Art Class: Air-dry Clay Monsters Pinch Pots

 

Hi Teachers! I'm working on a new lesson unit on monster pinch pots this term. I will love seeing the creative ideas as they bring flat drawing to form. When making these pinch pots, I created a few extras just in case the children had theirs broken in the process so they will not be too disappointed.

Children will learn with experience that not all 2D drawings will translate directly to a stable 3D piece. It's great to let the children learn as they do and allow them to realise what works best. The final artwork has to stand on its own and attachments definitely has to be firmly secured. Please check back to see our progress. 

Art Class: Road Safety Signs

Hi Teachers! My colleague handed over this project to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in the beginning of this year and walking out of the school one day, I noticed the students' drawings installed as road safety signs. This is such an innovative way to capture students' attention and ensuring their safety outside the school boundaries. 

Housekeeping: Paper Marche Letters

Hi Teachers! I really like the 3D cardboard letters to brighten things up. These letters are light enough to be adhered to by Blutac or simply prop them up against a plain background.

Housekeeping: Topping up White Glue

Hi Teachers! White glue is my go-to art material (after scissors) because they make crafts stay on for a long time. The longer drying time compensates for its function. I no longer use those commercial small bottles of white glue. At least not in school but I personally still do. The caps get clogged easily and it is also time consuming to top up many bottles with a narrow neck. I recycle these small containers which used to contain air-dry clay. As these containers are not air-tight, I just half-fill them with white glue. The last time these were used with glitters, it created quite a mess so I let the last bit of glue dry up over the school vacation and clean them up by tearing them off! You heard it right, watch the video to see how it's done.

Art Class: Let's Make Rainbow Book

Hi Teachers! I took the first lesson of this term to make something fun with the students. Once the basic steps are acquired, there are many variations that can be created! You can even add glitter or coloured beads on the cover. Only simple materials are needed. Give it a try!

Art Class: Virtual Art Exhibition (SYF 2021)

 

Hi Teachers! I've explored some platforms to create virtual art exhibition. It was really hard to navigate initially but I finally decided on Artsteps. It's a free app. Depending the interface, you can use the app on the iPad to view art exhibition but not to create one. I used my laptop and do note that it uses more memory than usual so if it runs slower on the laptop, the RAM on the laptop could be insufficient. My screen recording of students' work is above. The opening event is here and selected artworks for special mention is here. 

Reads: What the Art Teacher Reads

Hi! I've pored over a few books this school holiday. The NLB OverDrive app is so convenient to borrow ebooks and read on the go. My first choice will still be a hardcopy but if I can't borrow it in time then I will go digital.

My favourite read has to be Made in China. It's especially telling especially when our goods are mostly imported. The mere thought of walking down the aisles of Daiso, Target or Hundred Yen shops excite me. Since we stay mostly indoors now and virtual shops are accessible in a click, who wouldn't like a good bargain? We have no lack of e-commerce platforms in Singapore. With the pandemic, even physical retail stores have online presence or making the shift towards it. There is everything we want but very little we need. This book helps me to think more critically about owning cheap commodities.