Dara Kane

Celebrate Spring!

2013-04-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

Flower week celebrates the rebirth of flowers and plants, and the arrival of Spring! During circle time we introduce the topic of flowers to our preschool students by reading books to help explain the varieties and how they grow. We discuss with the children the parts of the flower and use manipulatives and games to reinforce learning. Walking trips outdoors show children real life examples of daffodils, hyacinth, forsythia, and tulips. Art is an integral part of our preschool curriculum so flowers were painted at the easel. Although light blue paint was used for the sky to unify all the paintings, each child picked their own flower to paint using a book to guide them. I believe children learn best by "doing". As the week progresses the topic of flowers is presented in many different ways ensuring that learning is occurring.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

2013-04-26T20:32:00.000-04:00

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a favorite book for story time in our preschool classroom. The book tells the story of a caterpillar eating and eating until it is ready to form its chrysalis and metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. The children like the colorful pictures, especially of the fruit and different types of foods. I like reading this part of the book as well because it introduces the days of the week, and numbers. In addition, it provides an opportunity to count. Our classroom has The Very Hungry Caterpillar puppet. The children retell the story to each other using the puppet. We brought the story to life by making a caterpillar out of an egg carton. We cut the egg carton into pieces that contain 3 egg holders. Then paint the outside bright green and add an antenna (Pipe Cleaners), eyes and a mouth. Once all the caterpillars are complete they are placed in a brown bag to represent the chrysalis. Meanwhile, children are using their fine motor skills to cut out a butterfly shape that has been traced (by the teacher) on a piece of Manila paper. Students use spoons to put small blobs of paint only on one side of their butterfly (use 3 different colors). Once there is enough paint on the butterfly wing fold the paper in half and smooth with your hands. Press down firmly all over the paper. Open the butterfly to see your unique symmetrical design. Once the paint has dried staple on your caterpillar to the center of the butterfly to represent its metamorphosis into a butterfly.

Throughout these activities our preschool children watched real caterpillars grow bigger and bigger until they formed a chrysalis. The chrysalis were transferred into a mesh butterfly cage. Once the Painted Lady butterflies emerge from the chrysalis they will be set free outdoors by the children.

Note: Fold the butterfly in half before it gets painted. It will be much easier to refold the butterfly after the paint has been placed on one wing.

Be An Artist: Alexander Calder

2013-03-17T20:20:00.000-04:00

When I introduce Alexander Calder to children I like to focus on the circus people and animals he created. He made his circus figures using wire and embellished them with ordinary items that might have been lying around his studio. Calder's circus is an important part of his body of work. This year I decided that not only would the students create their own circus figurines out of pipe cleaners and Twisteez, but they would create their own circus scene in a recycled shoe box. I began by asking the students if they had ever seen a circus. Then we discussed the things they saw at a circus. I also used a book about Calder's circus to show them images of his circus figurines. Our discussion and the visuals I provided helped spark the children's imaginations. Then I let them pick their shoe boxes. A mix of construction paper and felt in assorted colors were used to cover the brown cardboard on the inside of the box. The felt was cut into different shapes to create a circus ring, a high wire, stage curtains, and stars to fill the night sky. Although one class session was not enough time to transform the inside of the shoe box into a complete circus scene, the students are off to a good start.

Be An Artist: Andy Warhol

2013-03-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

The last time I met with my after school art class I took a photograph of each child. At home I used my computer to take all the color out of the photograph. What I was left with was a black and white image of each student with great positive and negative spaces. This is good. When I talk about Andy Warhol to children I like to show them his celebrity self portraits. His use of bold color in unexpected ways is innovative and exciting. I give the children several copies of their self-portraits so that they can create a series like Andy Warhol. I explain to them that artists often create many versions using the same subject. This process helps artists better explore their subject. I think it also allows the child to take risks and try different ideas. I like the way the children's self-portraits look together in a group and encourage my students to walk around and take a look at their fellow classmates work. Children love to see themselves in different ways. I saw children using bold colors, lines, bullseyes, dots like Seurat, and stripes in their self-portraits. They were at ease trying new and unconventional designs.

