Holy Cow it is going to be an amazing week in the art studio! Not only is it our Homecoming Week, but my 4th Graders have wrapped up their Marine Calendar paintings and I have had the great pleasure of teaching the kids about the Mobile Bar Pilots and their contribution to our Port City, as they are the sponsor of our oyster! As part of The Oyster Trail, I was asked to paint one of the oysters that will become part of the permanent trail downtown. My students are getting to experience the process of painting within a theme and learning all about Oysters and the bay! 


I decided to let the students write their name in water soluble graphite or add a few brushstrokes to the base coats so that they could participate in the creation of the piece. When it is revealed, it will be part of the Oyster Trail which is a scavenger type activity in downtown Mobile, Alabama, revealing all of the oysters to date. 



This comes on the heals of my 4th graders working so hard to research sea life that lives in the Gulf as part of their entries into the Marine Calendar Contest. I love that the lessons link up and the students are all reaping the benefits of celebrating the variety that our coastal town has to offer. 
Each student completed an initial sketch, a base painting, and then worked on adding stippling and/or crayon and pencil to increase their depth and details. I have been wowed by what they accomplished in such a short time! 







  Looking forward to sharing more sneak peeks with you on how our oyster evolves!