Underground Drawings

Students discussed what sort of animals and insects create tunnels and chambers underground. They looked at different books that illustrate the tunnels underground. Then students created their own unique and inventive tunnels and chambers, complete with beds, kitchens, even chambers with disco balls for dance parties!

 

 

Frida Kahlo Inspired Portraits

Students learned about portraits and discussed work by famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Students created Self-Portraits using symbols that were unique to them and then wrote what their symbols mean.

Los estudiantes aprendieron sobre los retratos y hablaron sobre las obras de la famosa artista Mexicana Frida Kahlo. Los estudiantes crearon auto-retratos  usando símbolos que fueran individuales para ellos y luego escribieron lo que significa cada símbolo.

 

Cropped Animal Drawings

2nd Grade students used viewfinders to zoom in closely to a photograph of an animal. They saw a demonstration of using photo-editing software to see how to crop a photo. They learned that sometimes artists crop a photo or artwork to show emphasis (or what the artist thinks is the most important part of the artwork).

Students cropped a photo of the animal of their choice and then drew what was in the viewfinder very large. Then they wrote clues to help people guess what animal they zoomed in on. 

Los estudiantes de segundo grado usaron visores para enfocar de cerca una fotografía de un animal. Ellos vieron una demostración del uso de un programa para editar fotografías digitales y vieron como recortar una foto. Aprendieron que algunas veces los artistas recortan una fotografía o una obra de arte para hacer énfasis (o lo que el artista piense que es la parte más importante de la obra de arte).

Los estudiantes recortaron una foto del animal que escogieron y luego dibujaron lo que estaba en el visor, pero muy grande. Luego escribieron pistas para ayudar a las personas a adivinar cual animal enfocaron de cerca. 

Monet's Water Lilies

Second grade students studied Claude Monet, a French Impressionist who lived 100 years ago. He was one of the first artists to think of painting outside. He loved to paint nature so much that he moved to the country to paint. He is famous for painting the water lilies that grew in the pond behind his house. Students discussed his water lily paintings and used tempera paints to paint their own pond, with painterly brushstrokes, just like Monet. They used tissue papers and green painted paper to create lily pads and water lilies.

Cezanne Inspired Still Life

Second grade students compared still life artwork to portraits and landscapes. They studied the artist Paul Cezanne and painted a plate of apples that was placed at their table, in the style of Cezanne. Since we just finished an art project where students learned about Claude Monet, students also compared Monet's style to Cezanne's and discussed how artists can influence each other.

Matisse Collage

Second Grade students looked at artwork by Henri Matisse who was known for his cut paper collages. Students learned that Matisse started out as a painter, but later created cut paper collages because he was sick and had to stay in bed.

Students also learned to create balance in their artwork, to make it more interesting to look at. They asked themselves these questions:

  -Are there any spaces that look empty?

  -Did I use small and large shapes?

  -Do some of my shapes overlap?

  -Did I use black shapes evenly?

 

Dali Inspired Animals

Second Grade students learned about Spanish artist, Salvador Dali. Students watched a brief video about surrealism (Get Surreal! With Salvador Dali).  Students discussed the meaning of surrealism, as well as where the surrealists get their inspiration. Then they looked closely at two of Dali's works that feature elephants with extremely long skinny legs. Students brainstormed animals that could be drawn in this way. Students chose an animal to create in the surrealist style.

 

 

Dessert Prints

Second Grade students discussed the difference between printing and painting. They learned that prints can be made multiple times. Students designed their own printing block featuring dessert, after studying Wayne Thiebaud, an artist who is known for his dessert paintings.  They drew their dessert on a piece of styrofoam and then colored it with markers. Students then printed those desserts by spraying a piece of paper with water and blotting the paper with paper towel. Then they printed their dessert on that paper. Students were able to make multiple prints.

2nd Graders' collaborative suburban neighborhood

Second grade students compared characteristics of rural, suburban and urban landscapes. They discovered that Kalamazoo has all three of these areas. This is their collaborative map of a suburban area.

Henri Rousseau Jungles

Second Grade students studied the artwork of Henri Rousseau, an artist who taught himself how to draw and paint. He loved to paint jungle scenes even though he had never  been to the jungle. Students compared Rousseau’s jungle paintings with traditional rural areas, and though we often think of farmland when we use the word rural, students agreed that a jungle could be considered a rural area.

Urban Landscapes

Second Graders discussed characteristics of urban landscapes, also known as cityscapes. Students drew a city skyline and then drew many urban details. They colored the sky with oil pastels.  

People We Care About

2nd Grade students read "Li'l Sis and Uncle Willie" by Gwen Everett. Students studied William H. Johnson's life and why his artwork is important. Students drew themselves with someone that is important to them, much the way Johnson did. Students drew their portraits as if the people in the painting were looking at a camera, the way Johnson did in many of his paintings. They painted their portraits with tempera paint and then outlined their shapes with black marker.

Only One You/Nadie Como Tu

All students in the school read “Only One You” by Linda Kranz, which celebrates how each person is unique. Then students created a unique fish to be part of our “school” of fish!

Matisse Collage

Second Grade students looked at artwork by Henri Matisse who was known for his cut paper collages. Students learned that Matisse favored organic (curvy) shapes over geometric ones. They used cut paper to create their own collage inspired by Matisse.

Students also learned how to create a balanced artwork. Students had to ask themselves these questions to make sure their artwork was balanced:

  -Are there any spaces that look empty?

  -Did I use small and large shapes?

  -Did I use black shapes evenly?

 

Cezanne inspired still life

Second grade students compared still life artwork to portraits and landscapes. They studied the artist Paul Cezanne and painted a plate of apples that was placed at their table, in the style of Cezanne. Since we just finished an art project where students learned about Claude Monet, students also compared Monet's style to Cezanne's and discussed how artists can influence each other.

 

Laurel Burch Inspired Cat Sculptures

Second grade students were introduced to the artwork of Laurel Burch. She loved to create artwork about cats, and many of her paintings have been reproduced on fabric to create bags and clothing. Laurel Burch had a very hard life, but you would never know it from her artwork because her art is very whimsical and fun. Much of her artwork features pattern and repetition. Students created cat sculptures from toilet paper rolls and other scraps of cardboard. They used bright colors, pattern and repetition of shapes and colors, much like Laurel Burch did in her artwork.

 

Monet's Pond

Second grade students studied Claude Monet, a French Impressionist who lived 100 years ago. He was one of the first artists to think of painting outside. He loved to paint nature so much that he moved to the country to paint. He is famous for painting the water lilies that grew in the pond behind his house. Students discussed his water lily paintings and used tempera paints to paint their own pond, with painterly brushstrokes, just like Monet.

 

Dali Inspired Animals

Second Grade students learned about Spanish artist, Salvador Dali. Students watched a brief video about surrealism (Get Surreal! With Salvador Dali).  Students discussed the meaning of surrealism, as well as where the surrealists get their inspiration. Then they looked closely at two of Dali's works that feature elephants with extremely long skinny legs. Students brainstormed animals that could be drawn in this way. Students chose an animal to create in the surrealist style.