The Art Beat of MHA

The 6th Grade Invention Convention

2011-05-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

Crafting with Water Bottles

2011-02-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

This week the second grade continued to learn that Kermit was wrong. It is very easy to be green and alot of fun as well! Enjoy the show!

2011-01-12T19:14:00.000-08:00

Today we had a special pre Tu-B'Shvat program for the 2nd and 3rd grade students. They learned about how to recycle and then recycled old newspapers into new paper creations. Just click on the video to view the fun.

The Joy of Mxing

2010-11-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

One of the most enjoyable aspects of doing a painting is mixing up the colors that you will use. I don't need to elaborate on this. The video below speaks for itself. It shows our kindergarten working on their "Portraits with Landscape Backgrounds." Each child was given an egg carton pallet with only 5 or six colors. Enjoy the show!

Painting on Torn Paper

2010-10-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Painting on torn paper offers the artist a chance to add interesting texture and pattern into her painting using a unique process.
After choosing the frame for her project, each student carefully took it apart and removed the cardboard. The glass and frame were set aside and the cardboard was prepared with a coat of Mod Podge. The girls chose pieces for their background from a wide selection of papers, old books and wall paper samples. These pieces wore hand torn and adhered to the cardboard using more Mod Podge. Then the second layer was added using paint, tissue paper and even more Mod Podge. Paper towels were used for blotting, wiping and also to add texture.
The hardest part of the project was waiting for the complicated paper design to dry so that they could paint on the surface. During this time the students thought about the subject for their painting and tried out their ideas by making quick sketches in their art journals. When they were ready the girls transferred their ideas onto the prepared surface using tempera paints and collage elements.
The entire process was fun and exciting. Every unique painting is an original delight to the eyes and must be viewed for several minutes to take in all the details of both the subject and fantastic background. The results are now on display in the MHA Sculpture Gallery (located just outside the Teachers’ Room). The sample above was created by Brina Cooper.

The Art of Journaling

2010-10-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Every year, when my older students enter the art room they each receive a shiny red art journal with the words “sketch book” printed on the front. They spend the year filling these books with all kinds of wonderful things such as; information from our lessons, preliminary sketches, ideas that pop into their heads, and even random drawings done just for fun. So why, you wonder, do you never see these shiny red books at the end of the year?

By the time these books make it home they are no longer red or shiny. Journals are personal objects. Though some of the contents may be the handouts I supply, the inside of these books reflect the journey through art that each individual student takes every year. Because these creative experieces are so personal, everyone has the chance to design his own Journal cover. This is no easy task. It requires a great deal of thought to decide what will grace the cover of these books and the students will often spend several sessions getting it just right.

We use a collage method in the art room to create our cover designs. The students begin by sorting through the visual images collection I have available and choose the ones that suit their taste. Glue sticks ad mod podge flow abundantly and so does the chatter as students discuss their ideas with each other and with me. When the images are secure and coated with even more mod podge it is time to hit the collage collection. The decisions are not made easily. The students must choose the right collage elements for their design, but also keep in mind that too many elements will weigh down the cover.

There is no scientific explanation for it, it’s just a gut feeling, but somehow, you can feel when the journal cover is done. When the images are placed just so and there is just the right amount of tissue paper and bling, when you look at the cover and see it completed you can instinctively say “That is MY art journal!” Now it is time for the art journey to begin.

I am very excited about the year ahead. I have so many exciting adventures planned for our children. You can stay updated by visiting my blog: chayfleischhacker.blogspot.com If you can’t wait until the end of the year to see these journals, please feel free to stop by to visit and/or volunteer in the art room.

Please Help Keep The Art Room Green

I have a recycle wish list,that I’m sure some of you already heard about from your children. Each time a child brings me an item from the list she will receive a sticker. Ten stickers will be rewarded with a prize from my treasure box. The items are: Styrofoam egg cartons, paper towel tubes, yogurt containers, the tops from the yo crunch containers, apple sauce and snack fruit cups, crystal lite containers and shoe boxes. Please make sure that the items are clean and in usable condition. Thanks.

2010-10-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

The forks were on the table but no one was eating. That’s because these forks were for painting. During their last art class, the Kindergarten students were introduced to Vincent Van Gogh. Vincent liked to use thick rich paint that he place onto the canvas with very visible strokes. He always used his paint to create texture and movement within his paintings and this gave them an exciting and mysterious quality. After viewing one his most famous pieces, The Starry Night, the students were given the opportunity to create Van Gogh like landscapes as well. They used a special paint that had been thickened up with glue and aside from brushes; they were also given forks to create swirly textures just like Vincent! The results are currently on display just outside the kindergarten room and can be viewed until the end of the month.

