Picasso with Pizazz

In Learning from Picasso we explored the Cubism Art Movement and learned how to work from a still life.  Some hallmarks of Cubist art include:

• The fragmenting of three-dimensional forms into flat areas of pattern and color

• Overlapping and intertwining so that shapes and parts of an image are seen from multiple perspectives. 
• Balance of color and shapes

To begin this lesson we learned about the life of popular Cubist artist Pablo Picasso and looked at several works like the one below.

Supplies: 12"x18" Watercolor paper, still life objects, watercolor paints, brushes, india ink, newspaper, sheet music, charcoal pencils, graphite pencils, rulers, scissors

Step 1:  We set up a still life that included a keyboard, bells, some fruit, a vase, and a  rhinoceros figurine.  Students drew the still life with pencil on large 12" x 18" watercolor paper.

Step 2: The picture is divided into shapes of different sizes by using a ruler or straight edge to draw lines in various directions.

Step 3:  To add a unique twist to this project and to highlight the different shapes that were formed from drawing these separation lines, we used 5 mediums in coloring our still life.  Demonstrations were given to explain these various techniques:

•  graphite pencil shading
•  charcoal pencil shading
• watercolor application (in warm tones only)
•  black India Ink application
•   the use of sheet music and newsprint as a collage 

Students were encouraged to experiements with all of these mediums and applications. We tried to make sure no to ares of the same medium touched! After many weeks of hardwork and the practicing of skills, the results were striking!  These mixed media works were hung together as a large grouping.

              Emily

                Emmalee

             Hannah

                Roman

                Erin

                  Sydney

                  Miss Vanessa

Green Cities

In Art Through Children's Literature we read The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton.  In this Caldecott Medal Winning storybook, a little house lives happily in the country.  Personification is used to express how the seasons come and go, delighting the little house.  One day a road and houses are built in the little house's countryside home.  Soon a whole city is constructed and the little house is upset by all the noise of trains, subways, cars, and bustling people.  She's disappointed by all the smoke that ruined her peaceful country home.

 After reading this story, we discussed how cities need to be built for future populations to live and visit.  We talked about some ways we can make this cities "greener" and came up with ideas for what future cities might look like.  Students came up with fabulous ideas, like underwater transportation, flying cars, and climate controlled biomes for people to live in so they don't have to travel to warmer places to vacation. 

Here's how we did it:

Une:  We drew our green cities on watercolor paper  with pencils (could jump right into black sharpies, but I wanted kids to spend the time making extraordinary details).  Imagination was encouraged and the use of groundlines, waterlines, buildings, transportation...etc was discussed.

Deux: I pulled out the tube watercolors, which I usually use with the older students, in various shades of green, yellow, and blue watercolors to paint them. I showed the students how to mix colors then dared them to create as many shades of green, turquoise, lime, chartreuse, aqua, and teal they could! 

Trois: Once dried completely, we finished these paintings by outlining all our lines in black sharpies. 

Eddie

Gaia

Victoria

Nicholas

Megan

Adric

Aidan

Chloe

Luke

Maddy

William

Yula

Mixed Media Scarecrows

In Sights and Sounds of the Seasons we created fabulous mixed media scarecrows to celebrate fall harvest. First, we discussed how scarecrows are used to prevent crows and other animals from eating a farmer's crop.  We also talked about how many families make (or buy) scarecrows as decorations during the Autumn season.  This project took two 1 hour classes, but make take longer depending on the student age and size of the watercolor paper.

Supplies include:

11"x 15" watercolor paper

Watercolors-pan or even better... liquid!

Craft Sticks

Patterned Paper and/or leftover painted paper

Construction paper

Raffia

Googly Eyes

Buttons

Sharpies

1: We began this project by using watercolors to paint a farm scene of crop fields and a blue sky.  Each hill was filled with bountiful fruit and vegetable crops. 

2. We also constructed a simple scarecrow "skeleton" using craft sticks and glue, which we would dress the following week. Use two sticks for the head and body, and then add arms and legs.