Be An Artist: George Seurat

2013-03-01T19:00:00.001-05:00

I introduced my students to the French painter George Seurat and explained to them that he was famous for using dots - many tiny dots in his paintings - a technique that is known as Pointillism. His most famous painting, La Grande Jatte, took 3 years to paint and was very large ( 7 feet high by 10 feet wide). I showed them a book that had images of the painting so they could see all the tiny dots. Up close the dots looked separated, but from far away they become a cohesive whole. Then the children chose an image to fill-in with tiny dots and dashes (a cupcake, dog, hearts, a flower). I told them to imagine how George Seurat must have felt painting his enormous painting La Grande Jatte. I asked them if it was easy or hard to fill-in their image with dots? Did their hand hurt? Their answer was "yes" - it was much harder than they thought it would be. Some students used only one color throughout big areas, while others blended several to give their image more dimension. Dots that were small and perfect compared to dots that were wide and imperfect created different feelings as you viewed the artwork. I believe giving students the opportunity to learn by doing is an excellent way for them to better understand different artists and their techniques.

Preschool Valentine Project

2013-02-11T20:37:00.002-05:00

This project is a great way to work on fine motor skills in preschool aged children, while making a special valentines gift. Begin by letting your child choose the paint color(s) they want to paint on the heart shaped box. They can paint the box one color, or the lid one color and the bottom another, or create a pattern all over. One person painted strips, while another pressed down on their brush to make an abstract flower on the lid. Paint the box with the lid on, then remove it when you set it aside to dry. This will insure that your lid does not stick to the box during the drying process. The next step is to write a secret note to your child's special person(s). We used a heart shaped piece of paper and helped each child write I Love You and their name. You can modify this based on your child's capabilities. The note gets folded up and put in the box. Shh, it's a surprise! The last thing we did to make this box extra special was put colored gems on the lid. Children chose the colored gems, and the design. Some designs were: a smiley face, a border, a flower or an all-over design. One child made a pattern using blue and red gems around the edges of the lid. The gems were big and small so we also talked about size while we worked. We used tacky glue because it is strong and adheres best. I placed the glue on the box with a q-tip for each child. Children are engaged and learning throughout this multi-step project, because they are having fun creating a gift for someone they love.

Recycling Project

2013-02-01T14:21:00.001-05:00

Students at Hoff-Barthelson Preschool learned about the 3 Rs - reduce, reuse, and recycle - by creating a scene from The Nutcracker. Clean garbage that were destined for the trash found a new use in another form. A brown shipping box became the living room. Paper towel rolls and green ribbon turned into trees. Plastic Easter eggs were transformed into mice. Students also learned the story of The Nutcracker by listening to the music and hearing the story read aloud during story time. Hoff-Barthelson Preschool does a recycling project every year.

Photo by Zak Failla
http://scarsdale.dailyvoice.com/schools/see-preschoolers-recycled-art-scarsdale-library

Artist Residency at Unity Gardens

2013-01-28T17:45:00.002-05:00

On February 4th I begin a 10 week artist residency at Unity Gardens, a senior residence, in Mount Vernon, NY. Each week I will introduce residents to an artist and their artistic style. A variety of art techniques and materials will be explored. An art show of the participant's work will be the culminating event. This artist residency is funded with a generous grant from ArtsWestchester, a non-profit programming organization located in White Plains, NY. In 2009 I was selected by ArtsWestchester to be an Artist Roster and have completed 3 artist residencies in Southern Westchester.

Etsy Treasury

2013-01-26T16:14:00.000-05:00

Several of my original collages have recently been featured in Treasuries on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade and vintage items. A Treasury is a collection of items that an Etsy member selects and posts. Usually Treasuries have a theme or convey a mood. I am proud that my work has stood out and been selected by my fellow Etsy artists.

