This month in the art room, classroom expectations included painting techniques, color mixing, collage, creation of space/depth in a landscape, and drawing from observation. We discussed and observed famous paintings and learned about artists from different places and time periods, including: Vincent Van Gogh, Casper David Frederich, Claude Monet, Romare Bearden, and Henri Matisse. We made connections with science (color mixing) and math (symmetry). We demonstrated SO much Cheetah Pride and are taking such great care of ourselves, others and things!
Here are the projects we have been creating and working hard on in each grade level:
Prek and K:Students learned about the magic of Printmaking!!! Using paint to make a “copy” in order to create a work of art. The students used black paint to make MonoPrints; a one time copy of an original painted shape, or line. These painted shapes and lines created SYMMETRICAL designs,which were interpreted into pumpkin shapes and SILLY faces!!!! We even learned how to make the color ORANGE while using two primary colors: RED AND YELLOW! We then learned how to draw a Skeleton!!! We demonstrated with our own bodies how our skeletons bend and move in all sorts of ways. We then created a drawing with OIL PASTELS, creating a “Skeleton in Action”! Some skeletons were jumping, dancing, running, and MORE! We are thankful for our skeletons, because they help us to MOVE!
1st grade:Students took time to look closely at pumpkins and gourds. We learned how to observe the outside shape, called a CONTOUR. Students cut out their sketches of real pumpkins and gourds, then added color to make them look so REALISTIC. Then added them to a background to create their own Pumpkin Still Life.
We then began learning about other cultures that have special traditions at this time of year. We looked closely at x-rays, in order to create SKELETONS. Our skeletons will be inspired by “Dias De Los Muertos”, a mexican tradition rich with beautiful artworks and SKELETONS! We used TEAMWORK to build our own classroom skeleton out of real x-rays. We will be completing our skeletons as a COLLAGE, gluing many cut pieces of paper to create a complete work of art.
2nd grade: Students learned how to create COLLAGE with overlapping shapes of paper. We created LAYERS of paper, in order to represent a BACKGROUND, MIDDLE GROUND AND FOREGROUND. These places in a work of art best represent SPACE in a LANDSCAPE. All students observed famous landscapes and then added elements to their landscape collages, such as trees, houses, air planes, clouds, animals, buildings, paths, ponds, people, etc.In order to define our SPACE even more, students learned how to change the size of things, depending on the placement of those things; i.e. a tree in the foreground will be large, while a tree in the background will be much smaller, because it is farther away!
3rd grade:Students spent this past month critiquing famous Impressionist paintings, and then experiencing painting “en plein aire” (in fresh air).We brought the art room OUTSIDE and painted the beautiful fall foliage while it was right in front of us! The impressionists, such as Monet and Van Gogh, would paint in all weather elements. Our 3rd graders loved getting to paint in the wind, the sun, and the cool fresh autumn air! We explored color mixing to create the color brown, while also refining our primary color mixing skills to make secondary colors. COMPLEMENTARY colors will always make a beautiful brown, just right for natural fall colors, and tree trunks! We painted autumn trees, and explored brush strokes to create a beautiful Autumn Tree Painting! To complete our paintings, we observed how things in real life are set back behind other things, in the background. We painted and defined our backgrounds in our paintings to really give them that painterly “LANDSCAPE” feel!!!
UPCOMING ART CLASS CELEBRATIONS: Second and Third grade classes have filled their Cheetah Pride tracker and will be selecting a special art room celebration over the next week. Students in each class will vote for their own celebration, and I will alert families of their selection and plan for their celebration via Parentsquare. Please reach out to me directly if you have any questions about this!
ART TO REMEMBER: Students have completed their artwork that is being sent to Art to Remember, our annual art fundraiser. Order forms will be sent home during November and will have a one week ordering period. Please review the items on the website anytime before receiving your order form if you would like:) The website is http://www.arttoremember.com/
