April Art Update

Hello and welcome to the Westlawn Art Blog!

Even with a shortened month of school due to spring break, the students were still able to accomplish a lot, including finishing their fish projects! Below you will see pictures of the fish projects from each grade level. In addition to completing the fish projects, students either returned to a project they had been working on or started a brand new unit. Check it out...

5th grade artists returned to their printmaking project after finishing their Watercolor Fish! The students are currently working on creating self portrait relief prints that will be added onto their linoleum printed backgrounds. So far, the students have learned the process of transferring their image to the foam printing plate and how to create a relief in the foam by pushing it down with a wooden stylus. The project is not easy for the students since it is unfamiliar to many and the white foam makes it difficult to see what you have pushed down. After creating the relief in the foam, the students will have a blast printing their portraits with the printing ink and brayers!

5th grade classes with their Watercolor Fish!

5th grade Watercolor Fish!

Making Self Portrait Relief Prints!

4th grade artists are revisiting their self portrait unit after finishing their awesome Scratch Art Fish (which are some of my personal favorites)! We are about half way through the self portrait unit (it's a long one). The students are currently making rough draft self portraits onto a 9X12 sheet of paper. After teaching the unit many times, I have learned how helpful it is to make a rough draft portrait so that students can feel free to make mistakes and not worry about their drawings being perfect. Once we are finished with the rough drafts (which contain all of the lines of symmetry on the face) we will than trace those to make our final drafts. Those drawings will then be turned into beautiful chalk drawings. Cheer the students on as they work through this challenging (and rewarding) unit!

4th grade classes with their Scratch Art Fish!

4th grade Scratch Art Fish!

4th graders working on their Self Portrait Drawings (rough drafts).

3rd grade artists were able to come back to their Clay Canopic Jars after finishing their amazing Paper Mosaic Fish! The students are currently finishing up their Canopic Jars by painting them to imitate the actual colors on an ancient Canopic Jar! The students are learning how to layer colors and use a variety of painting techniques to achieve the desired look of the jar. After completing the Canopic Jars the students will be moving onto their final art project of the school year (hard to believe it's almost here)! Stay tuned to see what their final project will be!

3rd grade classes with their Paper Mosaic Fish!

3rd grade Paper Mosaic Fish!

3rd grade students painting their Clay Canopic Jars.

2nd grade artists just started a NEW project after finishing their Romero Britto Inspired Fish! The students are continuing in the style of "Pop Art" and this time are making Pop Art Popsicles! The kids had fun printing four colorful background colors using a linoleum block and colorful printing ink. Next, the students will be turning t.p. rolls into papier mache popsicles! Papier Mache is super messy but super fun, so unless your child hates getting messy, they'll love what is to come!

2nd grade class with their Romero Britto Style Fish!

2nd grade Romero Britto Style Fish!

2nd grade students at work on their Pop Art Popsicles! Pictured above are students printing the background and paper macheing the t.p. rolls for popsicles! Also... a picture of a block tower students made during some Free Choice Art time

1st grade artists returned to their VanGogh Inspired Sunflower Paintings after completing their Marbled Paper Fish! The students are about halfway through the multi-step project and are now at the point that they can cut, arrange, and glue the pieces onto their sunflowers. The first graders have been learning a lot about VanGogh's painting style and look like true artists as they study his painting and recreate the colors and textures that they see! I love the discussions this project creates among students as they discuss colors they see and then attempt to recreate them (every year I hear the color description "garbage green"). We cannot wait to show off the students masterpieces when they are completed later this month!

1st grade classes with their Handmade Marbled Paper Fish!

1st grade Handmade Marbled Paper Fish!

Kindergarten artists started a clay project after finishing their Piet Mondrian Inspired Fish! The students are enjoying the process of making Clay Cupcakes, and let me tell you... they are too cute! The students first learned how to shape clay into a pinch pot for the base of their cupcakes. The silicone cupcake liners they used were helpful in making the bottom of the cupcake look real. The students then made a second pinch pot for the top of their cupcake. After this, they were given the challenge of making a long coil for the icing of the cupcake which they spiraled around the top. Lastly, the students had the option of making a topper such as a cherry or strawberry. They did a great job with this and appeared to love every step of the process! After the projects are fired in the kiln, the kinders will enjoy painting them!

