A little Pop and Op mish-mash and a Sneak-Peek!

My DragonWing Arts students have work-in-progress on some really fun projects, but I want to get them done before I tell you too much!  So in the meantime, I realize that I've never shared some of this winter's work with you, when we our class was centered around a theme of Pop and Op art.  For one project, we looked at the work of Roy Lichtenstein, and I introduced a project I've done before, creating words based on his style.  Based on the examples I shared, I had expected the students to all select words like "WOW", "POW", ZOOM", "ZING" and so on.  But, because of the nature of this class (my private business, it is an after-school art enrichment program) I generally am very flexible with adapting to and allowing the choices of the students, since I do not have to worry about meeting certain standards or doing grading and so on.  As a result, a couple of students selected their pet's names, as in the two pics below.

 Or their own names.

 Or just something they really liked

 For the steps we used to complete this project, go to this blog post from 2012 where I completely detailed the process.  In the meantime, the materials were simple: tempera in red, yellow, blue and black, paintbrushes, pencil erasers for stampers, and cotton swabs. 

 For an Op art project, I introduced the kids to the work of Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley.  I have a poster of a Vasarely painting that is a circular radial design, where it looks like concentric circles were cut in the design and each ring was shifted slightly, creating a sense of movement.  I experimented with finding ways to do this on cardboard or foam core, and the kids were psyched to try to create their own.  (My samples are pictured above.)  Again, of course, what they did was totally different from my samples, but I still think they are fun!  Here's some of their creations, below. 

And now for the promised sneak peek!  Our theme this spring is "the magical garden" and my seven students are making papier-mache garden gnomes, and gnome homes in tree stumps or mushrooms, made of cardboard and plaster bandage.  And then we have some adorable birds and bird houses, and hopefully we will find the time to make some flowers for our gardens!  Below, our garden gnomes before painting.

 And gnome homes in progress. 

 I wish I could show you more, but you'll just have to wait a couple of weeks!  Sorry!