Blue Dog Inspired Animals!!!!

I am SO EXCITED to write this post!
We have been learning about one of my favorite artists, George Rodrigue, for the past few months.
Here is a video about his Foundation for the Arts!
He is dedicated to funding and encouraging art education programs all over Louisiana!

One thing Rodrigue says is that "Success is doing what you like and doing it for a long time."

 When he gives advice he says, "PAINT WHAT YOU LIKE!!" 

We watched lots of videos of George Rodrigue and the French Quarter in New Orleans where he lives and has his studio. His artwork records the folklore and history of the Cajuns in New Orleans! His famous Blue dog is a popular and fun symbol of New Orleans and inspired by a weird, wild, werewolf dog from a story he heard as a child! 

SO, to go along with Rodrigue's style of  painting what

  YOU LiKe,

 we painted blue dog INSPIRED animals. 

Yes, each child chose THEIR FAVORITE animal to paint

Some kids chose a dog, but we had bunnies, horses,owls,girraffes, bears,frogs,snakes, and even ostriches! 

My BIG BIG BIG

DREAM

is for George RODRIGUE to come VISIT OUR SCHOOL!!!since Houston is just a weeeeee tiny ways away from Louisiana 

Here are just a few of their Blue dog inspired animals!

First they drew them with crayons, and then painted with tempera paints and accented and outlined with oil pastels

They were all so unique and individual, I wish I could post all of them, but there are hundreds and hundreds. I did this with every grade level!

They are BIG BOLD and COLORFUL!! I just love every one of them and am so happy with how they all turned out!

I cannot wait to display them all in our building and have a special Blue Dog Inspired Artwork Gallery walk with all of the kids!

GIANT GATORS!

1st and kinder did these GIANT GATORS lest week as a drawing excercise. I am trying to get them used to drawing BIG. First we looked at this COOL website about gators http://www.cclockwood.com/gatorcam/kidspage1.htm They want to draw so tiny all the time, so I cut these huge pieces of butcher paper and did a gator draw-a-long with them. They outlined and colored the details with oil pastels. Then they used copper paint for the scales and they used pearly acrylic mixed with blue liquid watercolor to make the pearly blue paint for the water. The students loved their giant gators and they turned out quite spectacular for such young artists!! I think they will be more comfortable drawing BIG now!