Art By Me preview magnets are going home this week. Maybe you got yours today. So -- I thought I'd give you a little preview of the artwork and what went into making it. (And maybe a few gift suggestions, too...)
Toddler 1
The wings are the children's handprints and the flowers were made with their little fingers. (Wouldn't these make cute Christmas ornaments? I bet the grandparents would love them!)
Toddler 2
Here the children's handprints were turned into flowers and the bees and ladybugs were made with their little fingers. (What fun little bag tags these would be to hang on the diaper bag that they take to church and school!)
2A
I'm sure you can tell that the butterflies are made with the children's hands and the little flowers and bees are their fingerprints, but maybe you didn't notice that the butterfly body is made with the pinky side of the child's hand. (Wouldn't these make cheerful little garden flags?)
2B Tuesday/Thursday
See the 2A description for this one. :) (If not a garden flag, maybe a cute paperweight for grandma's desk?)
2B Monday/Wednesday/Friday
These colorful little frogs started with the children's palm print. The teachers added the legs and then, when all was dry, the children came back to add the eyes and tummy spots with their fingerprints. (What dad wouldn't love a frog covered organizer cup corralling his pens on his desk at work?)
T3
T3 tried their hand at painting pig faces using brushes at the easel, then added the nose and mouth details and the sticker eyes. These are truly "art by ME" projects and I always enjoy seeing each child's interpretation of a pig face. (I also think it would make a really cute apron to give as a gift -- perfect for those who barbecue or host pig pickin's!)
3B
Palm prints were turned into colorful caterpillars. The antennae are prints of the whole finger, the flowers are finger prints, and the sun is fingerpainted. (These bright and cheery pictures would make a really cute tote for carrying books back and forth to the library. Kind of makes you think of the classic childrens story, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar".)
3C
3C and 3B used the same methods for their artwork. (And, if a tote bag is not your style, I bet you'd never lose your keys again if they were on a colorful caterpillar keychain!)
T4
Instead of using paint, T4 formed sunflowers and bluebirds with pieces of construction paper, adding grass with green markers. (Having a mug sporting this colorful design could make it feel like summer all year long!)
4C
4C made their colorful artwork in the style of Eric Carle -- making random painted designs on paper that was then cut into pieces to form the rooster. Additional color was added with glued on tissue paper squares. (When I think of roosters, I think of kitchens -- so wouldn't these make great potholders?)
4D
4D's underwater scene features palm print fish along with curved pinky finger seahorses. Starfish, seaweed, fish fins, and seahorse tails were fingerpainted -- fish spots and bubbles were added with fingerprints. (This watery theme would make really great handtowels for the kids' bathrooms.)
TK
Since the TK class spends time observing the big maple tree in the courtyard, it makes sense that their artwork would focus on a tree through the seasons. The children spent days using paintbrushes to render their trees and all the seasonal details. (The seasonal trees would make really cute notecards and bookmarks to give as gifts -- or to keep for yourself!)
Art By Me is usually one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. We will use the money generated from your orders toward the purchase of some super-duper easels for the classrooms to use. We love that by purchasing the preview magnet ($5) or by ordering other items showcasing your child's artwork, that you are able to capture a bit of your child at this age in a tangible sort of way. We do this project at the beginning of the year to assist you in shopping for Christmas presents -- the items make great gifts for grandparents and other special relatives and friends.
We know that everyone's money is limited and most of us have had to tighten our belts a lot in recent years, so whether you choose to purchase just the preview magnet, make a large order of items for yourself or for gifts, or have budget constraints that make it impossible for you to make any extra purchases right now, we thank you for your support of the weekday school and for sharing your little artist with us!