New Work

As people are walking the hallways of FMS during conference time, keep a lookout for some new work from our oldest and youngest.

Grade 5 created these awesome sculptures showing off the ups and downs of the world landscapes. After working in multiple textures they painted with acrylic to bring their worlds to life.

Meanwhile 8th graders finished up a lengthy, multi-step lesson based on the POP art style of Andy Warhol. After photographing themselves and adjusting the images they transferred the “selfies” to linoleum and carved printing plates. Students then printed with many colors and chose their best four to created the repeated image reminiscent of the famous Pop artist.

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Lots of work in the hallways

3 grades recently completed lessons in the art room.

6th grade students used leaves as their inspiration for these prints, starting first with observation drawings and then creating bolder, more graphic designs. These designs were transferred to rubber plates that were carved for printing. Many many prints were made and students saved their best results to hand in (and display here). Extra prints were gathered collectively on trees that now decorate the 6th grade hallway. Color and positive/negative space were key elements to this lesson.

After studying still life objects, 7th grade students transformed those objects into either creatures or vehicles in the spirit of Surrealism.  They then had to draw their new creations in a scene that used compositional elements such as relative size, overlapping, and depth.

8th graders were inspired by the grotesque drawings by Leonardo DaVinci as they sculpted these head planters. Then Farmer Justin joined us for a lesson on planting and pruning indoor greenery.

All Creatures Great and Small

Seventh and fifth grade students have finished up some lengthy projects and the results of the students dedication and creativity are gorgeous.

5th grade studied insects and all their segmented parts using colored pencils for the initial drawings, then we created collages using mixed materials.  Ink was rolled over the collage and then run through the printing press. All the textures and materials rose to the surface when the print was revealed.

Meanwhile, 7th graders looked at the motifs of the tribes of the Pacific Northwest and then created 3D ceramic masks of a stylized animal. Bears, alligators, deer and rabbits now populate the display cases outside the library.

First post of the new School Year

Welcome back, Art fans!

After a few weeks of sadly empty school walls, two classes have wrapped up a classic lesson: the still life drawing. 6th graders carefully observed a small group of objects set up at each table while 8th graders had to contend with a cart full of interesting stuff.

To anyone who thinks that artistic talent is a gift bestowed upon certain lucky people, I ask you to note the difference is these drawings from 6th grade to 8th grade. Real improvement happens as students grow and practice. Great work from both grades.

Grade 6

Grade 8

Check back here often to see what else our students are creating and learning.

Animals All Around

Seventh grade students took time and care to really get to know the subject of their charcoal drawings. This is the third part of a long observational drawing unit that included pencil, copper tooling, and now charcoal. The students toned the paper and then worked to draw out the light and emphasize shadows. Though messy, charcoal allows for a great deal of subtlety and students kept at it, focusing on texture and detail. The results are beautiful and dramatic.

Students in the eighth grade looked back into the world of art history to find famous art that inspired and excited them. Then they had to decide how to work a “pet” into the image and remake it in the artist’s unique style.

Urban & Natural, Geometric & Organic

As the year comes to close we are finishing up many projects in the art room. Fifth graders worked long and hard on a cityscape unit. They began by carefully drawing their cities with rulers and templates. They focus on geometric shapes and made sure there were no free-hand lines. Then they traced the image onto a new piece of paper and turned this copy into a painting using tempera paint. Their paintings were required to be monochromatic using many shades and tints of only one color.

At the same time 6th grade students looked at the work of modern artist Georgia O’Keefe. O’Keefe was famous for zooming in on and abstracting natural objects like bones or flowers. FMS students looked at photos of flowers and focused their painting on a small section within the photo. They used watercolor paint and worked hard to keep the paintings light and loose, using lots of water to move the color around the paper.

MOTLEY 2018 is here!

As another year ends, so do we see the newest issue of Motley Magazine. The editorial staff worked hard to promote and encourage and then faced the tough job of editing from the large amount of submissions we received. We want to thank all those that submitted and hope you will do again next year.  Check out the magazine online here.

 Current issue.

If you would like to order a hardcopy

MOTLEY 2018

By Simon Adams

Three grades, Three lessons

As often happens, many grades have completed their most recent lessons at the same time, so there is a lot to look at on the blog today.

6th graders spent some time looking at the legendary beasts of Chinese mythology: dragons. These dragons are long and thin like snakes and contain the essences of many animals in one. They are wise and maybe cruel and have the power to grant wishes. Chinese dragons represent water in its many forms and students had to think about what their dragon might bring to their lives once complete.

Seventh graders are mid-way through an animal drawing unit that began with graphite studies and then moved onto copper tooling.  This traditional art form involves pressing into soft metal to create relief sculpture. This is often seen on church doors across Europe and the US. Ink could be added to create an antique effect.  Students will finish the unit by drawing their animals with charcoal. Stay tuned.

And finally 8th graders put in a lot of time and careful work (both cutting their stencils and printing) to create silkscreen self-portraits in the style of POP artist Andy Warhol.  They used 2 colors to create these precise, high contrast images.

 

Color Color Color to welcome real spring!

After a long and dreary “spring” 7th and 5th grade students at FMS have helped usher in the bright weather with some gorgeous work inspired by European artists.

Fifth graders looked at the abstract work of Vassily Kandinsky as the practiced their new watercolor techniques. They had to use organic and geometric shapes and then play with color and line in their art.

Meanwhile, 7th grade students examined the distorted and warped portraits of Amedeo Modigliani. The Italian painter was famous for stretching his figures and giving them empty eyes to create a mask-like effect.

Food & Drink

Seventh grade students have completed an observation drawing project using Pointillism. This style was pioneered by the Impressionists and exemplified by the incredibly precise (and obsessive) work of Georges Seurat.

Students started with a light pencil drawing based on an image of food. They then looked at the different colors in the image and began stippling (dotting) over the pencil. They looked for shadows and highlights and really worked hard to achieve a #D effect with the build up of multicolored dots.

Meanwhile, 8th graders were finishing up an creative teapot lesson. All the pieces needed to hold water and pour (to some degree), and all pieces had to have a spout, handle, and lid. Beyond that, students were limited only by their imagination. This group includes a sumo wrestler, bowl of cereal, and a tiny cat.

Come join us at the table with these deliciously artistic treats.