Spider Weavings and a Meditation on Glitter- RES

Happy October!  Nearing Halloween, I start to think of all things creepy-crawly, and ways to incorporate them in the Art Room. What's spookier than spiders? Not much, if you are me.

Except maybe making spiders while wearing a skeleton shirt! For the win.

 Second graders are discussing all the things we know about spiders- their anatomy, the purpose they serve, and how they make webs.

With pink polka dots

The students begin by drawing the spider on a plate, and can artistically interpret their spiders however they would like, creepy or cute, real or imaginary.

Black widow!

 Then students began to weave.Over, under, over, under.

First layer of yarn- over under, over, under...

Switching colors as she weaves!

AB pattern striped spider

Camouflage spider

After two classes, the spiders were mostly finished. 

Hairy legs

Using a multi-toned yellow skein the whole time

Some even got bedazzled with silver glitter. 

That is one sparkly web.

Let's talk about glitter a moment. 

If we are being honest, I think that we can all admit that it is the zebra mussel of art supplies.

Glitter seems to proliferate. You thought you had one project covered in it, but later you find it on your arms.  You take a shower to wash out the glitter that mysteriously ended up in your hair.

Glitter belly button

And then the next morning, when you inspect yourself in the mirror, there is still a single dazzling fleck on your nose. It just doesn't go away. Like zebra mussels.

That said, children across the land love it, and deserve to use it. My general spin is to tell students to use glitter to enhance, not overwhelm, their artwork.

Visiting the building here at RES? My bulletin boards are now interactive with QR codes.

But let's admit it.  In the words of my son's preschool teachers: 

Glitter: It's not done 'til it's overdone. 

And that's why we love it.