Kindergarten classes with their Piet Mondrian Inspired Fish!

Kindergarten Piet Mondrian Inspired Fish!

Kindergarten students LOVING the clay making process for their Clay Cupcakes!

4K artists also began a clay project during the month of April! The students enjoyed making Clay Flower Bowls! The students were given a pre-cut flower and were given the task of adding texture using a variety of items (including the bottoms of their shoes)! The students also learned how to attach two pieces of clay together when adding a clay circle to the center of their flower. They learned the words "score, slip, stick, and smooth." Lastly, the 4K students shaped their flowers into bowls by gently curling up the petals and pinching them to imitate real petals. The students had such a great time working with the clay and are excited to add color to them next art class!

4K artists creating their Clay Flower Bowls!

March Art Update

Thanks for stopping by the Westlawn Art Blog!

During the month of March, all students (grades 5K through 5th grade) began working on a very special project, a FISH project! Jake Knox, a Westlawn parent and woodworker extraordinaire, is currently at work on a NEW location of St. Paul Fish Company that is scheduled to open in Mequon this May. Jake reached out to the Cedarburg and Mequon elementary art teachers and asked if our students would be interested in creating fish artwork to be part of the interior design! Of course we were all thrilled to be part of such a unique opportunity and got right to work on creating fun and eye catching fish projects with our students. In addition to working on other art units, each grade level is currently designing and creating their own original fish. Check out some pictures and description of the projects below. Stay tuned for more information about when the fish market opens so you and your family can visit!

5th grade artists are designing and creating watercolor fish! The students used their Chromebooks to find a fish that appealed to them and created a realistic sketch of their fish in their sketchbooks. Perhaps the greatest challenge of the project (for all grade levels) was to make the fish large enough on their 3 in. X 5 in index card. We talked about using the WHOLE space and making markings on our paper to map out the size and shapes before adding details. Next, the 5th graders will be learning how to paint the fish in stages to achieve the realistic paintings their are going to create.
The 5th grade students paused their printmaking project to work on their fish. So far they have created a background to their artwork by designing, carving, and printing a linoleum block. They had a blast with this and we are looking forward to the second phase of the printing project when the fish are complete! Also during the month of March, the 5th graders completed their paper making which will be used for the cover of their sketchbooks and the cover of their E&P Accordion Books. Busy month for these kids!

4th grade artists are learning how to do scratch art for their fish project! Like the 5th graders, they began the project by choosing and sketching a fish in their sketchbooks. Many of the students doubted themselves at first, but once they learned some tips (such as making markings on their paper and then connecting them like a game of connect the dots) they had great success! So much of art is a mind game and requires you to be mentally strong and think you CAN! Next, the students will be tracing their fish on scratch art paper and beginning to scratch away the white areas (which will turn into color since the scratch art paper is multicolored underneath the black layer). Once again, the project will test the students' focus and commitment to make the fish look like they are wanting them to.
While the 4th grade students work on their fish projects, their self portrait drawing unit is on hold. I look forward to finishing their realistic self portraits when the fish are complete!

3rd grade artists are creating fish mosaics! It has been quite some time since I have done a mosaic project with students, but after learning that Ms. Ingham's class did a mosaic art activity earlier in the school year, I thought this would be a very fitting project for 3rd grade! The students chose and sketched a fish of their choice in their sketchbooks and then traced their drawings onto the small index card. They then lightly shaded the fish using colored pencil so that they would have a guide for where to put the colored pieces of cut paper. The students are now cutting and gluing colored paper to imitate the colors seen in the fish pictures. They are starting to get a hang of how a mosaic is created and are also learning what not to do in the art making process. Thanks so much to those families that donated paint samples earlier in the year! They are coming in super handy!
While the 3rd graders create their mosaic fish, their clay canopic jars are being fired in the kiln. The students will be so excited to paint them after completing their fish!

