Art Room Update week of 11/18/19

Kindergarten has just finished their exploration of squares with concentric circles in the style of Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) in oil pastel and watercolor.

First grade looked at the black and white designs of the Anasazi (Pueblo peoples’) ceramics. In preparation for making their own 3D clay bowls, students drew black and white designs inside and outside of their 2D bowls. Subsequently they learned the pinch pot technique and will paint their bowls this week.

Second grade has just finished creating 3 stamp drawings of cats and dogs. Each student chose the best of the three for publication and sale in the Post Office. This week and the next they will collaboratively draw cats and dogs on 28 classroom post office boxes.

Third grade is in the midst of creating Op Art hands after looking at the work of Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) and Bridget Riley (1931-).

Fourth Grade learned about Pop Art, a visual art movement that emerged in Britain and the US in the 1950’s which is characterized by themes and techniques drawn from popular mass culture. Having looked at Andy Warhol’s work, the Fourth graders have finished creating their own Pop Art personality soup can.

Fifth grade students looked at sculptures by Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) and George Segal (1924-2000) in preparation for an action figure sculpture unit. We looked at the proportions of the human body, understanding that an adult human is approximately 8 heads high. They have started to create their action figures out of foil, wire, and tape, and will be plastering them this week. Once dry, they will paint them and add details.
Sixth graders looked at the work of Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) and we discussed appropriation. They chose an onomatopoeia word and are to draw the word so that it looks like it sounds, using Lichtenstein’s color palette as well as Benday dots.

Seventh grade are finishing their ½ self portraits using the grid method. Students looked at the portrait work of Chuck Close (1940-) who employs the grid method extensively.
Eighth grade are drawing skateboards in the style of Takashi Murakami (1962-).

Fifth grade elective students are still sewing their pillows employing the back stitch and running stitch.

Seventh grade Fine Arts Elective students have been studying how light creates highlights, midtones, refracted light, core shadow, and cast shadows on hands and are drawing their hands from observation with extensive patterns in the background.

Eighth grade Fine Arts Elective students have pulled together their portfolios, and have moved on to creating Micrography self portraits.