Art's Day at Stillwater Elementary!

Mason & Cassidy at work with the clay~

I don't know the history of how Art Day originated, but it was a great idea that's much enjoyed by the Stillwater Elementary kids each year.  I've been volunteering since the Grand-kids started at this school, Courtney is the Art Docent & has spent hours keeping the art program alive & well, even with limited funds.  It's so much fun each year to see what's been planned for the students!  During the course of the day, all the students, from all the rooms, get to plan their schedule for the day - which of the many art-class offerings they'd like to participate in - & they choose four.

The teachers give up their rooms for the day - allowing the volunteer art teachers from the community, the space to work with the kids.  Courtney was teaching a project involving nice, wet clay!  First it was to be worked flat, then with a variety of different tools, the students were to apply textures to the clay.  Once the textures were done - the clay was cut into pieces of three different sizes with a variety of cookie cutters.

Cassidy working the clay~

The clay was a messy project - those are the fun kind!  :-)  Once the clay was cut-out, the students went around the room , picking out three pieces from large to small - then learning to glue them together with water.  At that point they were done, the pieces will go out to be fired.  I was lucky, as both Mason & Cassidy had signed up for the second period clay class - so I could enjoy watching them work!  I love seeing how creative these kids are!  Such bright minds!

By lunch, we were ready for a break!  The library was set up with an incredible buffet of some of the most delicious hot casseroles ever provided by the teachers!  The dessert table would have put a five star restaurant to shame!  While we were eating, the kids all had their lunch & recess.

In the afternoon, I decided to attend a class with Mason & one with Cassidy.  Mason was signed up for Landscape Watercolors.  This class had a very interesting twist!  The kids were given a drawing, asked to turn it upside down on their desk, then given a blank paper - the task was to reproduce the drawing starting at the bottom (which was now the top) & moving down the paper to the top (now the bottom)!

Mason in the "Landscape Watercolors" class

This was really an interesting mind game!  Once the drawing was complete, the kids learned how to mix the water colors to make their own colors & apply them to the drawing!  Amazing & creative work was done by all the students!

Cassidy, "Painting with Pixels"

Cassidy's last class of the day was "Painting with Pixels"!  The computer room was well equipped, all the kids were anxious to start clicking the mouse & working with a really nice on-line resource;  The National Gallery of Art.  What a great place for kids to explore & learn at the same time!

What a wonderful, fun day for the kids & the volunteers too!