2nd grade artists completed their Kente Cloth Inspired Paper Weavings at the beginning of March so starting the fish project came at just the right time. I enjoy connecting art units of study to some of the topics students are studying in their classrooms. With the Kente Cloth project we made a connection to the African unit, and now we are learning about Brazilian artist Romero Britto (connecting to the 2nd grade unit on Brazil). Romero Britto is a famous artist know for his "Pop Art" style of art using bold colors and designs. The students used Britto's art as inspiration and incorporated his use of bold designs and bright colors into their fish artwork! After drawing a fish from observation, the students added their designs and made them colorful using colored permanent markers! They look SO great!

1st grade artists will be starting their fish projects this week! They are currently enjoying creating a new project (and a personal favorite of mine) VanGogh Inspired Sunflowers! The students have created about half of their project and with each step they work on they always make it a goal to study VanGogh's painting and imitate his style. We have been working on color mixing and painting like an impressionist painter with the visible brush strokes and painting on thick ("impasto"). I am always amazed at the quality of work that the students bring to this project. Never underestimate what a child can do!

Kindergarten artists are making fish in the style of famous artist Piet Mondrian! The students learned about Mondrian last year in 4K when they made butterflies in his style of painting. This year, I thought it would be fun to make fish in the same style! The students chose one of six fish templates I created and painted sections of the grid with the primary colors, red, yellow, and blue. They will then trace the black lines with sharpie to darken them and will finish their projects by cutting out their fish. The project is simple, fun, and eye catching!
The kindergarten students also completed their awesome Robots during the month of March! This was a first time project that aimed to help the students to grow in their knowledge and creative use of shapes! The students had a blast designing their unique robots with the help of rulers, stencils, tin foil, colored construction paper, glue, and colored sharpies!

4K artists completed their Piet Mondrian Inspired Butterflies this past month. Since the butterflies have vertical symmetry, the students were able to make a dot of paint and fold the butterfly to see the same color appear on the other side! Although the act of folding the paper to create a mirror image is a simple art technique, to a four year old, it appears like magic! After making dots of red, yellow, and blue paint in the sections of the grid, the students then practiced their quality painting by filling in the rest of the shapes. The butterflies are by no means "perfect" like Mondrian's paintings appear, but they are beautiful and colorful, and the students had fun learning and creating during the art making process!
The wonderful Kandinsky Circle Paintings are currently on display at Westlawn outside of the art room! They brighten up the hallway and cause many people to stop and admire the students' work!

Here are some pictures from the student art show that is going on right now at the Cedarburg Cultural Center. Over 40 Westlawn artists were represented at the art show! Way to go Dolphins!

February Art Update!

Woah! Where did February go? The end of the shortened month always creeps up on me!

Well, we're continuing to enjoy creating in the art room and are excited to share with you some pictures and descriptions of art creations that have been in the works!

4K art students finished their colorful Kandinsky Circle Paintings last art class and also started a new project inspired by another famous artist! After adding a final set of circles to their Kandinsky paintings, the students were asked to trace lines on a butterfly that is in the style of artist Piet Mondrian! Mondrian is famous for creating paintings with straight black lines and blocks of primary colors (red, yellow, and blue). The next time we meet, the 4K students will be adding paint to their butterflies using the primary colors, and in the process, will discover what happens when you add paint to one side of the butterfly and fold it in half! Check back next month to see how their butterflies turn out!

Kindergarten art students recently finished their Self Portraits by adding a border made of yarn! The border was a great addition to the artwork but definitely proved to be a challenge! The kinders are now creating their next art piece which focuses on SHAPES! They will be designing robots made entirely of shapes and will enjoy being creative in their approach. They have already made a background for their artwork by drawing and tracing gears with oil pastels, and painting over the gears with black watercolor paint. The project will help students to practice observational drawing, shape recognition, creativity, and craftsmanship in their work.

1st grade just completed their Kimono Portraits, that finally came together after working on many different parts! Most recently, the students practiced drawing Japanese symbols and then added a few symbols to their artwork that represented something important to them (such as friendship, family, life, etc.) The students also created a fan and positioned their person's arms so that it appeared they were holding the fan. In addition to learning a variety of art techniques, as well as a bit about Japanese culture, the project taught students how to be a good problem solver if they got behind on the project or needed to fix a mistake. The students will soon be starting a NEW art project inspired by one of my FAVORITE impressionist artists!