Leaning New Ways to Paint

2010-10-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

Seize The Clay Comes To MHA!!!

2010-10-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today the Kindergarten an First Grade students had some very special visitors. The people from Seize the clay came to create Autumn bowls with them. Each child cut out several shapes from huge sheets if clay using steal cookie cutters. They then used those shapes to create an awesome piece of pottery. Adam will be glazing and firing these pieces to make them food safe (breakfast just got better!) We plan to put these delectable works of art on display at the fall festival this month. I hope to see you there!

2010-04-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

The 6th Grade Invention Convention
April 26th, 2010–04–26

Today was a very exciting day for the 6th graders. After learning about Leonardo DaVinci, and his wonderful ideas for inventions, the boys had a discussion about what inventions they could come up with to make the world a more convenient place to live in.
The class was divided into four team. Each team was asked to build a scale model of their invention and to come up with an interesting way to promote it. This afternoon, after two months of work they had the chance to present their idea at our annual Leonardo Davinci Invention Convention. Here is what they came up with…
The Voice Activated Television, invented by Shua Friedman, Aaron Wruble and Dovid Samuels, was created in answer to the question: “I wonder if we could make something that would let us change the channel on out TV without messing up the buttons?” The speakers on the side of the television respond to voice request for channel selection and an earpiece/microphone device can be used to filter out background noise. In case of laryngitis the TV does come with an old fashioned push button remote.
David Silberman and Grant Parker wondered whether they could invent something that would prepare the exact food to satisfy one’s hunger and so the Cravetron 3000 was born. It is a large machine that is attached to a table. You just attach the electrodes to your head and the dish you wish for will appear on the plate in front of you.
Aharon Merazan, Nathan Goren and Marti Lang tried to come up with an effciant way to feed the homeless. The Food Launcher 2000 can launch food capsules into any area. A thumbprint scanner on the food pod eliminates the problem of hoarding and everyone will get just what he or she needs.
Like many multi-taskers of this generation, Nachi Fleischhacker and Shaya Katz wondered if there was a way to use the computer while going for a jog. The CVG (computer, video & GPS) allows you to do just that. This bifocal glasses has a built in computer screen that is voice activated by the speaker located on the side of the glasses. While wearing the glasses the user can access all computer functions as well as watch videos and use the GPS system to find directions for the best jogging route.
The boys energy and creativity really shined through as they presented their inventions with clever skits, commercials and posters. Mrs. Gersten is having a hard time picking the winning invention. You’ll have to wait until next week to find out who that will be.

At The JCC High School Art Exhibit

2010-03-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

On Display

2010-03-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

Our students are out in the real world!
The following students had their artwork on display in the Shainberg Gallery at the JCC from March 4th ‐ March 25th: Brina Cooper, Leah Fleischhacker, Shira Hirschfeld, Sam Rapp, Naomi Samberg and Ariav Schlesinger. Congratulations on all your hard work. Special thanks to Ariav Schlesinger who helped me transport everything to the JCC to set up.

The following students are currently on display until April 4th at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens Mini Masters Exhibet: Akiva Finkelstein, Ethan Morris, Dovid Freiden and Joel Weinstein.

The following students will have their art work ond isplay at the Yom Hashoah Program at the JCC on April 11th: Michelle Bouchard, Rochelle Bouchard, Racheli Brakha, Sarah Broniscer, Brina Cooper, Shifra Ehrenkranz, Nachi Fleischhacker, Avital Heching, Shaya Katz, Sarah Rapp, Eli Sadetsky, Racheli Tsuna and Rachel Winestone. Congratulations on all your hard work.
Special thanks to Avi Katz and Motti Klein for helping me bring all the work over to the Jewish Federation.

A special congratulations to Racheli Tsuna and Brina Cooper for winning first and second place in the Jewish Federation Holocaust Memorial Art Contest.

Green Art

2010-02-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Going green in the art room is very easy. Almost anything can be made into an art project. This past month the second and third graders have been involved in creating toys from found objects.

They were first asked to search for and bring found objects from their homes. A found object is anything that you have laying around that you no longer need. (These "useless" objects can range from bottle caps to old toys or even labels from cans of food.)

After they harvested these objects and bought them to the classroom, they were asked to think about what these things could be repurposed into. We watched a short three and a half minute video about recycled art (see link below) and then the fun began.

