Show Me The Monet

I post a lot of Kindergarten work because they finish projects really quickly. One of the things that I like about working with young children is that they have not developed a concept of "good" and  "bad", they are just happy to be making something! We studied the artwork of Claude Monet and learned about how he was interested in painting light. We practiced big words like "IMPRESSIONISM" and talked about what kind of colors we would use to paint water. Here are our paintings inspired by Monet's "Waterlillies".

Blind Contour Drawing

5th graders studied the work of Egon Schiele. We learned about contour drawing and the difference between LOOKING and SEEING. These are BLIND contour drawings, this means that students drew their partner without looking. We focused on drawing what we see and not just what we know is there. I always emphasize that a successful work of art is not always one that imitates real life. I love this exercise because I think that it really challenges students to work outside their comfort zone.

                                          

Egon Schiele

Action Jackson

As I have said before, process is very important to me. I think that it is important for students to learn through play and exploration. We studied the work of Jackson Pollock and talked about the difference between abstract art and nonrespresentational art. (Ask your child if they can tell you the difference!) I taped string to the end of paint brushes and students were free to create their composition by dipping the string in paint and then twirling it across the paper. This mimics the he way Pollock would dance across his canvases, splattering paint.

DRES Student

Jackson Pollock

You Can't Spell Heart Without Art

First Grade studied the work of Jim Dine. He likes to paint hearts (even when it isn't Valentine's Day!). Students created their compositions on 6"x6" squares that will be combined to form a mural.  

Jim Dine 

Arctic Antics

First grade and Kindergarten are studying Antartica (also in preparation for International Night). First graders drew penguins and cut them out. The entire grade collaborated to create an Arctic mural. Kindergarteners studied polar bears and learned about perspective/upright, sideways and
upside down .

Chinese Vases and Cherry Blossoms

Second grade studied Chinese ceramic vases. We talked about symmetry, design and pattern. They created a design that was inspired by traditional Chinese blue and white vases. The vases were cut out and pasted to their grey backgrounds. We looked at some paintings of cherry blossoms and finished our compositions off with stems in watercolor and blossoms in oil pastel. I'm really proud of these! 

International Night

Our art studio is busy this week as we prepare for International Night and celebrate art around the world. I can't reveal all of their creations but here is a sneak peek of our artists hard at work! Fourth and Fifth graders have been working on a few collaborative projects. We learned about South American textiles, created a mural that represents Peru and learned about the Aboriginal art of Australia. See you on February 11th!

Meet the Art Teacher

Hi! My name is Chelsea Mason, I graduated from Meredith College with a BA in Studio Art and from Pratt Institute with an MFA (painting and drawing concentration). At Meredith I participated in several home school workshops and taught at The Morehead School for the Blind. While living in New York City, I was a teaching artist at The Children's Mueseum of the Arts and assisted with an outreach program that provided art education to children in Harlem and the Bronx. During my time at Pratt, I worked as a teaching Graduate Student for a Junior level painting seminar.

When I returned to Raleigh, I began teaching Art Appreciation at William Peace University. I also taught painting, drawing and mixed media at The Pullen Art Center and Sertoma Art Center.

I am so excited to be here at Durant! Although my teaching experience spans a wide range of ages, my passion lies in elementary education. If you ever have any questions regarding your child's art education, please do not hesitate to contact me. cmason4@wcpss.net

Frequently Asked Questions:

Are you married?
Yes! My husband is a chef!

Do you have any pets?
Yes, a dog named Marmo. Marmo is a German Shepard/Pittbull mix. He is brindle, his fur looks like marble.....Marmo in Italian. I also have two turtles, their names are Snowball and Godzilla.


Do you have any kids?
Yes, I have one son named Rex. He is nine months old! Here is a picture of our Halloween costume. He was Bob Ross and I was a Happy Tree.

Japanese Notan

As you may know, February 11th is International Night at DRES. Fifth grade students studied the Japanese art of Notan. More About Notan students created a design with a 6"x6" black square. They cut out their shapes and put the design back together like a puzzle. THEN the pieces were flipped. This project reiterates the Elements and Principles of Design (i.e. value, contrast, unity). Watch the process

Picasso Portraits

Kindergarten is hard at work again! We looked at the work of Picasso and discussed portraiture. We talked about the difference between realism and abstraction. Students explored different ways to render features using oil pastels and experimented with the unruly nature of water colors. Below are some examples of student work and a Picasso portrait for comparison!

DRES Student

DRES Student

DRES Student

Picasso