2nd grade students are in the process of finishing their Kente cloth Weavings, which is a complex and time consuming project involving many steps! The students recently completed their designs using sharpie. They were asked to create their own designs inspired by Kente cloth. Wow... once the students added the designs, it's amazing how it tricks your eyes into thinking the artwork is real cloth! So cool! The students are now adding yarn to the bottom of their artwork to create fringe (giving the weavings tactile texture... texture that you can feel). They will also be weaving some yarn into the artwork in order to add more texture AND continue practicing weaving techniques!

3rd grade art students paused their Clay Canopic jars to complete two important AND fun art assessments! The first art assessment tested the students' creativity! The one-day art test is called "Think Outside the Square." It asks students to choose one colored 6"X6" square and transform it in some way. With the use of a variety of materials (colored pencils, hole punchers, scissors, glue, etc.) the students aimed to impress me and themselves with their creative square transformations! I would say the outcome was a success because no two were the same!
The second and final art assessment, was a still life drawing of two objects (a bottle of liquid and a little purple monster creature). This art test took a look at how well the student could draw from observation. Once again, the students worked hard and many were pleasantly surprised with how accurately they were able to draw the objects.
Now that the two art assessments are complete we will jump right back into creating our Clay Canopic Jars!

4th grade students also took two art assessments, in between finishing up their Clay Coil Pottery! The art assessment that tested the students creativity was the same as 3rd grade ("Think Outside the Square"). The second art assessment was slightly more challenging that 3rd grade... rather than drawing 2 objects from observation, the students drew a still life of 3 objects (a ceramic bear, a wiffle ball, and a ceramic shoe). The students were encouraged to show the following in their drawing... a nice composition on the paper, accurate proportions, texture and details, and craftsmanship.
In addition to the two one day art tests, the students were able to glaze their fabulous Clay Coil Pottery, that will soon be on display outside of the art room!

5th grade art students just started paper making! The handmade paper will be used as a cover for their Elements and Principles Accordion Books. The students had blast choosing a color scheme and tearing paper, as well as adding crayon shavings to their pulp! The process from beginning to end is rather enjoyable and the paper that has been made so far looks fantastic! The Elements and Principles Accordion project has in some ways felt like a marathon, BUT the project teaches the kids SO much AND gives them many choices. It also requires students to be good managers of time, which has been a struggle for many students. I will be inviting any students that are behind on this project to come into the art room Friday mornings at 8:00 for Art Work Time! Please ask your child how they are doing on the project, and if they are not yet done, I would be happy to work with them to complete it!! :)

January Art Update!

Welcome back to the Westlawn Art Blog! So glad you stopped by!

Check out what Westlawn students have been up to during this COLD month of January...

4K art students enjoyed part two of the Kandinsky inspired art project! The students revisited Wassily Kandinsky's painting, entitled "Squares with Concentric Circles" in order to figure out what our next steps of the project might be. They guessed right... add more CIRCLES and COLORS! This time, instead of using blocks to print, the students used paintbrushes and tempera cakes to add circles. Not only does the action of painting circles allow students to practice their fine motor skills and control of the paintbrush, but it also gives students a chance to explore a variety of colors, including what colors work well with others (or don't work well). For example, red paint on a red background, does not show up well, but green paint on red paint does. A lot of exploring went on in their young minds and the students had lots of fun adding circles to their paintings.

Kindergarten students spent the month of January creating a self-portrait project, that I hope will be treasured for a long time. The students made a portrait that was quite different from the background of their artwork. The background is super colorful, made up of tissue paper squares that the students laid down with mod podge. The portraits, on the other hand, are very simple line drawings traced with black permanent marker. The students thought about what makes up a portrait drawing and were thoughtful in adding all of the necessary features (everything from facial features to what clothing they might wear). I just LOVE the contrast between the portraits and the backgrounds, and I especially LOVE how genuine and youthful the portrait drawings are. The students and I are now taking on the challenge of adding a sewn border with colored yarn. I say challenge, because teaching an entire class of kindergarten students how to sew, is more difficult than I anticipated!