Each child was given $5.oo in Van Gogh Dough (fake classroom money) with which to purchase other found objects from my recycle cart. Scissors, glue, paint and collage items were on hand to enhance their projects. The children worked tirelessly to create the perfect toys. This sometimes involved a bit of experimentation until the art work was just right.

The end results were amazing! The children had a great time and I enjoyed watching the wheels turn in their minds as they created their fabulous green toys.

Click the arrow below the photograph to view your children hard at work. You can also follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p08mk5udmNg to view the video that we saw in class.

Found Object Art

2010-02-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

The Junior High Sculpture Experience

2010-01-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

The junior high school girls have just concluded their unit on Patterns in Sculpture. They began by molding sculptures out of clay and continued by creating constructions out of wood. To culminate their experience we took a trip to the Brooks Museum of Art. In the galleries we viewed several sculptures made out from different mediums. Before we left we were treated to a workshop on using model magic and found objects to create works of art. If you would like to view the sculptures created by our students they are on display in the MHAFYOS Sculpture Gallery. Enjoy the show!

2010-01-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

2009-12-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

2009-11-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

The Art of Science

2009-11-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

As Leonardo da Vinci understood, the power of observation is a very important tool in understanding both Art and Science. His books are filled with many notes and drawings of his scientific studies and included a wide range of topics. He would spend hours writing and recording meticulous details such as how facial expressions change to reflect the moods of man or of the anatomy of a birds wing and how it shifts as the bird takes flight. These observations not only helped him both in understanding the natural order of things, but they enabled him to create highly realistic works of art and amazing inventions.
Art and science often go hand in hand. The First Graders have just finished their unit on Portraits in Art. We have learned that a Portrait is a picture of a person, and created Fancy King Portraits in the style of Holbien. We learned that when an artist creates a picture of himself it is called a Self Portrait, and we created Self Portraits in the style of Van Gogh. We learned that Group Portraits include more than one person and we created Family Portraits in the style of Renoir. We even learned about Abstract art and created Grid Portraits in the style of Close and Cubist Portraits in the style of Picasso.
In Science the First Graders have been learning about shadows with Mrs. Henry. They leaned that every shadow must have three things, a light source, an object and a surface.
The Fifth and Sixth Grade Girls have also been learning about portraits. We spent several sessions learning about the proportions of a face and how each subject has his or her own personal features. Using mirrors, and special measuring tools (that they made themselves) they are in the process of creating Portraits in Proportion that include some of their own personal features.
And all of these lessons came together on Thursday, November 12th, when the fifth and sixth grade girls joined the first graders in the Science lab to help them create Shadow Portraits. The first graders’ heads were the objects. The older girls helped them by holding up the light sources and tracing the shadow of their profiles onto the surface (a piece of drawing paper). Then the younger children took the papers and shaded in their portraits and Mrs. Henry mounted them onto black construction paper.
The results are of course wonderful to look at but the lesson learned was even more valuable. Often children separate the subjects they learn in school into different categories and it is our job as teachers to show them how that these subjects relate to each other and to the world around them. Sometimes the connections are obvious, sometimes they need to be pointed out. And sometimes all it takes is a trip to another classroom to see that this is so.

2009-09-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

2009-09-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another wonderful school year. We are having a great time in the art room getting ready for another creative adventure. We spent the last two weeks reviewing the basic elements of art from last year and preparing our portfolios for this year.

Please help us stay green by sending in shoe boxes, magazines and (clean) yogurt and egg containers.

If you would like to observe, help out with or participate in an activity, please feel free to e-mail me at chanyf@bellsouth.net.

Have a happy and sweet New Year.

2009-06-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

A big Yashar Koach to all the children (your children) who produced the art work for this show. They certainly worked hard this year! As you can see ... Picasso was right ... Every child really is an artist. I hope that you all had a chance to get a little nachas as you looked through their portfolios with them. I would like to give a special thanks to Josh Kahane, Shaina Sommer, Ronit Brakha, Barbara Radinsky and Dr. Joel Kahane for helping to make this Gallery a big success. Have a great summer and enjoy the video below.

The Museum Of Our Future

2009-06-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

2009-04-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

6th Grade at The Brooks

2009-03-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time visiting the Brooks Museum of Art. Our docents led us on an adventure through the Museum on the People Places and Things tour and the students really got a chance to see what they were learning about in art come to life. Even though we were there for over an hour we still didn't get a chance to view even half of what was there. I strongly encourage you to take your children back to the Museum and let them show you around and teach you what they learned this year. If you would like more information here is a link to the museum http://www.brooksmuseum.org/ .

2009-02-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

The First Grade Parents Did a Great Job!

