shape assessment. Check it out, let me know what you think. My elementary art team has been working super hard on developing rubrics this year...

Love love love love LOVE this project. The color! The shapes! The movement! They just can't go wrong...

Matisse Paper Cut-Outs with 2nd Grade (2015)

In my new district, Elementary Art curriculum for 2nd graders focuses on artists and art history. To kick this year off I started with Matisse. There is just something about all his artwork, from paintings to paper cut-outs, that elementary students enjoy. I think color is a big part of it but his artwork is also almost all positive and when they find out his life story (i.e. the wheelchair) my students get really inspired.

You can see my original post of my first time with this project here.

I did make a few changes including changing the background paper to a color of their choice, not reading/ watching When Pigasso Met Mootise (I'll save that for Picasso), and instead reading them this new book in my collection Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter, found here on Amazon.

We still watched this AWESOME video.

And played with this website on the SMART Board.

This is an amazing project for watching students explore and create. I don't give any limitations for cutting, gluing or dimensions as long as the paper color doesn't match and they use the entire paper. Because of this, and the idea that they can literally do nothing wrong, they EXUDE confidence during this project. A great project and feeling to start the year with.

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...