Yesterday was day #2 of my 3D art elective class.  Since many students in the class had not taken art for a year, I wanted to do a quick project to get them back into a creative mindset.  This soda can art project was something I had seen on Pinterest and it ended up being the perfect one day intro activity! 
The vocab word of the day was "transformation."  We talked about how a sculptor must transform materials into something new each time they create a three dimensional peice of work.  For example, a mound of clay is transformed into a mug.  Then I had each student pick out a clean soda can.  I asked them to transform the can into a new piece of art by changing the form as well as embellishing it with acrylic paints, Sharpie makers and duct tape.
It was great to see the surprised look on the kids faces when I asked them to stomp on their cans. They had so much fun with this activity! And while this project is actually much harder than I imagined it would be, the results were fantastic! I was very impressed with their creativity and ability to come up with unique ideas.

Last week I was looking for a two day mini-project that I could do with my 7th grade classes.  They had just finished up their clay projects and I didn't want to start something big before the Thanksgiving break.  So, I came up with an idea based on this Pinterest pin.

I photographed each student with a pair of sun glasses on and enlarged the photos on the copy machine. Students then used transfer paper to trace over the image (hence the fact we were able to complete these in only two class periods). I then asked them to draw a place that was meaningful to them inside the sunglasses which would give the illusion that it was a reflection in the lenses. They used either colored pencil or water color pencils to add color to the place and the backgrounds. It was a really fun quick project that didn't require a ton of skill. Everyone's project came out good. I also liked the fact that the place was very personal to each student and I was able to learn a little more about all of them!

Check out these decorated mugs fresh out of the kiln this morning! I am so excited about how they came out. These are pre-made mugs that I bought from Blick Art Supply that are decorated with a combination of under-glaze markers, black glaze with a small paint brush, colored glazes and a clear coat over the finished product.  Due to the high cost, I was able to do this project with the 30 kids in my after school art club.  Since they pay a supply when they join I am able to do extra fun projects like this with them!  A lot of students are excited to give these as holiday gifts.  I know I'd be excited to open a hand made gift like this anytime!