2009-02-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you Mrs. Katz and Morah Chavi! We all enjoyed the Siddur Play so much. I would like to give a Yasher Koach to all the parents who worked so hard on the siddur covers. Your children are delighted! A special kudos goes out to Sherry Samuels who designed the fantastic scenery and to Cindy Weinstein, Sarah Rapp, Shani Braverman, Lilly Morris and Meredith Wanderman, who helped us paint it. Enjoy the show!

2009-02-09T08:22:00.001-08:00

2009-01-19T00:20:00.000-08:00

Some very exciting things are going on over the next few weeks in the art room. The first is that we are starting to work on those great siddur covers. The first grade parents are doing an awesome job and I'm sure that the children will be delighted with the results.
The students are learning early on the value of giving back to those who help you out. They are enthusiastically creating wonderful projects for the PTA auction. I hope that everyone will come to the auction and bid on these amazing hand made items that they worked together to create.
The halls are proudly displaying the work that our students have been creating. We have spent the first half of the year learning about lines and how they can be used to express movement and emotion. Our children have created some really wonderful drawings, collages and paintings. Some of the older children have been working on Inner Self Portraits. These introspective Montages are very enlightening and allot of fun to examin closely. I am very excited about our Portraits in Motion Project (see video below). The 7th and 8th grade girls did a remarkable job combining the styles of Degas and Haring with their own unique sense of creativity. I am so happy with the results. Feel free to come by any time to look at the exhibits, ask me any questions or watch our students in action.

2009-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

2008-12-22T11:03:00.000-08:00

2008-12-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

Getting Centered In The Art Room

2008-12-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

This year the Kindergarten and first Graders are enjoying a center based Art Room. I am using A Treasury of Art, by Rosie Dickens as the base for their curriculum. Each lesson introduces the students to a new artist and teaches the students a new skill with hands on projects that are connected to the artist.
In a center based art room the students are encouraged to pursue areas of art that appeal to them. Every lesson begins at the main table, where the children receive a “post card” of the art work to be discussed. We look at the post card, talk about the work and learn an interesting fact or two about the artist that created it. Then I give them instructions about the project and we begin to work. Those who finish the project early are allowed to visit any of the other centers that are set up in the room.
THE MUSEUM CENTER: The Museum center features a doll size museum that displays miniature prints of the artist’s work and two small dolls that act as the museum guides. (The prints change every time we learn about a new artist.) There are also books available to look at that are connected to the lesson of the week.
THE DRAWING CENTER: The Drawing Center is set up with blank paper, markers and coloring sheets related to the topic.
THE ARCHITECT CENTER: The Architect Center is available for children to design their own buildings. Sometimes they are given “blue prints” to try and copy but often they are just given the building materials. I rotate the building materials every week. Sometimes there are blocks, sometimes legos, sometimes Lincoln logs and sometimes random pieces of wood.
THE POST CARDS: The post cards that we look at at the beginning of class are pasted to the back of the portfolios that they made at the beginning of the year. This portfolio will be sent home at the end of the year and will be full of all the wonderful things that they are creating as they experience their adventure in art.

2008-12-04T07:56:00.001-08:00

2008-12-04T07:18:00.000-08:00

2008-12-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

2008-12-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

The 7th & 8th Grade Girls Visit The Center For Southern Folklore

2008-12-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

When we entered the Center for Southern Folklore the first thing that we noticed is that there is constant visual stimulation. Every surface is covered with exciting colors and patterns.

We were met by Judy Peiser who spoke to us about what the center does to preserve the Memories of Folk Art and Music in Memphis. She then showed us a film about local Folk Music and Art. Frank Lilly, ( a local artist), then met with us to explain that Folk Art is created using ordinary objects to create extraordinary things. It was great to see the examples of both his art and other Folk artists from Memphis; and to hear the stories behind the work. He told about an artist that painted on bottles and then we painted our own bottles. To finish off this creative experience we ate our lunch in the club and then got a tour of the center from Frank Lilly. We all enjoyed this creative experience very much. To get a taste of what we saw, watch the slide shows above. If you want to find out more about the Center for Southern Folklore follow the link below.

http://www.southernfolklore.com/

Student Volunteers for ASBEE

2008-11-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

Rabbi Roth and I would like to thank all the students who showed up on Sunday to hep us paint the set for the ASBEE Chanukah play. Way to go! You guys are awesome!

