Indian Corn

Hello My Amazing Artists!

I'm delinquent posting this 5th grade project. The 5th graders began the year working with chalk pastels and the color wheel to create Indian corn. They needed to work carefully to blend their complimentary colors to give depth and shape to each kernel. It was hard and dusty. But I think they turned out beautifully!

Japanese Fish Printing

Hello My Amazing Artists!

Gyotaku Fish Prints

The 3rd Grade is studying Japan, so in Art we are learning about Gyotaku printing. Gyotaku is a combination of two separate words - Gyo, which means "fish" and Taku, which means "rubbing".

This art form began when Japanese fishermen developed a way to record the species and size of the fish they caught. They would apply ink directly to the fish, rub thin rice paper over the fish and peel away a beautiful fish print.

Our 3rd graders, despite their willingness to use real fish, used silicone fish models to replicate the process.

You can notice above, the artists explored "ghost printing" (using what's left on the fish to make a second print, without re-inking) and "cropping" (using only part of the inked fish).  They figured out interesting compositions that suggested depth and multiple fish. 

These artists then created an environment for their fish. Aren't these amazing!  

Circle Weaving

Hello My Amazing Artists

The second grade has been working on this weaving project for several weeks.

We used old blank cds as our loom. We wrapped string around the cd to make the weft then used different colored yarn as the warp.  They had to be super careful to go "Under. Over. Under. Over" and make sure their yarn did what it was supposed to do. 

When they were done... they looked amazing!

      

 

 

I hung them on a large stick (thank you garden club) over the radiator so they sway gently all day.  The fun thing about using a cd was that both sides were shiny.  I was going to put it in the lobby, but was told it might set off the motion detectors!!  

Taking Art Outside

Hello My Amazing Artists!

This week the 3rd Grade went outside for art class. We learned about Andy Goldsworthy, an environmental artist who only uses items found in nature to create amazing installations. We talked about shape, size, patterns and "ephemeral" art. Then we went outside and created!

  

   

 Even Mrs. Newton got in on the fun!

Artist Self Portraits and Kindergarten printmaking

Hello My Amazing Artists!

Last week was a frenzy of activity as the artists finished their Todd Parr inspired Self Portraits... and just in time for Open House. They are amazing - and hanging in the lobby of the school.

The artists had created a background using their knowledge of mixing colors. Then they cut out: head, ears, and extra details. We used collage techniques to assemble these masterpiece self portraits. 

  

Cutting, gluing to make the collage self portrait

Painting features and carefully outlining the collage with black paint to create definition.

FANTASTIC JOB!!

Meanwhile in kindergarten... the littlest artists were exploring printmaking using circle shapes. What happens when you overlap? How can you use each stamp? What if you dip in more than one color? Lots of exploring going on!

 

Mixing Magicians

"Hello My Amazing Artists!"

This week we shifted gears and became mixing magicians. We talked about the color wheel as an artist's tool. We identified the primary colors - Red, Blue, Yellow - and how these three colors can create any color an artist needs.

My artists then began mixing magic to discover 3 new colors called secondary colors - Green, Purple, Orange.

I did not tell them what the secondary colors were.  Some artists knew what colors to expect. Some didn't and were excited when their mixing resulted in a new color. Magic!

This task also required artists to think, manage their materials and paint carefully as they completed their own color wheels in the correct order. This knowledge will be used again next week to create the all school collaboration project.

We also did the "Swish Test" to see if the class cleaned their brushes well. The color of the water told everyone if this was something to keep working on.

Clean water means well done!

Ask your artist about mixing magic.