Hard working artists!

Kindergarten students have been gaining some foundation experience with numerous art materials. They have used a variety of crayons, markers and colored pencils in multiple two dimensional artworks. Our young artists have also been introduced to some Color Theory by discovering that red and yellow will create orange, and that blue and yellow will create green.

The most exciting news for our kindergarteners, and all parents, is that they received their

sketchbooks! Periodically throughout the year we will work on small drawing assignments to

document the present (self portrait, members of your family, your teacher, a recent memory, etc.).

These mini assignments will continue until the end of fifth grade, at which point the sketchbooks will

be sent home (and cherished!).

Sketchbooks!

First Graders started their year with an inspiring book called Ish! by Peter H. Reynolds, a story of a

young artist discovering that Art cannot be summed up by one aesthetic or one right answer.  Our

first grade students also completed a tempera painting based on simple shapes. This colorful project

enabled the students to practice making controlled brushstrokes, and introduced them to the concept

of craftsmanship and “touch up.”

More recently, they have begun making animal/habitat collages.  These little 2D environments will be

coming home soon!

Gr.1 shape painting

Second Graders began with a fall collage using construction paper and glue sticks. Next, they

created a watercolor painting of a pumpkin patch using a few different watercolor techniques: wet on

dry, wet on wet and blotting.

To complement their study of Native American cultures, students began a basic color block yarn

weaving, and the upcoming project will be clay seed pots.

Gr.2 yarn weaving

Third Graders have had a two lessons in portraiture.  They learned that when drawing the human

head it is important to place the eyes halfway between the top of the head and the bottom of the

chin.  Many beginning artists (adults included) mistakenly place the eyes higher on the forehead.

Also, rather than putting a small bit of manicured lawn on the top of the head, students learned to

draw the hair as a shape.

Third graders have also been working on a warm leaves/cool sky tempera paintings. One of the

objectives of this painting lesson is to allow the brushstrokes to show. Our goal was to highlight the

paint application.

gr.3 warm leaves / cool sky painting

Fourth Graders became young designers while learning to use a compass to create artworks that

exhibit radial symmetry.  They then created circular designs freehand onto thin styrofoam which was

then printed on colored paper using multi-colored inks.  

Students can now look forward to one of the most exciting fourth grade projects.  Students will be

using clay to create unique coil pots. Students will be asked to try to create a coil pot that is not just

one coil upon the next, upon the next. Rather, students will consider incorporating some vertical,

textured, or spiraled coils or small slabs of clay into the wall of the pot.

After the pots are fired, students will have a few surface design options to complete their pot.

Gr.4 radial symmetry printing

Fifth Graders spent the beginning of the year looking into a mirror to study proportion in portraiture.

 We started with a pre-instruction self portrait in their sketchbook. We then began another self

portrait over the period of four classes noting and drawing proper placement of facial features

(always amusing to watch elementary students confronted with a mirror).

Recently, they have begun a printmaking unit making winter cards that can be personalized and

mailed.

Gr.5 winter card printing

After the Winter Break, we will begin designing our squares for the annual Square One Art

fundraiser!  This project is always a big hit with our young artists while also generating funds for our

PTO.