Learning how to draw from observation and practicing contour line drawing has been the first project in the 6th grade elective art class- Art Explorations. Students in these photographs are at various stages of the process. During the first couple of classes students warmed up by drawing from their imagination, then from observing objects (at that time stuffed animals), and then moved on to picking their subject. They chose between their backpack and their shoe, put it on the table, and started to draw! Students were challenged to draw exactly what they oserved and not what they imagined they were looking at. Many students are now at the stage of putting their backpack or shoe in a setting- from their imagination. They are using watercolor techniques to finish these paintings.
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Students in the 6th grade Art Enrichment class have just finished their wire sculptures. The goals were to depict a figure in action by showing a gesture, find a way to balance and stabilize their sculpture, and to incorporate an element of humor if they desired. Students had a lot of creative freedom with this project and their art is wonderful to see. To name a few: a seated fisherman, a scarecrow, a fencing athlete, gymnasts doing all sorts of moves, leaping dancers, a hula hooping girl, figures doing archery, a monkey drinking a coffee, a tumbling elephant, a skier, some fun cats and dogs, and a whole host of other things. Here are photos from this morning's class. There are some others on display in the office.
The Advanced Studio Art Classes have been drawing since the beginning of school. Drawing is the backbone of all art and though we practice it everyday with a sketchbook assignment I decided to start the year with a drawing unit. My students have explored gesture, contour or line drawings and volumetric drawings where they concentrated on describing shape with line. My hope is that they learn to draw what they see and observe carefully.
The past few days we talked about adding value (or shading) to drawings to make them look 3D. I love the value drawings of the little pumpkins my students have been working on. It puts us in the mood for Autumn and Halloween! Next Up: The culmination of this unit of study is to have each student choose a Final Drawing Project. They will choose one of six different projects to express what they have learned in a way that best suits them. This year I'm teaching two Ceramics classes (and Ms. Ruzzier is teaching one) and I can say from both of us, it's one of our favorite mediums to teach. Why? because the kids love it, and they make work that is so original and creative. They learn so much about problem solving and for the most part they enjoy the whole process and not just the outcome. Here are some photos of my students' current work using the "double pinch" technique. The elephant teapot makes me smile because I remember how much we laughed when I accidentally dropped a wooden tool inside it (before the lid was cut) and we couldn't get it out for a day or two!
We have our 7/8 grade elective art students (in Ceramics, Digital Art & Photography and Advanced Studio Art) begin each class with a sketchbook assignment to encourage our young artists to draw each day and to to get into the "art zone". They know to get their sketchbooks out as soon as they come into our classrooms and look to the board for the assignment of the day. They will then spend the next 5-8 minutes silently drawing. We find it a great way to begin our classes!
(Digital Art & Photo students work in a digital sketchbook in Photoshop Elements) Seventh and Eighth graders came up with these interesting ideas for their double pinch challenge where they create two pinch pots of the same size and thickness and attach them. Take a look at some of their pieces as they dry on the students shelves. (My students would tell you that they are now in the leather hard state and when they are bone dry we will bisque fire them in the kiln.) The bottom photo is of a pumpkin teapot and cups in progress!
Sixth grade art enrichment students have started a wire Calder-inspired sculpture. They have been working on capturing a gesture and these are the very beginnings- stay tuned. During the lesson I introduced them to this great poster created by artist Louis Decrevel; I think his gesture stick-figures are fantasic and so helpful for understanding this concept.
I was pushing this cart of pinch pots toward the kiln when it struck me how pretty they looked all clustered together and that within their pale dusty surface they had captured my students' first experience of clay for the year. Each one is precious right now and they'll be excited when they are transformed through the firing process and returned to them. Later in the year these pinch pots will not mean so much to my kids because they'll have created something much more elaborate, but I love their simplicity- and the occasional shark or bear I found sculpted in the bottom!
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