Art Room Update week of 1/28/19

We read “Where the Wild  Are” by Maurice Sendak with the Kindergarteners, noticing all the textures and patterns of the monsters. Students then drew monsters with lots of different textures in oil pastel. They finished by painting in watercolor.
First graders looked at the flower paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, noting that she painted them very close up with the image filling the canvas. Students could choose a photo of a flower or leaf for reference or create from their imaginations. We focused on textures and color changes, filling the paper from edge to edge in soft chalk pastels.
Second graders chose fabric bodies for their puppets, and are putting the finishing touches and details on their faces.
Third grade looked at the work of the artist Laurel Burch (1945-2007), and learned about analogous colors (3 colors next to one another on the color wheel). They are drawing dogs and cats with lots of patterns and analogous colors in oil pastel and watercolor.
Fourth grade learned about the many different forms of baskets made and used by Native Americans. These include baskets for storing seeds, to carry wood or babies, for soup or ceremonies, and even for cooking! They are learning how to coil a basket 2 different ways.
Fifth grade are finishing their one-point perspective name drawings. We looked at Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper (1498), and noticed how he purposefully placed the vanishing point behind the head of Jesus in order to draw your focus to him. They are creating their names in one-point perspective, utilizing a vanishing point, baseline, horizon line, and orthogonal.
Sixth graders looked at the work of graphic artist M.C. Escher (1898-1972) and learned about tessellations. The word tessellation comes from the Latin tessella, which was a small, square stone or tile in ancient Roman mosaics.
Seventh graders looked at National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore’s photos of animals, most particularly endangered animals. Students have chosen an endangered animal to focus on and are creating scratchboard portraits, listing their species, habitat, and how many remain in the wild.
Eighth graders are still working on their Chuck Close grid method self portraits.

Seventh grade Fine Arts Elective students are working on a still life unit.
Fifth grade Elective students are working on mosaics.