Elementary, March 28-April 1, 2011

Last week there was a hush in the art room as students concentrated on learning to control the brush and their attention to create peaceful scenes of the nature. Bamboo stalks and leaves with small lizards and spiders hiding among them and butterflies and dragon flies hovering over them.

This week students will have the opportunity to continue developing their Sumi-e brush skills. At the same time they will continue working on their projects in process. Grade 2 – will be paint designs based on a Shape and Line vocabulary inspired by Juan Miro and Kandinsky. Grade 3 – will finish their prehistoric cave paintings. Grade 4 – will make their printing plates and print them. Grade 5 – will complete their Greek masks and mosaic designs.

Elementary Grades 2-5, March 21-25, 2011

This week all of our Discovery School art classes are practicing the art of Sumi-e painting. This unique Japanese art uses only four brush strokes to express all of the shapes and forms in the universe. It was built on the knowledge ancient Japanese scholars brought back from China. They developed an art form that reflects Japanese culture and philosophy. This art requires complete control of mind and brush. Because of this it is often used as a way for the artist to enter a peaceful, meditative or prayerful state. Our classes are practicing this art as a way of showing their respect and concern for the Japanese people. Works from each student will be put together in a scroll to be sent to the Japanese Embassy.

Parents are invited to stop by the art room anytime during the day and either observe or participate in this project.

Elementary Grade Five - March 21-25, 2011

Masks and Mosaics! We are multi-tasking - working on two projects simultaneously. While one dries we work on the other. Students have been researching the characters they will play in their Greek Theater project. Soon we will be adding color and texture to the masks. In between working on their masks they are additing "tiles" to their mosaic designs.

Elementary Grade Four, March 21-25, 2011

Block printing unit continues. Last week we started mono print experiments. This week we will continue to experiment while building our block printing plates.

Elementary Grade Three, March 21-25, 2011

This week we will put our book illustration project on hold while students finish editing their stories and getting them ready for printing. Instead we will return to our cave painting project and complete our designs that are based on prehistoric drawings and paintings found in caves.

Elementary Grade Two, March 21-25, 2011

"Careful, even though it is hard it can still break."

This past week we separated the plaster of Paris mold from our “fossil” impressions. It was exciting to see the designs the shells and leaves had left behind. Our clay, just like the mud on the bottom of prehistoric lakes and oceans, recorded every line and shape of the leaves and shells. Minerals from the water (plaster of Paris) settled on the shells (impressions). After many thousands of years (four days) the minerals hardened into rock preserving the shapes of prehistoric life for us to see.

It was great fun pretending, learning about bas relief and how to make a mold and cast plaster.

This week we will explore symbols, develop our own symbol vocabulary and use it in our paintings.

Elementary Grade Five, March 7-11, 2011

We will continue to add layers of papier-mâché to the Greek theater masks. While they are drying we will look at early Greek mosaics and be inspired to create some of our own using colored “tiles” made of paper.

Elementary Grade Four, March 7-11, 2011

This week students will “impress” their insect designs onto the Styrofoam printing plates. Then they will “pull” a few practice prints. They will experiment with different colored inks, and types of paper.

Elementary Grade Three, March 7-11, 2011

Students will continue to develop their story board for their Tie-Dye Reed stories. When they have ideas for their images and have determined the number of pages and illustrations they will need they will begin the illustration process

Elementary Grade Two, March 7-11, 2011

Using clay and plaster of Paris second graders will create abstract relief sculptures using found objects from the art room.