First grade students are in the process of making Kimono portraits! The students have already completed the background of their artwork which is a branch of a cherry blossom tree against a blue sky. The students looked at pictures of cherry blossom trees and attempted to imitate what they saw. They especially had fun making the branches, since the painting technique they used was blow painting! The students laid down little puddles of paint/ink and used air pressure from the straw to spread out the paint/ink into smaller branches.
After making the background, the students enjoyed "dying fabric" (painting coffee filters with liquid watercolors) that will be used for their Kimonos. They turned out so cool and unique! We are now in the process of putting together all of the features of the Kimono portrait. The students wrapped their person in the Kimono "fabric" like a burrito, and are beginning to add other features that represent what a Japanese person would wear for a special occasion.

Second grade students spent a handful of art classes completing their sketchbook cover designs! Each grade level has a theme for their sketchbook cover, and second grade's theme is cursive! The students practiced writing their name (and the word "sketchbook") until they got a hang of it. Of course the foreign style of writing came naturally to some more than others, but all persevered and showed lots of improvement! In addition to adding their name and "sketchbook" to the cover in cursive, the second graders designed a picture frame and drew a self portrait.
The students are now beginning a NEW project that focuses on African culture. After reading the book, "The Spider Weaver: A Legend of Kente Cloth" by Margaret Musgrove, the students chose a color scheme for their paper weavings they will make to imitate real Kente cloth! The introduction to weaving will teach the students some terminology such as "warp" and "weft" and it will also involve patterns and some problem solving when they face challenges. The students are loving the process so far and will be even more excited to see the final products soon!

Third grade students designed their own alphabets during the month of January, and then used their letter designs to add their name and the word "sketchbook" to the cover of the sketchbooks! For their alphabets, students were asked to do a combination of observational drawing (looking at letters they liked and copying them), as well as imaginative drawing (coming up with their own creative letter designs). Between the two, the students were able to come up with some awesome and unique Alphabets! In addition to adding letter designs to the cover of their sketchbooks, the students also designed their own picture frames and drew a self portrait. Soon, the students will be starting a new project! Check back at the end of February to see what it is!

Fourth grade students have been enjoying working with CLAY during the month of January! The students are in the process of creating clay coil pottery that could be in the form of a mug, vase, or another container. In order to get their creative juices flowing, they sketched a design in their sketchbooks showing what they would like their clay pottery to look like. The students also practiced making coils with play-dough before using the clay. This helped the students to become familiar with with the motions and techniques used to make quality coils (to their surprise... it's harder than it looks, especially when using the clay)! The fourth graders are now a few classes in and their projects are growing! Not only do they need to be conscious of the height (between 4 and 7 inches tall is the goal), the students also need to be thinking about the strength (which is determined by the "4 S's"... ask your child what they are), the craftsmanship, and the creativity of their design. There's a lot to balance, but also a LOT of fun to be had for this project. Soon, the students will be able to glaze their projects after they have been fired in the kiln.

Fifth grade students have been hard at work on their Elements and Principles Accordions! For this in depth project, the students chose a symbol or theme that would be represented 14 different ways. On one side of the accordion the elements of art will be seen (line, shape, color, value, texture, space, and form). On the opposite side, the principles of art will be seen (balance, contrast, emphasis, pattern, unity, movement, and rhythm). The project is enjoyable for students for the fact that is allows them (and encourages them) to be CREATIVE. It also allows students to explore a variety of art mediums (I am essentially opening up my whole art room to students for this project... they can be as creative as they want with art mediums and techniques). One of the CHALLENGES that the project brings is time management. Since there are 14 panels on the accordion, students need to be productive during class and think about not only quantity (getting multiple panels done each class) but QUALITY (putting forth their best effort on each one and showing quality work). I look forward to putting the finished projects on display when they are done, but first we have a lot more work to do!

November AND December art update!

Thanks for stopping by the Westlawn Art Blog! I hope you enjoy this update from November and December (two shortened, yet BUSY months)!