Crayon Cookies

2008-11-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

A few students have asked me how to make the crayon cookies at home. Here are the directions:
GET AN ADULT TO HELP YOU. First, gather all the old crayons that you have laying around the house. You will also need a muffin tin, muffin liners and vanilla extract (optional). Preheat your oven to 250o Peel all the paper off the crayons and break them into small pieces. Fill the muffin tin about ¾ of the way full. Put the tray in the oven for 10 minutes. Then freeze them for an hour. Remove the paper muffin liners and get ready to color! Have fun.

2008-11-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

Today we had an amazing experience.
Miss Sarah from the Dixon Gallery & Gardens came to visit us. She met first with the 1st – 3rd graders to discuss butterflies. After explaining the life cycle of the butterfly with puppets, she then showed us some photos and we examined the patterns of the scales on their wings. We noticed two things. Butterflies are symmetrical and some butterflies have patterns that resemble things that we see around us. Sarah even showed us a special book about butterflies that have the letters of the alphabet on their wings! Then we created our own larger than life butterflies out of paper, paint and pipe cleaners. If you want to see us at work, check out the video below.
Next Sarah met with the 4th and 5th graders to discuss the concept of sculptures. Sculptures are three dimensional and can be created out of anything! That’s right ANYTHING. She passed around several examples of sculptures for us to explore hands on and then the we created our own sculptures using model magic and paint. Beads and other collage materials were available for those of us who chose to use them. It was great fun to see how different each sculpture turned out. Check out the video below to see us in action!
(even though the panel cover reads 1st – 2nd Grade it actually shows both sessions and panel cover reading 4th and 5th grade appears later on in the video.)
The Dixon Gallery and Gardens is located at 4339 Park Avenue. It offers several acres of lovely gardens and wonderful galleries of fine art. If you would like to find out more about the Dixon you can follow this link to their web site. http://dixon.org/

2008-11-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

2008-11-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

I want to let you in on the best kept secret of the art world. Etsy. Anyone who loves art will love this web site. It's a cyber artist colony where you can look at artwork, chat with other artists, watch videos, shop, set up your own shop, learn new things and have a great time. Here is the link http://www.etsy.com/. Have fun!

The Art Beat

2008-11-19T08:11:00.001-08:00

Picasso said “Every child is an artist” and working with my students that becomes even more evident every day. The students have all displayed incredible amounts of creativity and enthusiasm. I often feel that giving an art assignment is like spilling a jar of colored marbles. Each one starts from the same location, but they all take off in their own direction. We began the year with an exercise that I often use to get the creativity flowing. Every child received a sketch book and created an original complicated paper cover design. The diversity of this assignment was outstanding! The children’s personalities really stood out as they chose what to put into their collage. The students who were visual learners, went after photos and images found in old books and magazines, while the more academic minded hunted for words and phrases in passages of text. Some students preferred to cover their collage with rubber stamp images, while others enjoyed embellishing their cover with paint. So while everyone had the same torn paper based cover for their sketchbook, I can honestly say that no two sketch books are alike. I am working with two different curriculums this year. A Treasury of Art, for the Kindergarten and First Graders and Art Everywhere (levels 1, 3 &5) for the 2nd through 8th grades. These curriculums are very exciting and will be described in detail on my future posts. A Treasury of Art offers a look at famous pieces of art work, while teaching new basic and important art skills with each lesson. Art Everywhere explores the elements of art and design. Each level is a 2 year curriculum that offers exploration of the elements in new and interesting ways. The assignments enhance lessons, offer new skills and provide a way for students to reinforce the lessons, use self expression, interact with each other and explore their inner ego.

Aside from teaching, another part of my job that I love is facilitating other projects for the teachers in our school. Sometimes that can be as easy as providing a space for the students to work on creative assignments, but more often it means offering help, advice, supplies and general guidance. I really enjoy interacting and collaborating with other teachers and getting involved with other programs that are going on in school. (The most interesting request that I had been to appear on stage as an extra in one of the school plays - No one knew it was me because I was underneath a prayer shawl.)

We have three fantastic art experiences coming up at MHA.
On November 20th the 1st & 2nd graders will be treated to a visitor from the Dixon Gallery & Gardens. Sarah will do a project with them that will explore the concept of Butterflies and Symmetry Design. The 3rd, 4th & 5th graders will also meet with Sarah later that day to explore sculpture and mixed media.
On December 2nd the 7th & 8th grade girls will be traveling downtown to the Center For Southern Folklore where they will get a chance to explore the center, meet with a local artist, create a project that involves recycling and eat lunch in the multi sensational dining room.
On January 28th the 6th grade will be going to the Brooks Museum of Art. There they will receive a guided tour about people, places and things and then create a hands on project in the museum studio.

I am looking forward to a fun filled exciting year of creativity. I hope to post more about our creative experiences soon.