Breathing Under Water: Beach Blanket

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTY3NjA1NDd8MjcyMTE1OTkzNQ/breathing-under-water?index=1

Happy Weekend: Cubed
www.etsy.com/treasury/MjY4NTQ4NjB8MjcyMTIyMDU1MQ/happy-weekend

Remaining Neutral in Westchester: Beacon
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTg2NDA5M3wyNzIxMzExOTE1/remaining-neutral-in-westchester?ref=af_shop_tre

Look So That You See: Wavy Lines
www.etsy.com/treasury/MTY3MjY3NzJ8MjcyMzk2MTg1MA/look-so-that-you-see

Holiday Gifts of Art

2012-12-16T11:41:00.003-05:00

Tis the season to give original artwork. Black and white photographs and handmade collages are available in my Etsy shop at affordable prices. Each item purchased will arrive beautifully wrapped and shipping is free in U.S.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaraKane

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-12-14T19:27:00.004-05:00

On the last day of our three day Styrofoam sculpture project the students painted their sculptures. The students made palettes on paper plates. They mixed their own unique colors using primary and secondary colors. Almost all used brushes to apply the paint, but some used their fingers as brushes. The plaster strips created many nooks and crannies that were challenging to cover in paint. However, I thought the white areas left behind created texture. Some students who were absent last week used masking tape to cover their Styrofoam sculptures and that worked well too. A wide variety of materials were used for this project. Each phase entailed a great deal of work. I am very proud of my students, who never lost interest or energy.

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-12-07T20:14:00.000-05:00

Our art studio felt like an art hospital as students wrapped and smoothed their plaster strips onto their Styrofoam sculptures like doctors putting on casts. I bought a 5 lbs. box of plaster strips online and it was enough to cover eight large sculptures. I cut the plaster strips into squares so it would be easier to work with and the waste would be minimized. To activate the plaster strips they had to be submerged in warm water. I found warm water in the school cafeteria, and filled two pans and two containers. The plaster is dusty, but not too messy. The students enjoyed using their hands to wet and smooth the plaster onto their sculptures. They worked really hard. I think it would have been easier for some students if their sculptures were smaller (the size of a loaf of bread). Also, many of the sculptures had odd angles, curves and appendages that made it challenging to cover with the plaster. Overall the students enjoyed exploring this new material and were challenged with applying it onto their sculptures. Some students asked me where they could get plaster strips to use at home. Their interest and enthusiasm showed me that they were transferring what they had learned in the art studio to their real lives.

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-11-30T20:38:00.000-05:00

For weeks I have been collecting Styrofoam. I gathered Styrofoam molded in interesting shapes from the school trash, where I teach during the day. I also pulled my car over to the side of the road one morning on my way to work, when I saw a recycling bin overflowing with Styrofoam at the end of a driveway. Once I had enough Styrofoam I was ready to teach a three phase sculpture project. The first phase students create a 3-dimensional object using the Styrofoam. Students connect pieces of Styrofoam with toothpicks and tape. They shape the Styrofoam with their hands and scissors. This type of sculpture is called modelling, because it is assembling rather than taking away (carving). The next step students cover the Styrofoam with plaster strips. The students use their hands to lay and smooth the plaster strips onto their pieces. Plaster in strip form (gauze covered in bits of plaster) is a new material we will be exploring. The plaster strips permanently join the pieces of Styrofoam and unify the art work. Once the plaster has dried students can paint their sculptures.

My blog post next week will chronicle the 2nd phase of this sculpture project - using plaster strips!

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-11-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

The students in my sculpture class knew that red, blue and yellow are primary colors. Almost all of the girls knew that green, orange and purple are secondary colors. Fortunately, I had both primary and secondary colors on hand for the students to use, but if they desired another color they would have to mix that color themselves. The girls didn't mind filling their palettes with paint and mixing their desired hues. In fact, I think they enjoyed creating their own custom colors. Even though the wooden sculptures (made during the last class) looked great au natural, they were all getting a coat of paint. Some applied one color, others used two-colors, while even more chose multi-colors. Most used brushes to apply the paint, but a few used other methods. One girl used her fingers to dab the paint on. Two girls created interesting textures - one flung the paint on with her fingers (Jackson Pollack style) and another created a marbleized effect. When I talked to the girls during the art process I asked them how they came up with their painting techniques. They told me that they did it instinctively. I thought they felt safe and secure enough to try new things and take risks. The painted sculpture above looks like a painting. The sculpture and paint have morphed into a cohesive whole.