I hope you also enjoy time as a family over winter break. Merry Christmas and happy new year! 😀

4K art students finished their collagraph printing project in November! The students had a blast printing their collagraph plates that they had made the class before. They learned how to roll a brayer in printing ink (listening for the "snap crackle pop" sound... like Rice Krispies). They then rolled the ink onto their collagraph plate and then printed that onto their background paper. The backgrounds were made by gluing down a variety of shapes (made of both positive and negative space). It's amazing how much we can pack into a 30 minute art lesson. Both the process and products of the printmaking lesson were a great success!
The 4K students are now beginning a new art project inspired by famous Russian artist, Wassily Kandinsky! The students once again enjoyed printmaking, in a slightly different way. This time they pressed foam blocks into paint and printed them using a variety of colors! They learned that Wassily Kandinsky LOVES shapes and colors... so they know next art class will involve even MORE colors and shapes (when they begin to paint circle after circle onto their amazing abstract paintings)!

Kindergarten students just finished their Catching Snowflakes artwork! The students seem to really enjoy the many art making techniques that the project included. The project began with the students designing mittens using different types of line. We talked about symmetry when attempting to make each mitten look the same with the colors and lines. After drawing the line designs with oil pastel, the students had fun painting in the empty spaces with tempera paint. The students also painted sleeves, a hat, and a background to resemble a night sky. After gluing on all of the items (including a face, tongue, and puff ball for the hat), the students enjoyed the BEST (and messiest) part of the project... snowflake printing! They learned a bit about snowflakes and attempted to imitate their design with six points (however many of the snowflakes went in a different direction 😉). Like real snowflakes, each one turned out unique and beautiful in its own way!
We had just enough time to design some gift tags for holiday gift giving on our last class before break! Look for these when they come home and feel free to attach them to one of the gifts under the tree 😄

First grade students thoroughly enjoyed finishing their clay project this month... Clay Snowmen! The kids not only loved working with the clay, but they also learned a lot in the process, such as how to shape clay into a pinch pot (disguised as a snowball), and how to get two pieces of clay to stick together. These clay making techniques were first introduced in kindergarten, but were reviewed and elaborated on this school year. The best part of the project was when the students got to add a personality to their snow person with the features they made out of clay. They were required to add a headpiece, neck piece, and face. After the projects were fired in the kiln the students thoughtfully painted their snow people. I then finished off their projects by sticking little twigs into the snow people for arms 😄
Like the kindergarten students, the first graders had just enough time before winter break to make a little holiday themed art project. They colored cute thank you cards that they intend to give to someone that will give them a special gift this Christmas. We talked about how when we receive a gift it goes along way to show gratitude by saying "thank you."

1st grade Clay Snowmen on display featuring all Westlawn 1st graders

Second grade students also completed their clay project this month... Clay Picture Frames! The students had a great time working with the clay and designing their frames. To begin the project, the students rolled out a clay slab (defined as a flat piece of clay) and then cut it to fit the frame template. The next step of the project required the students to add texture (defined as the surface quality of an object). The students pressed in found objects and even the bottom of their SHOES to create interesting textures. The students were also asked to add more clay to their designs by either cutting out clay from a slab OR shaping moist clay into a design. One of the most important steps of the project was demonstrating the "4 S's"(score, slip, stick, and smooth) to get two pieces of clay to stick together. It became especially important to show the 4 S's when adding the base to the frame since that would determine how strong and sturdy the frame would be. Lastly, the students enjoyed glazing their picture frames after they had been bisque fired in the kiln. The projects then went into the kiln a second time for a glaze firing and wala... they were complete! Soon, the students pictures will be added to the frames which will really make them look wonderful and complete!
The second grade students are now moving on to designing the cover of their sketchbooks by learning to write their names in cursive! They may be coming home with some new found knowledge and ambition to use the new style of writing! 😉