3. We continued this project the following week by focusing on giving our scarecrows clothing and a personality.  Students cut out pants, shirts, dresses, hats, patches, and faces using their skeleton as a template.  We use construction paper, patterned paper and some leftover painted papers.

4.   After our scarecrows were well dressed, we added googly eyes, raffia, and buttons.  Finally the scarecrows were glued onto their painted backgrounds.  Below are some of the fantastic results.

    Eddie                                        Cullen

     Beth                                               Karlee

                                              Seth

        Aidan                                        Adric

       Gaia                                       Chloe

            Levi                                     Maddie

            Megan                                   Meredith

 Miss Vanessa

In the Small, Small Pond

In Art Through Children's Literature we explored pond life by reading In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming. In this vibrantly illustrated Caldecott Award Winner, we looked closely at the pictures to learn about all the different animals that live in and around ponds. This book travels through the seasons, and explains where animals go in the winter.  Each illustration features sounds that animals make such as splashing fish and wiggling tadpoles,  so it's a really fun book to read!

This project was fun, easy and only took one class!

Supplies:

11"x 15" Watercolor Paper

Oil Pastels
Watercolors

• After reading, each student picked an animal (or a few) that lived in or near a pond to draw using oil pastels on watercolor paper. 
• They were encouraged to add a pond habitat that included water, greenery, and a sky for their animals to live in. 
• We finished these pond paintings by adding watercolors to the water, sky, and land.

       








                          Gaia

                    
           


                            

                           Meredith

             

                            

                       Jake

                                        Eddie

              
                               Luke

                              Chloe

            William

                
                

                                Aidan

                   Megan

                               Yula

Miss Vanessa

Klimt's Cozy Quilts

In Model Masters we explored the ornamental art of Gustav Klimt.  Klimt was an Austrian artist whose work is inspired by his gold engraving background.  He's considered to be part of the Art Nouveau movement, which was popular from around 1880 to 1915.  

 The Art Nouveau style is characterized by:

•  organic, mostly floral and plant inspired motifs
•  highly stylized swirling forms
•  spirals
•  metallic elements
•  curling scrolls

This style became popular in paintings, sculptures, architecture, furniture, fabrics, and jewelry.  We were especially inspired by Klimt's "Cradle" painting, which features a baby wrapped in warm colorful quilts with lots of patterns.

Supplies:

Tube Watercolors

11"x15" watercolor paper

Styrofoam plates for palettes

Metallic paint markers-I like Sakura

Fine Point Black Sharpie

I began this Art Nouveau art project having student take turns coming up to the white board and filling a square with different patterns and designs.  This part of the project was especially fun as students were given the chance to brainstorm and come up with a unique design to add to our "line and pattern vocabulary"

1. We then began our art projects by drawing a simplified self-portrait at the top of watercolor paper.  We add a variety of curvy lines that reached out to all of the edges of our papers to create the "cozy quilt" around our bodies.  Some students even chose to put a sibling or favorite bedtime stuffed animal snuggled into their quilts.
2.  Next, we filled each space of the quilt with a different pattern.
3. We continued this project the following week by using watercolor palettes to paint each quilt shape.  Students were shown how to glaze with a light color, and then once the area dried, to go back over it with a darker color to create the patterns. 
4. When all the areas were painted and dried, we used black sharpies and gold and silver paint pens to embellish the patterns, add stitching, and sewn on patches. The metallic elements were added to eccentuate Klimt's use of gold leaf.**Make sure paintings are completely dry before using markers and pens, wet paint ruins these expensive tools!

I think these projects turned out fabulous and the students are extremely happy with them.  Many would not give them up to hang in the on-site gallery at the school!

            Adam                                     Camille

          Gaia                                          Heather W.

          Jake                                      Josh

            Yula

          Stephan

     Maggie                                    Miss Vanessa

                   Megan

     Kenna                                     Heather S.

                 Andrew