Art Room News
April 6th, 2023
Wrapping up the 3rd Quarter.
Dear Families,
Things have been going great in the art room. Here are a few of the highlights of the projects each grade has been working on. Now that the weather is warming up some of the younger grades will be venturing outdoors for some observational drawing as the spring blooms start to pop up around the school.
Kindergarten- Over the last several classes we have explored Art throughout history. We started a lap around the Mediterranean in the caves of France looking at some of the earliest drawings ever made. We were inspired by the early cuneiform writing of the Sumerian's and created our own clay tablets. While we made a few stops we finished where we started in France and how the camera shaped the way people view the world.
1st Grade- Students recently finished a painting unit that celebrated two African American Artists. Students used the “Workers'' series by Jacob Lawrence to inspire paintings about what they would like to be when they grow up. Next we looked at one of my favorite artists from my alma mater, Huey Lee Smith. His work often embodied the simplistic joy of playing. Students then created paintings that showed their favorite way to play.
2nd Grade- Students created several works using various printmaking techniques. The process lends itself well to repetition as the students created multiple combinations of color. After a series of images the students then created a painting that reinforced repetition as a principle of design.
3rd Grade- For our painting unit we started with a color mixing project that used tints and shades to create the illusion of Atmospheric Perspective where the landscapes get lighter as they fade towards the distance. Once students had the opportunity to experiment with mixing colors they were given the chance to create a painting of their choice that used at least some of their own mixed hues of color.
4th Grade- For our clay unit we are learning the process of making a coil pot. I used a hot cocoa mug as the sample for how to use coil construction, but students were free to create any form they chose. Once you decide on a shape, lengths of coiled clay are stacked and blended together.
5th Grade- Students have been creating life sized self portraits using the ‘5 eye’ method to help layout facial proportions. Once the basic layout is established mirrors are used to observe details that make each face unique. Charcoal is used for its simplistic beauty, and ease of blending and fading. Once the portrait is finished students can create a background that compliments their personality.