Kindergarteners love building stuff. Even if the stuff is cups, bottle caps, lids, and toilet paper tubes. Let them play and they’ll create cities, airplanes, fish, people, robots, and trees. After reading The Dot, students used these “dot objects” to construct abstract 3D collages. Next, I have to decide if we’re going to paper mache over, smooth aluminum foil over, or gesso and paint?
The second graders will soon be learning about butterflies and life cycles in science class. To get a head start, they are studying symmetry in butterflies in Art. (Plus now they now the differences between butterflies and moths) After drawing symmetrical drawings, students transferred their images onto foam, and carved in the lines. After printing the foam plate, they will create collages using the many versions of prints they experimented with.
While the 5th graders have been working on observational drawings of shells, the spec. needs 4/5 class has also been exploring shells, but in all mediums. Most recently, they created plaster molds of shells. First, the smoothed a layer of clay into a round container. Second, we pressed small shells into the clay’s surface, creating negative imprints. Lastly, we mixed up a batch of plaster and poured it on top of the shell. About an hour later, the plaster pops off, leaving positive casts of the shells!
As an introduction to symmetry, the 2/3 spec. needs class used paint and folded paper to mimic the patterns and shapes of a butterfly. This was their first experience with squishing wet paint between folded paper, and they absolutely loved it. I bet they could have made these paintings for hours if they could!
The Junior kindergarteners just finished 2 versions of jellyfish. They used cardboard to stamp lines for tentacles. They practiced making straight, wavy, and zig zag lines using cardboard.
Second, they finished their jellyfish mobiles. Using wire, beads, and tissue paper, students focused on patterns and lines. They created simple patterns with the beads and tissue paper, and experimented with making zig zag, wavy, and spiral lines in pipe cleaner wire.
The prints are being hidden as we speak! 36 prints total will be hidden throughout school, waiting for the lucky student or teacher to find it! Check out Bren Bataclan’s page for more info about the Smile Project.
Here are the 5th graders 3 part reduction prints. They carved linoleum, printed, re-carved, printed again, and then colored a bonus color on. The students loved experimenting with color combinations. Well worth the effort!
My 2/3 spec. needs class made their own home-made scratch paper. First, they colored oak tag with oil pastels, being sure to cover the entire board with a thick, heavy layer. Second, the students painted a thin even layer of black acrylic paint on top (we used foam brushes so no streaks). After letting the paint dry, they drew their designs with wood styluses, scratching away the black to reveal the color underneath.
While the lines of the homemade paper are more rough and a tad smudgier than store bought paper, the students declared the homemade kind much better!!
The JK class is wrapping up a big fish unit with jellyfish sculptures. Inspired by the mobiles and wire sculptures of Alexander Calder, students began by bending soft wire into a jellyfish shape. They strung beads and found objects onto pipe cleaners for tentacles, as well as patterns of tissue paper. Tomorrow, they’ll create straight, wavy, zig zag, and curly lines in wire to add to the mobile.
The soon-to-be-finished group of jellies:
The 4/5 spec. needs class is hard at work with their Smile Project. They are currently creating large, 3D sculptures of smile characters. Here, you can see some hands in paper mache, a definite class favorite! I think they’d happily use paper mache every day for the rest of the year if I let them!
Be on the look-out for these sculptures at the Morse School Art Show in May!
First graders used 3 values to create their self portraits. They realized that if they start with a light value to create an initial sketch, they can edit and fix a drawing with darker values. The original light value almost disappears! Students looked at many Modigliani portraits Students drew with markers only, no pencils. After drawing, they painted water on top to activate the water-soluble markers and mix the colors together.
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