First snowfall

With the first snowfall of the year comes the realization that the holidays are upon us!  Students began holiday-themed artworks this week in several of the grades, and the rest will follow suit in the coming weeks.  Read on for more details, and enjoy the magical snowfalls to come this weekend!

**An abundance of thanks to parent volunteers Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Connor, and Mrs. Tamayo for visiting and helping our art room tremendously!  Our students very much appreciated your visits, as well.**

Kindergarten

Kindergarten showed their knowledge of primary and secondary colors -- and enjoyed color mixing -- with our Primary and Secondary Fish project!   The assigned task was to paint large fish in primary colors and small fish in secondary colors. The background was created in a tint of blue.  In some cases, students took creative liberties in colors, to astounding and charming effects (such as in the case of the pink waters below).  Overall, students did a great job filling their picture plane with paint.  Well done, Kindergarten!

First Grade

First grade revisited favorite artist Henri Matisse and his "painting with scissors," or colorful cutouts in organic and geometric shapes after a discussion of color and how it relates to feelings.  Students chose colorful shapes and pasted them together on top of black strips of paper.  Parent volunteers were tremendously helpful throughout this very challenging process!  Take a look at some examples of our students' hard work!

We may sprinkle a few more details and small shapes onto these Matisse-inspired artworks before finishing and beginning our Christmas projects.  Below, see a Matisse-inspired artwork gone 3-D (complete with Chicago reference and structural supports on the reverse side)!  So much creativity in the ICSJ art room!

Second Grade

Second grade experienced the fun of using Bleeding Tissue Paper this week!  (This medium does not get old at any age/is fun for adults, too!)  Bleeding tissue paper will provide the background for our Paul Klee-inspired Cubist cities.  Below is a photograph of the tissue drying for next week's lesson.

Particularly resourceful fourth grade students recycled Bleeding Tissue for the Pumpkin Batik collages.  See below.

Third Grade

One of the third grades did not have art because of a field trip this week, but students who returned in time painted their Black Glue Cityscapes this week! First, students looked at examples of work by Paul Klee, as well as reviewing the color wheel.  Then, students took inspiration and applied it to their own artworks!  Take a look to see third grade students hard at work.

Fourth Grade

Fourth Grade students completed their Pumpkin Batiks!  We are excited to look forward to our Architecture- and Christmas-inspired projects next!

Fifth Grade

Fifth Grade students worked to create parts of Thanksgiving sign for ICSJ school based on the work of Paul Klee.  Klee did some very creative letter painting, as did students in fifth grade.  Soon, after a layer or two of Mod Podge is applied to fortify and beautify student work, the composition, pieced carefully together, will adorn our school walls for this warm and happy holiday. Be on the lookout to see it in its completion!

Sixth Grade

Sixth grade students learned about the concept of rhythm, or repetition without a perfect pattern, to create a sense of movement.  Students reviewed concepts of warm and cool colors, as well, before creating a painting full of rhythm: one of falling leaves in warm colors, against a cool background.  Great work, 6th grade!

 

Seventh Grade

Seventh grade finished the application of paint for their 3-D architecture project -- both free standing and relief sculpture cities.  Students also embraced the freedom to use scale in this project. Thanks for your enthusiasm, grade 7!

Eighth Grade

Eighth grade students applied knowledge of both Math and Language Arts in this week's art project: theorizing and planning for a work of art to conceptualize an idea based on the novel Red Glass, which they read in Language Arts.  Students chose to represent many abstract ideas and themes from the novel, ranging from the main character's anxiety to the different phases of her character, to a maze that showed the confusion and obstacles in her life. Students will make a corresponding scale drawing using proportions in measurement in Math.  Students worked in a wide variety of media, from rubber cement to cellophane to cardboard to Legos -- students are doing a fantastic job in the 8th grade!