More Aztec Portraits

More Blue Willow Plates

Calder's Circus

Second Grade students studied the work of Alexander Calder.  We learned how Calder was very inspired by animals and their movements.  In fact, he often visited the zoo to sketch the live animals.  Calder also enjoyed the animals and movements he saw when visiting the circus and it gave him an idea for his art...Calder's circus! (video above).  Students also decided to draw inspiration from the circus.  Each student drew their own circus animal based on a photograph they were given.  We learned how to draw an animal by looking at it shape by shape.  Once the drawing was complete their images were cut up and we attached them together to make it look like a circus train.  On the top of the train studets designed a shape that has symmetry.

 

Acrobats!

Self-Portrait before being attached to trapeze...

First grade students began their year by studying self-portraits.  After looking at the work of Frieda Khalo, they set out to create their own.  students were given a precut shape of a person that included everything but the head.  Each student drew in their own head, trying to represent themselves in their drawing.  once the drawing was complete we returned to the smart board where we studied a very different portrait by Picasso titled The Acrobat.  We learned how Picasso was very inspired by the circus and painted many pictures of harlequins.  After looking at Picassos work we also viewed work by other artists of circus performers and acrobats.  students then returned to their portraits adding patterns of lines or shapes in order to create a costume like a harlequin or circus performer.  students colored their work with colored pencils.  lastly, students watched videos of real circus performers on the trapeze to give them ideas of how they might want to attach their own self portraits to their trapeze

Chihuly Videos!

Rewatch the videos we saw in class on Chihuly!!

Kooky Line/Shape Clowns

Kindergarten students began the year by studying a portrait by Romero Britto.  Usaing the smartboard students were able to see how Britto used basic shapes and lines to create his art. After identifying the shapes and lines that artists use, students set out to create their own clown portraits.  We began with the hair.  Students created their own crazy clown hair by drawing 5 different kinds of lines.  We then noticed how the lines created shapes on our paper and students colored the kooky shapes with oil crayons.  Once the hair was complete we moved on to our clown's shirt.  Students learned how to repeat lines and shapes to create a pattern.  Last but not least students created a face for their portraits  by choosing a large white shape, a circle nose and drawing their own shapes and lines for eyes and a mouth! 

Blue Willow Story Plates

 The Chinese began making porcelain in 25CE.  The methods for making it were kept a secret for a long time and porcelain became a major export for China and a major source of its wealth.  Today this process is no longer a secret and porcelain is made in many different places—but the use of the word “China” to describe porcelain is a tribute to how important this art form was to them.

Fifth Grade students examined blue and white china.  We focused our attention on a very popular blue and white china design—the Blue Willow pattern.  The design itself looks Chinese but students learned this was actually designed in England as an imitation of Chinese examples.  In order to sell more plates the designers wanted people to believe this was authentically Chinese so they developed a story to go along with the image in the center of the plate- which was described as a traditional Chinese legend.  After reading the story and studying how it was illustrated on the plate students set out to design their own “China”

Students created patterns around the borders of their plates using lines, their initial and geometric shapes.  In the center of their plate they illustrated a story based on their own personal experiences.