After nine years on the Hopi Reservation, this was our parting shot. 

   Thank you Hopi Land for the opportunity to live, teach, love, and learn 

    from your beautiful children and culture.  

I will always treasure my experience in Hotevilla, and Daisy too! 

Rainbow de Rio Mosaic Project Update

Hotevilla Bacavi Community School Mosaic

PEACOCKS

Here is our bulletin board filled with different peacock related art projects. Our first graders made the large, matted, mixed media peacock paintings using oil pastel and watercolor. If you look closely you will see God's Eyes or Ojo de Dios displayed between the upper peacock paintings. They were made by our 5th and 6th graders. And if you look between the lower peacock paintings you will see small paintings of the eyes of individual peacock feathers made by our 3rd and 4th graders.

EXCELLENT WORK, WILDCATS!

The Eye of a peacock feather made by Khailee in 3rd grade. We used pages from an old and decomposing book, "Macbeth" by Shakespeare as our paper for the project. Students used watercolor pencils and drew the eyes of their own, real peacock feather. They were able to look closely at the luminescence and texture of the feathers.

Rainbow de Rio Mosaic Project

This is the North Thorpe Road bridge where the Rainbow de Rio Mosaic Project is taking place.



Here are the first two completed panels, made on-site. Great Blue Herons frequent the nearby Francis Short Pond, so I thought a GBH would be our first critter on the bridge.




We're making progress in the classroom using the indirect method. It's the best way to continue working on the project throughout the winter. This one is a Red-Winged Blackbird.

Another shot of the bridge.

 



Mexican Hat Flower



Rascally Raccoon!

ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE MIXED MEDIA

 

PATTERN STUDY



Supplies: precut squares of material, multimedia paper, glue (we brushed a mix of glue and water onto the back of the material as it spreads more easily), oil pastels, watercolor, brushes, water in cups, and paper towels.  

To make this brilliant and exciting pattern study, start by dividing the paper into three sections with an oil pastel. (We drew a giant capital "Y".)  Next, glue one piece of material into each of the three sections.



Look carefully at each piece of material and decide what the background color is. (The background color will be painted on last with watercolor.) Using oil pastels, continue the pattern of the material onto the paper as best as you can. Paint over the oil pastels with watercolor. If the background of the material design is white, then no watercolor paint is required. You may use the white of the paper to accomplish that.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this project.
HAVE FUN!

BLOCK PRINTS

Here are some of our 8th grade entries for the 2014 Heard Museum Native American Student Art Show and Sale.




Next year I will document the process from start to finish with photos and post them. In the meantime, please contact me if you have any questions about this project.

SHOE SOLE CLAY PENDANTS

Here is a project that was a complete hit with every child.
We made clay pendants by stepping onto balls of clay. The variety of designs on the bottom shoes add fun and interesting textures to the pendants.

Start with small blobs of clay and roll them into balls. Place the clay ball onto a piece of paper on the floor and slowly, gently step on the clay while applying even pressure.

Any shoe will do.

After pressing into the clay, carefully remove the clay from the bottom of the shoe.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this project was the sense of community that was offered by taking turns making pendants for each other. Some students had shoes that became very popular for their cool designs.

After making a number of pendants, we poked holes into them and scratched initials and grade numbers on the back.

Lay flat and allow pendants to dry.

Load the kiln and fire away. After the first firing, we will glaze and fire again. Then we will string them up and take them home. Check back for photos of the finished product.
Please contact me with questions or comments about this or any other project.
HAVE FUN!
 

PAPER PLATE PUPPETS