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!