Day of the Dead... glue resist and oil pastels.

These started out like this...

Day of the Dead/Día de los muertos

What fun we had today in my 3rd-grade DLI (dual-language immersion) classroom.  I found a wonderful blog......

(a big thank you to Kathy at http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/2008/10/skeleton-drawing.html...) ...that hosts a myriad of art lessons.  I was intrigued by the glue resist, oil pastel 'calaveras'.  Here are some photos..  We started out like this:

I wanted them to practice both drawing the skull and controlling the flow of glue.

When they were ready:

They could begin.  I encouraged them to draw "whisper lines"... light, sketchy lines... so that they could erase if needed.  I learned that the less detail, the easier to 'draw' with the glue.  I had been worried that they would squeeze out too much glue, but I found that they didn't squeeze out enough!  When the lines are too thin, the oil pastel can hide them.  I'll do better next year.

Sr. Calavera lesson. "Just A Moment" by Yuyi Morales

I recently discovered a wonderful illustrator/author, Yuyi Morales. In my 3rd grade bilingual classroom, over half of my students are from Mexico and we've been learning about "El Día de los Muertos." In her book, Just a Moment, Yuyi portrays a grandmother being greeted my Sr. Calavera who is there to take her to the afterlife. Grandma tricks him into letting her stay-
My students are now writing their own 'trickster tale' on how they would trick him.

Well, I changed my mind.  I thought the original title was too cutesy.  It's difficult to create a blog.  I find I really have to analyze who I am, and what I'm all about.  I still don't really know, so this title is showing how I am a work in progress.  

I went from being a homeschooling mom to a full time working mom... who was also going to college at the same time.  I 'left my life' so to speak.  I want to get back to the home (even if I still have to work) and enjoy the little things that I've missed out on.  I have a long ways to go.