3rd grade students just completed a Holiday Light Bulb Watercolor Painting! This project hasn't been done in a few years, but after admiring one of the framed paintings in the hall of Westlawn, I decided it should make an appearance this year! Not only do the paintings turn out beautiful and eye catching, but the students also put their knowledge of color theory and color mixing to the test! The students traced a bunch of light bulb templates to start the project, focusing on making a nice composition that makes good use of the space. After tracing with pencil, the students used permanent marker and also added details to the bases of the light bulbs to resemble real ones. Th BEST part of the project (at least in my opinion) was painting in the light bulbs and seeing the colors mix where they overlap. It may not appear difficult when looking at the paintings, but it was a big challenge to paint neatly and avoid having the colors merge and spread into one another. For the background, the students used a technique that 5th graders also used for their projects... sprinkling salt over wet watercolor to soak up the paint and make a frozen/crystallized effect. This techniques was a huge hit with the students.
The 3rd grade students are now starting to design their own alphabets! Once the alphabets are complete, they will use the letter designs for the cover of their sketchbooks! Can't wait to continue with these when we're back from break 😊

Creative Color Wheels on display during November (featuring Mrs. Kotnik's class)

4th grade students enjoyed finishing their sketchbooks designs, with "doodling" as the theme! The sketchbook design cover involved creating a picture frame with cutting complex designs, drawing a self portrait, cutting out letters from magazines to spell out their name and the word "sketchbook," and lastly adding doodle designs all over the sketchbook! It was so nice to give the students an art activity that was rather easy and freeing. After spending time on a challenging tree painting, it was great to see the students loosen up and add a variety of designs to their sketchbook cover without feeling like it had to look like anything or be perfect. They turned out SUPER cool!
The 4th grade students also had a chance to do some holiday themed drawings (the Grinch and Buddy the Elf 😄) by viewing how to draw videos from the YouTube channel "Art for Kids Hub." The YouTube channel is great, because the artist often draws alongside his kids and breaks down drawings into fairly simple steps. I was absolutely amazed at the quality of the drawings and was so grateful that the kids had the ability to use Chromebooks to help them in the drawing process. Unlike drawing in a large group setting, the students could pause the videos, speed them up, rewind them, and had a close up view (not to mention the ability to tune out noise with the use of headphones). So awesome!

5th grade students recently completed their Snowflake artwork (currently on display at Westlawn). The students began the project by painting analogous watercolors using the "exploding color technique." While the paint was still wet, they sprinkled salt on the watercolor to soak up some of the paint, giving the paintings a frozen and "wintery" look. The students then spent the next couple of classes making snowflakes which is more difficult than it looks! Two of the snowflakes were created with the help of a template that the students followed when cutting. They were then given the challenge to show their own creativity in coming up with their own unique designs (which was even more fun)! No matter how many times I create a paper snowflake, it is always so fun and exciting to see what it ends up looking like when it is opened up and the designs are multiplied to create beautiful radial symmetry. The students had the same reaction, but also discovered the disappointment that came with a failed design. The students completed the project by laying out the snowflakes in an interesting and eye appealing composition (thoughtfully considering how they used the space). They carefully glued them down by painting on the glue and laying them flat.

Like the fourth grade students, the fifth graders also had a couple class periods to do some fun holiday themed observational drawing with the YouTube channel "Art for Kids Hub." They totally impressed me and each other with their "Grinch" and "Buddy the Elf" drawings! They seemed to have a lot of fun drawing one on one with the use of their Chromebooks (such a handy tool in art class)! 

The fifth graders are now beginning an Elements and Principles Accordion project that I will share more about next month!

Making snowflakes

Drawing "The Grinch" and "Buddy the Elf"

Silhouette Self Portraits (on display in November) featuring Mrs. Gehrke's 5th grade class

Snowflakes (on display in December) featuring Ms. Emmer's 5th grade class

Take care and thanks again for stopping by! See you 2019!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Miller

October Art Update!

Hello! Thanks for checking out the latest Art Blog update!

As the month of October drew to a close, so did many of the art projects students have been working on. Take a look below to see what each grade has been up to!

First, check out this group picture of 5th grade at the Milwaukee Art Museum! Mrs. Wilson and I enjoyed taking our students and their classroom teachers on a field trip to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Milwaukee Art Museum on October 31st! It is always such a highly anticipated field trip that offers our students such a neat opportunity. We are truly fortunate to have access to wonderful art enriching venues right here in Milwaukee!

4K art students began part one of a two part printing project! The students learned how to make a "Collagraph plate" which will be used to make a "Collagraph print." The students were taught that the fancy term "Collagraph plate" is very much like a stamp, which most students are familiar with. The difference is that a "Collagraph plate" is a method of gluing a collage of materials onto a surface to make a print, where as a stamp is a relief with an area that has been removed or carved out. 

