Picassos in the making?

It's the end of the year, I'm looking for some fun, along with a way to review skills, make sure the kiddos are ready for the next year, etc.  So, here is my take on a Cubist-Self Portrait-Tints and Shades kinda thing.  Not so sure today's class truly did their best, but Spring has sprung here in Hermitage, the bulldozers are blazing outside (to me, it's the melodious sound of a new art room a'comin) and the fact that we FINISHED them speaks volumes. :) I had each student draw a simple head and shoulders self portrait, and break it up with some lines.  I gave each student a paper plate with black, white, and their favorite color.  Their mission was to create as many versions of their favorite color as possible.  The green one has great potential, if I can get him to finish painting in his black lines.  He kinda lost focus today.

Cubist/Expressionist Birds

I wanted to talk to my second graders about abstract art, and the methods artists may choose to use in order to achieve an abstract effect.  We looked at Franz Marc and Picasso and discussed how unreal color and cubism affected the art world.  Each student chose a bird from my box of bird pictures, and they were to abstract it by rearranging the parts, and using unreal color.  Here are a couple fun examples.