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-11-02T17:28:00.000-04:00

After a tough week dealing with weather related issues The Bronxville School came back to life today. The after school sculpture class was happy to be together again. The girls shared their experiences from the past week, while building wooden sculptures. I ordered two 5 pound boxes of assorted wooden pieces for this project. I sorted the pieces out on a work table by size - small, medium and large. The girls were eager to select their pieces and begin designing. Students made several trips to the box as their sculptures evolved. Many sculptures started out looking like one thing, then transformed into another. I saw students use balance, symmetry, and unity in their sculptures. Each viewer had their own ideas about what the other sculptures in the class looked like - a race track, a bowling ally, a person. I never can be sure what sizes, and shapes the pieces will be in the box, but I know they will provide many creative possibilities.

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-10-26T20:02:00.000-04:00

A good teacher needs to be prepared for anything! When I came to The Bronxville School to teach my regular Friday afternoon class there was a lot of activity in the classrooms and hallways. Teachers and staff were in the midst of preparing for a potential weather emergency. Since The Bronxville School is prone to flooding anything on the first floor that is mobile was being moved to a higher floor or out of the building as a precaution. My art supplies are kept on the first floor and were being moved out of the building. Instead of painting the soft sculptures the students made the week before, I was left with a bag of assorted materials and a teacher's can do spirit. I had scissors, markers, paper, masking tape, string, foam beads, and self-adhesive letters. Students began by making signs with their names on them, then moved on to beading. A girl spontaneously started to make snowflakes, and before I knew it we were all making cut art. Everyone shared their cutting techniques for unique snowflakes. One girl surprised me by making a mini soft sculpture out of paper scraps and masking tape (photo above). Another girl made small foam sculptures scattered on a piece of paper. She carefully placed one foam bead on top of another and stuck them together with tiny rolled-up pieces of masking tape. All my students used the materials I provided well and were very creative. They also showed me that I am an effective teacher.

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-10-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

Soft sculptures are made with heavy weight paper, staples, and recycled newspaper strips. This project has multiple steps. The most important step is the design process. A design with small, narrow areas will not work. It will be difficult to stuff these areas with newspaper and the paper could tear. Designs with bigger, or more rounded areas will be easier to stuff with newspaper and be more successful. Spend time reviewing designs with students and have them revise their designs if necessary. Use paper that is heavy weight and fold the paper in half. Students should draw their design on one side of the paper. Carefully cut the design out so you have two identical pieces. Staple both pieces of paper together and leave an opening in a strategic spot so you can stuff the sculpture with newspaper. Once the sculpture has been stuffed staple the sculpture closed. The newspaper will bring your sculpture to life.

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-10-12T21:05:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I went to Alaska and was in awe of the totem poles I saw there. I have been looking for a way to incorporate totem poles into my art classes ever since. Today, I had the kids make their own personal totem poles out of clay. Family, personal interests or pets inspired their totem poles. They rolled, pinched, pulled, and molded the clay. Pieces were attached by scoring (scratching the surfaces of the pieces being attached) and adding slip (a clay paste). Students carved into the clay to add detail. Wings, turtle shells, ears, elephant tusks emerged from the clay giving them dimension and life.

BASC Fall 2012: Sculpture Class

2012-10-05T19:57:00.000-04:00

I was excited to meet new and repeating students at my kids sculpture class at the Bronxville After School Club (BASC). BASC is an after school enrichment program offered to students in grades 1 - 5. I have been teaching art at BASC for five years and always get inspired by what my students create. Using recycled foam as a base and pipe cleaners to create forms the students made gardens, cars and abstract designs. One sculpture initially looked like a cage, then turned into a car (photo above). As the students became more comfortable working with the foam and pipe cleaners they began to look for ways to expand on their creations. Toothpicks were used to attach the additional foam pieces. One student made a staircase, and others added on multiple levels that provided more room to create. At the end of class they shared their work proudly with each other and gave nice compliments.

