Cut Paper Cityscapes

Kindergarteners learned the difference between cityscapes and landscapes. They cut shapes out of construction paper and made sure to overlap some of their shapes to show depth in their artwork. After all, cities are big with many buildings! They used crayons and markers to add details like windows and doors.

 

George Rodrigue's Blue Dog Inspired Paintings

Third Grade students studied contemporary artist George Rodrigue, who lived in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rodrigue is famous for his paintings of “Blue Dog.” Students discovered that Rodrigue’s “Blue Dog” isn’t always blue. Sometimes Rodrigue paints his dog different colors with different backgrounds to symbolize the emotions and events in the United States.

Students chose the type of dog they wanted to paint and the color they wanted their dog. They mixed tints and shades of that color to give their dog more details and to make it more realistic. 

5th Grade Masks

5th Graders learned about the art of repousse, also known as metal tooling. Students designed symmetrical masks and embossed them on to pieces of metal. They colored them with permanent markers and used beads, twine and raffia for embellishment. Students discussed the purpose of masks around the world. Many of their masks were inspired by masks from Africa.

 

 

 

Molas

Molas are made by the Kuna people who live in Panama and Colombia. Women sew many layers of fabric together and then cut away layers of fabric in a design to show the fabric underneath. Then the women wear these fabric designs on their dresses. When they are tired of wearing that particular design, they cut off the mola and sell it. It takes the women from two weeks, to six months to make one mola.

Fourth Grade students designed their own molas, but created them in the opposite way of the Kuna women. Usually, the artist must cut away layers of fabric to show the fabric underneath. Instead of doing this, students glued layers of paper together, showing just a little bit of the color underneath.

 

 

Jasper Johns Inspired Paintings

Kindergarteners learned about the art of Jasper Johns who is an American contemporary artist who often uses numbers and letters in his artwork.

Students used their prior knowledge of letters and numbers to paint the appropriate number or letter when it was called out.

Then, students used watercolor paint to color the rest of their paper. Finally, they used markers to add details to their letters and numbers. They were also able to pick a few of their favorite letters or numbers to glue on glitter.

Fish Prints

Second Grade students discussed the difference between printing and painting. They learned that prints can be made multiple times. Students designed their own fish print by drawing a fish on a piece of styrofoam and then colored it with markers. Students then printed those fish by spraying a piece of paper with water and blotting the paper with paper towel. Then they printed their fish on that paper. Students were able to make multiple prints.

Clay Owls

First graders learned that clay comes from the ground and that people have been using clay to make art for a long time. They learned to roll a slab, and then folded their rolled slab into the shape of an owl. They used clay tools to create textural details to their own. They learned their dried clay gets put into a kiln and fired. Then they colored their fired clay owls with oil pastels and dipped them into watered down tempera paint.