The 4K students glued a variety of materials onto a cardboard surface. The objects they glued on varied from leaves and twigs, to bubble wrap and textured cardboard. The students learned the word "environment" as a way to describe their surroundings. They identified which objects on their plate came from their indoor vs. outdoor environment.

Next art class we will print our Collagraph plates onto a shape filled background! Can't wait!☺

5K art students completed their Picasso Style Pumpkins last month and then began a new art project, Patriotic Pinwheels!  The Patriotic Pinwheel art project involves a crayon resist method. The students learned first hand the relationship between the crayon and the paint. They discovered that the crayon is BOSSY and says to the paint, "Don't go here paint, I was here first!"  

The kids loved the humor in that and enjoyed seeing the paint being pushed away from the white crayon in their American flag designs. 

Make sure to check out the Patriotic Pinwheels if you come for the Veteran's day celebration on November 9th! The pinwheels will greet our Veterans and guests when they first enter our school!

1st grade students are nearly finished with their Matisse Inspired Mobiles! After practice sketching designs like Henri Matisse, they painted a color grid by hand mixing 12 different colors! They then drew their designs on the different sections of the color grid and cut them out (the cutting was by far the most challenging part of the project... seemed to take a really long time). The students are now having fun hole-punching and assembling their mobile with paper clips. We talked about characteristics of a mobile... that it should be interesting from all angles, should be sturdy and well put together, and should effectively move with the pieces having their own space.

2nd grade students completed their VanGogh Inspired Sunflowers (finally, I know😜)! They looks Ah-mazing! I told the students I would totally frame them (and I'm not kidding). I hope you see and admire all of the hard work they put in to them. I have received many compliments from onlookers as they see them on display in the front hall of school. The two features that we worked on recently (the petals and the shadows/highlights) are what elevated the artworks and made them truly breathtaking. 

The 2nd grade students are now collaborating to make a Patriotic Themed Agamograph for the Veterans day celebration next week! The students were given a small strip of paper as a portion of a whole patriotic picture. The goal of the project is for the students to create an enlarged version of their picture that will then be put together with their classmates to make a two sided piece of art (referred to as an "Agamograph..." named after artist Yacov Agam who was famous for inventing this movable style of art). The project is challenging and a bit risky, but I believe it will turn out great, and in the end the students will be so excited to see their artwork come together!

3rd grade is nearly finished with their Creative Color Wheels! After hand mixing and painting their color grid of 12 colors, the students chose a theme for their color wheel. With help from Mrs. Miller finding silhouettes of the students' chosen themes, the students then used their silhouette to make a master template that they would use to trace and cut their 12 objects. Following the cutting, come students added details with the use of carbon paper and permanent marker.

The students just recently made a background for their artwork by splatter painting with all 12 colors from the color wheel! What student doesn't like splatter painting? Even with wearing khaki paints the day we splatter painted (duh Mrs. Miller, what were you thinking), I miraculously left school without any paint on my pants! Soon, the students will be arranging and gluing their 12 objects onto their backgrounds!

4th grade is continuing to work on their Fall Tree Paintings. Although the project is taking a while, it is amazing to see how much the students have grown in their drawing and painting abilities with this challenging and rewarding art project! The students have added paint in stages, beginning with the sky, then the trunk and branches, then the leaves from back to front. The project is teaching the students patience, diligence, and many painting techniques (texture, shading, color mixing... just to name a few).  I cannot wait to see the completed pieces and see pride and satisfaction on the students' faces when they are finished. Stay tuned!

5th grade students are wrapping up their Silhouette Self-Portraits! One of the best parts of the art project is the chance to see each students' personality come through in their artwork! I have really enjoyed getting to know the students better through their collage of drawings. Throughout the project the students were challenged to grow in their drawing abilities AND show a variety of artistic techniques including: overlapping, shading, gradation, texture, blending, etc. All in all, it appears the students were pleased with both the process and product. I hope their families enjoy seeing their child's unique personality come through in their beautiful works of art!