Pumpkins

First Grade students learned how to show distance in their artwork by drawing objects in the foreground, middle ground and background. Students learned that objects in the foreground are large with the most detail and usually located at the bottom of the artwork. Objects in the middle ground get smaller, with less detail. Objects in the background are very small with very little detail. Students drew a pumpkins in the foreground, middle ground and background to demonstrate their knowledge of showing distance in artwork. They painted their pictures with liquid watercolors.

Creative Transformations

             5^th grade students learned that graphic designers and graphic artists are artists who make people see everyday items in a new way. They looked at Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans and discussed how changing the colors on the soup can labels could make people really notice the soup and want to buy it. Students also discovered that there are artists who create new fonts to use on the computer. They chose one letter of the alphabet and transformed that letter to look new and interesting. They used common “systems” that graphic artists use to help them come up with new ways to look at their chosen letter of the alphabet.

 

           Los estudiantes de quinto grado aprendieron que los diseñadores gráficos y artistas gráficos son artistas que hacen que las personas vean objetos cotidianos de una nueva manera. Ellos miraron las latas de sopa Cambell’s de Andy Warhol y hablaron sobre como cambiar el color de las etiquetas sobre las latas podría hacer que las personas realmente se fijaran en esta sopa y la quisieran comprar. Los estudiantes también descubrieron que hay artistas que crean nuevas tipografías para usar en la computadora. Ellos escogieron una letra del alfabeto y la transformaron para que luciera nueva e interesante. Usaron “sistemas” comunes que usan los artistas gráficos para ayudarlos a pensar en nuevas maneras de mirar la letra que escogieron.

Diego Rivera Study

4th grade students looked at artwork by Diego Rivera and discussed themes in his artwork. They learned that artists often create art as a way to show connections between people. They concluded that Diego Rivera showed these connections through the themes in his artwork (love, family, oppression, working people and traditions). Students focused on the artwork "mother's helper" by Diego Rivera. They discussed that Rivera was showing love between the girl and the mother, without drawing hearts on his artwork. They discussed ways they help someone they love and used the way his composition was set up in "mother's helper" in their own artwork.

 

Textured Sunflowers

Kindergarten students discussed the meaning of texture and how to show texture in our artwork. They looked at the texture in Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflowers and created their own textured sunflowers.

Warm Suns, Cool Moons

1st grade students learned that artists often make artwork about things that are important in our world. They learned that people around the world tell stories and create artwork about the sun because the sun is essential for us to live.  The sun gives us light, warmth and helps plants grow. Students discussed how the sun is usually represented with warm colors. Students also discussed the moon, and how it is thought of as the moon’s opposite. They discussed how the moon is usually represented with cool colors. Students chose to create either a sun or moon and colored it with the appropriate warm or cool colors.

Los estudiantes de primer grado aprendieron que los artistas hacen obras de arte sobre cosas que son importantes en nuestro mundo. Ellos aprendieron que las personas al rededor del mundo cuentan cuentos y crean obras de arte sobre el sol por que el sol es necesario para que nosotros podamos vivir. El sol nos da luz, calor, y ayuda a las plantas a crecer. Los estudiantes comentaron que el sol normalmente se representa con colores calidos. Los estudiantes también discutieron la luna, y como se considera lo opuesto al sol. Ellos discutieron como la luna normalmente se representa con colores fríos. Los estudiantes escogieron crear un sol o una luna y los pintaron con colores apropiados, calidos o fríos.

Andy Goldsworthy Study

3rd Grade students discussed how artists and scientists are similar. They concluded that both artists and scientists look closely at the world around them. Students were introduced to Andy Goldsworthy, a British artist who uses natural materials to create sculptures and land art. They watched a video clip of Goldsworthy's work as well as looked at other artwork he's created in his book, "Andy Goldsworthy : A collaboration with nature."

Students learned that artists sometimes create art as a way to capture nature, and as a way to connect with nature. Taking inspiration from Goldsworthy, students used natural materials to create their own artwork on the playground.

Rhythm

4th Grade students discussed the meaning of rhythm in artwork and compared it to rhythm in music. Students learned that rhythm can be shown in artwork when the artist creates a pattern of repeated lines, colors or shapes. Students used strips of paper, cut into patterns and arranged their composition (artwork) in a way that they thought showed rhythm. How do you think these compositions would sound?

Los estudiantes de cuarto grado comentaron sobre el significado del ritmo en las obras de arte y lo compararon con el ritmo en la música. Los estudiantes aprendieron que el ritmo se puede demostrar en el arte cuando el artista crea un patrón de líneas, colores o figuras repetidas. Los estudiantes usaron tiras de papel, las cortaron para crear patrones, y arreglaron su composición (obra de arte) de una manera que ellos pensaron que demostraba ritmo. ¿Como piensa usted que estas composiciones podrían sonar?

Kandinsky!

Kindergarten students practiced their cutting and gluing skills while making circles in the style of Kandinsky’s famous painting, “concentric circles.” They learned that Kandinsky made this artwork because he was doing a color study, which means he was testing out what colors looked the best next to each other. He said he was trying to make the colors “sing.”

Leaf Abstractions

4^th Grade students used jewelers’ loupes to look closely at the veins in leaves. Students discussed the meaning of abstraction and then drew their leaf so close-up that it appeared that their leaf was abstracted. Students used a variety of unrealistic colors to continue abstracting their leaf.

Los estudiantes de cuarto grado usaron lupas de joyero para mirar de muy cerca las venas de las hojas. Los estudiantes discutieron el significado de abstracción y luego dibujaron su hoja tan de cerca que luce como si la imagen de la hoja estuviera abstraída. Los estudiantes usaron una variedad de colores poco realistas para hacer la imagen mas abstracta.