Ceramic tends to fall into one of two categories: Sculpture (art for art’s sake) or Pottery (a utilitarian vessel). This post showcases one of each from 5th graders and 7th graders.
Fifth graders completed a coil pot lesson that needed to include a repeated pattern both in the building stage and the glazing stage.
Seventh graders, meanwhile, worked on decorative ceramic masks based on the motifs of the First Nations people of the Pacific Northwest.
8th grade students finished their first assignment; a grotesque head in the fashion of gargoyles and DaVinci’s sketches
while 6th graders delved into their imaginations to visualize scenes from favorite books.
5th grade students explored the use of rulers and templates to create crisp, carefully designed architectural city drawings that focused on overlapping and patterns. They then traced those drawings onto heavier paper and we discussed the concept of a monochromatic color scheme. Students chose a color and mixed many shades and tints to color their cities. They had to paint carefully and think about layers and edges. Eliminating all the white paper was a must.
Sixth grade students learned about the power of wishes in different societies and then followed a design to build their own wish box. The boxes needed feet and lids and the lids represented an animal that either protected the box (and wish inside) or related to the wish. Careful workmanship was critical for this delicate piece.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Check back here often to see what else our students are creating and learning.
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.
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.
