Third Grade Prints

The third grade finished learning about Andy Warhol's prints. Using the themes from pop artist's the student artists used repetition, complementary colors and "popular" images to create these prints. Flash light

Eye Glasses

Shamrock

Tree

Silk screen prints

The fourth grade continued with their exploration of the properties of the silkscreen. There were quite a few successes considering this is the first time the students used this medium and we are using finger paints instead of ink. For those struggling with the many variables of printmaking we will be continuing printing for a couple more weeks.

Fourth Grade Factory

Andy Warhol has a show up at the IMA. The show is fun and whimsical and highlights Andy's commercial side. There is a lot of familiar items to see in the show. Relating to that show I thought the students would like to know what materials Andy worked with. Today we busted out the silkscreens. I would have taking picture while the students worked but it was rather hectic, I think the next period the students have with the screens will be more successful. They will have a better understanding of the process.

ABC easy as 123

Kindergarten is learning what it takes to make a "complete" painting. They also followed a lot of directions: Use your letters as designs, use different types of line, outlining, please do not cram your brush into the paint, no painting your neighbor, you get the idea. I think they turned out pretty cool.

First Grade Takes the Plunge(r)

The first grade is studying the primary colors, the artist Mondrian and line. Here the young artists experiment with alternative methods of printmaking.

Want to know what artists do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1qvPWW_dNA

Drawn to Abstraction

The fourth grade made representational drawings from a still life of glass vases and bottles. They learned all about the circle in space- the ellipse- and then colored in the drawing to abstract the work.
The artist and illustrator James McMullan is writing a series about drawing for the the New York Times, it is published every Friday for the next twelve weeks. The First lesson talk about with what ease and gusto children draw and create. The second lesson Mr. McMullan discussed ellipses! I couldn't wait to show the kids that what they are doing in fourth grade art class an artist in New York is teaching his adult readers. We even e-mailed him out work. What a fun connection.
See the articles here:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/getting-back-to-the-phantom-skill/

Mr. McMullan's reply to our e-mail:

Hi Rebecca,
The work from your class looks great! I think they still have the phantom skill that everyone is trying to get back to.
Keep up the good work.