All of the Peter Noyes K-5 artists completed their designs for the annual Square One Art project.
All of the original artworks, catalogs and free sheets of stickers arrived today! Be on the lookout for your young artist’s catalog.
Kindergarten students continued to explore paint mixing in their “Color Formulas” lesson. They were provided with 10 different colors and instructed to mix 2 or 3 colors together. Before mixing, they were to write the formula on their paper: M (magenta) + Y (yellow) = new color. Also, kindergarteners were asked to create a descriptive name for each of their new colors. One student mixed blue, black and white and called the new color “storm.” Next, kindergarten students will have a watercolor unit about rainbow order (ROYGBP).
First Graders began an “Introduction to Figure Drawing” unit. I encourage young artists to avoid drawing stick figures or gingerbread figures to represent the human body. Instead, I focus their attention on “Shirts and Pants.” We find it is much easier, and more proportionately accurate, to start by drawing clothing first. Soon, the first graders will be starting a Color Theory unit about primary (red, yellow, blue) and secondary (orange, green, purple) colors.
Second Graders also began a Color Theory unit on mixing primary colors to make secondary colors. First, they used red, yellow and blue plasticine (modelling clay) to physically mash and knead two colors together to make a new color. For the next lesson, the second grade artists used primary color tempera paint to mix the secondary colors. These paint swatches were later cut out and collaged onto a new paper to make a Color Wheel.
Third Graders started a clay project that entailed making a “mouth pot” sculpture. The students started by making a pinch pot. Once turned on it’s side, the opening of the pinch pot would represent the mouth of their sculpture. After discussing how to attach two pieces of clay together (slip and score), the artists attached teeth/fangs, tongues and the like inside the mouth of the sculpture, and eyes, noses, horns, wings, tails, etc. to the outside of their sculptures. After the sculptures are fired in the kiln, the students will use multicolored glazes to color their creations.
Fourth Graders also started a clay project. They were shown how to make a coil pot from a pinch pot base. Students were also encouraged to incorporate elements of texture into the wall of the coil pot. After the pots are fired, the students had two choices for surface treatment. They could glaze the pot with multicolored glazes, or paint the outside of the pot with washable black tempera. In this second option, the tempera is immediately washed off in the sink. The result is an aged look. The black tempera stains the white clay and does not completely wash out of all of the seams and texture of the coil pot.
Fifth Graders are in the process of creating 3D paper mache masks! The masks start with a human face mold, and then additions are added with aluminum foil, newspaper and masking tape. All masks are painted with acrylic paint. The fifth graders next project is also a 3D head sculpture, but this sculpture will be constructed with clay. The head will be made by combining two pinch pots to form a hollow egg shape. Depending on the artist’s plan (human, animal, monster, etc.) features will be added by using the slip and score technique.