New Collages on ETSY

2012-08-17T02:13:00.000-04:00

Night Sky

To see more collages visit my Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaraKane

Over the past few weeks I have been collaging in my summer art studio. I have created over 20 new original collages.
I have incorporated graphic elements such as lines, pops of color, and textures in the collages. Some collages are sleek and modern, while others convey a rustic charm. I have also spent considerable time breaking down my collaging materials, analyzing them, then reassembling them in the cubist style. This collection reflects my love of nature and the natural beauty that surrounds us.

Summer Arts at HBMS

2012-08-07T08:23:00.003-04:00

Creating soft sculptures is a multi-step process and can be easily differentiated to meet the needs of your students. This project incorporates fine motor skills such as: drawing, cutting, stapling and painting. First students come up with an idea. The best ideas are ones that stem from their interests. If students are working on something that they know and like it is a sure bet that they will be engaged in the project. Students drew on a large piece of paper. (Make sure that the paper has been folded over like a flap so later when they cut out the object they have two identical pieces.) I use butcher paper, but any heavy weight paper will work. I recommend that the objects don't have any areas that are too pointy or narrow, because it is hard to stuff those areas with newspaper strips. Once the object is cut out the two pieces are matched up (they become the front and back), and stapled together. Leave one area open so that you can stuff the sculpture with recycled newspaper strips. Fill the sculpture until it is plump, then close up the opening with more staples. Painting is the final step and brings the soft sculpture to life. After the paint has dried students can embellish further with colored tissue paper, glitter, yarn, buttons and so on.

Summer Arts Program at HBMS

2012-08-07T08:20:00.001-04:00

I believe that it is important that children learn to work together to achieve a common goal. Over a four day period I selected two different art projects to stress collaboration in my art classes.

During the beginning of the week the students worked together on a mural. The first step was to brain storm ideas, decide on a design and begin to sketch elements. It is important that children get a chance to share their ideas as well as listen respectfully to others. Students can be selected to write down the ideas and sketch out the design. The second day students began painting the mural. The final day was spent discussing how to make improvements to the mural and adding embellishments. Overall, students worked well together and the most successful murals were the ones where everyone participated.

The second art project was a shared collage. Students glued one item on a piece of paper then passed their collage to the person on their right who continued the collaging process. Students were hesitant at first to share their collage, because they were afraid another person would "mess it up". However, I observed the students were equally creative and respectful of each other's art. The finished collages came back to the original person with new twists on the earlier versions of their collage. In the end I think everyone was satisfied with their finished collage.

Summer Arts Program at HBMS

2012-08-07T08:19:00.000-04:00

Over the course of several days students at the Summer Arts Program at Hoff-Barthelson Music School explored painting without brushes.

Students used golf balls dipped in paint to create paintings that had energy and movement like Jackson Pollack's action paintings. A palette of light and dark colors that worked well together produced endless combinations of unique paintings.

Mark Making is a technique students used to create a variety of designs using the edges of index cards dipped in paint. Index card edges were used straight, curved, and bent in an L shape. Students created a variety of appealing patterns on the paper with their index cards.

Instead of brushes students blew through straws to move the paint around their paper. Both one color and multiple colors produced interesting and organic paintings. Images naturally revealed themselves to the individual viewer.

Summer Arts Program at HBMS

2012-08-07T08:18:00.000-04:00

Working quickly students placed items from nature on their Sun Print paper before exposing the paper to the summer sun. UV light from the sun reacted to the paper and created positive and negative images. After the paper had been fully exposed to the sun it was placed in a water bath to stop the developing process. Once the water dried the paper turned a deep blue where it was exposed to the sun and white where objects had been place. Sun Print paper was easy to work with and offered endless creative possibilities.

Collage Workshop at MVPL

2012-07-30T19:48:00.002-04:00

You could hear a pin drop in the community room at the Mount Vernon Public Library. Everyone was working on their collage with so much concentration that the usual banter amongst the collagers was absent. Bark from a tree, fabric and sports magazines lay next to each other waiting for someone to claim them for their collage. Two boxes overflowed with collaging materials I collected over the past few weeks around my home and from friends. Felt, sponge, a puffy pipe cleaner, a piece of yarn and images from a magazine were collaged together to make a person with a goatee wearing a red scarf (photo above). From so many different pieces comes one great idea!