March Art Update!

Happy Easter and Happy Spring Break!

If you are traveling, I hope you are having a fabulous time and are somewhere warm! If you are having a "stay-cation" like me, I hope you didn't put away your winter coat, and are at least enjoying some quality time with family and friends.

This month's highlights included TWO student art shows... one at the Cedarburg Cultural Center (on display until Sunday, April 22nd) and one at the Cedarburg Art Museum (on display until Thursday, April 19th). If you have not yet gone, and have a chance, take the kids and go check out some awesome artwork! 😊

Here are links to the websites as well as the addresses for each building:

http://cedarburgculturalcenter.org/

Cedarburg Cultural Center

W62 N546 Washington Ave, Cedarburg, WI 53012

https://www.cedarburgartmuseum.org/

Cedarburg Art Museum

W63 N675 Washington Ave, Cedarburg, WI 53012

Westlawn display at the Cedarburg Cultural Center

Naomi, wearing her future artist shirt! 😉

Westlawn display Cedarburg Art Museum

Art room happenings during the month of March...

5th grade is in the process of completing their Elements and Principles Accordions! The complex project requires that the students represent the 7 elements and 7 principles of art using their chosen symbol. One of the most exciting aspects of the project is the wide range of art media that the students are allowed to use. Practically the entire art room has been opened to the students, giving them MANY options in what art mediums they would like to use as they represent the elements and principles. Take a look at the accordions in progress! We will be wrapping up this project this month and moving on to our next project that will utilize one of my favorite art mediums... PRINTMAKING!

4th grade finished their Realistic Self-Portraits at the end of March! All of their hard work on portrait drawing paid off! The students learned how to use chalk pastels to complete their drawings. They transferred the chalk onto their portraits using cue tips and cotton balls. They also learned how to mix colors of chalk to create accurate skin tones and hair colors. Although MESSY, the students seemed to enjoy using the chalk pastels to complete their IMPRESSIVE self-portraits! Currently on display at Westlawn is Mr. Noel's 4th grade class!

3rd grade had fun creating Warm and Cool Collagraph Prints during the month of March! What they don't yet realize is that the two prints will be transformed into an "Agamograph" (a type of "movable" art)! As the students were in the process of making the warm and cool colored prints they were able to decide how to position their collagraph plate. It was so neat to see some of the designs appear after the students printed their plates 4 times. When the students return from spring break, they will be creating a BONUS print, in which they can choose any colors they want (not needing to fit any certain color scheme). We will then begin the Agamographs!

2nd grade completed their Clay Picture Frames during the month of March! The students had so much fun working with clay and coming up with a unique picture frame design! During the clay making process, the students learned how to roll out and cut a slab, use the 4 S's (score, slip, stick, and smooth) to add clay to the picture frame, and incorporate texture by pressing in a variety of objects. The students then glazed their picture frames to complete the process! Mrs. Huber's class is currently on display at Westlawn!

1st grade students are continuing to make Kimono Self-Portraits! The students are enjoying creating the different features of their Kimono people, including the "fabric," the obi (sash), hair, and other features. Perhaps the most challenging feature of the project is the Japanese symbols! The students chose a few symbols to represent their personality and practiced drawing them in their sketchbooks. They then drew the symbols on a slip of paper that will be added to the final artwork! When the students return from spring break, they will make a colorful background and tie the project all together!

Kindergarten completed their Clay Cupcakes this past month! The projects are simply adorable! The students practiced the art of making clay pinch pots. The pinch pot on the bottom was pressed into a silicone cupcake liner to imitate the texture of a real cupcake. The students then learned how to make clay coils by using the palms of their hands to create a "snake-like" piece of clay. I helped the students swirl the clay into a spiral to look like frosting! The students learned the 4 S's of clay making (score, slip, stick, and smooth) to add the cherry on top! After firing the clay projects in the kiln, the students had a chance to paint their cupcakes!

4-K students also worked with clay for their latest project, Clay Flower Bowls! The students learned the word "texture" to describe how something feels. They enjoyed pressing a variety of objects into their clay to create visual and tactile texture. The students also attached a little clay circle to the center of their flowers using the clay making methods of "scoring, slipping, sticking, and smoothing." The students were amazed at the difference the 4 S's make when trying to stick clay together. Their prediction of simply pushing the clay together didn't work! The students completed their clay flower bowls by pulling up the petals and shaping them to resemble a real flower! Next class the students will be painting their bowls!