I always marvel at how pelicans can spot a fish as they fly above the sea, swooping down into the water, grabbing them in their large bills and gulping them down. Seagulls on the other hand are notorious opportunists, hanging around beach-goers, waiting for dropped remnants of lunch. I once had one fly away with a an entire corn dog while I went to grab some napkins at a place in Santa Monica. This is not meant to be a seagull bashing post - just an observation. :)
This project was inspired by a gorgeous award-winning piece by a 1st grader in the Coastal Art and Poetry Contest. My students created their birds using their choice of chalk or oil pastels following a basic direct line drawing lesson. Wings were done with the scratch art technique using oil pastel and acrylic paint. Many of my young students took this as an opportunity to carve their initials, names and doodles. (Funny I hadn't anticipated that.) Backgrounds were created on a separate board using acrylics and watercolors. (Hindsight - I would have offered a wider variety of colors for their skies to yield more diverse results.) These are big poster sized pieces by kindergarten through 5th graders.
my experiment
Yesterday was the last class of my summer art series. I intend to do a little pelican (and seagull) watching and soak up the last gasps of summer before my fall classes begin.
how cute is this. thanks for sharing your art projects. Susan
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