Communities Calendar

Your client is The Nature Channel.  You have been asked to design a calendar for their viewing audience.  Based on your knowledge of how artists can represent nature, how would you design it?

Two students collaborated ideas to come up with a plan for their particular month. Foreground, middle-ground and background had to be considered for the landscapes.   The images are in order from January- December.  

All artwork by 2nd grade-

Expressive Clay Faces and Much More!

Transdisciplinary  Theme: How We Express Ourselves

Central Idea: Art Is A Way of Exploring The Self

This year we've been working on various lessons that have engaged us in reflective and challenging ways.  We started off by analyzing self-portraits throughout time, trying to understand the message of the lines,colors and shapes.   To go deeper into the process we analyzed abstract sculpture and talked about ways in which a connection can be made between an attitude and a sculpture.  I wanted them to start thinking about how they could create an abstract collage that was a reflection of the self.  The discoveries and reflections were many.   For the next component, I wanted them to work with a completely different medium, clay. They were challenged to shape the clay into an expression of their choice.  After the clay was bisque fired it was now white.  How could color help pull out the expression even further?  They chose a warm or cool color palette for this.  Right now, we are in the process of bringing this now character to life by writing a summary describing the personality.  From there, they will create a mixed media narrative painting.  For this component, we analyzed  Homage To Mary Lou by Romare Bearden. 

Images Discussed

A Twig Can Be...

...a stick bug!

 1st grade

http://foundationstart.org/exhibition/


 Working together, sharing ideas and being truly excited about creating, this was it.  If you follow my blog, you're aware that my central idea for K-1 is Art is a Way To Explore Our Ideas and Feelings About Nature.
With that said, I gave each group a twig after discussing Bessie Harvey's work. After some discussion, they came up with an idea of what it could be, what it could be transformed into.
We are not finished yet, but I wanted to share this one... with such joyful and delicate qualities.

Questions to consider:
What do we see?  Why do you think the artist chose to use a tree branch for her art?  How did the artist turn it into a sculpture?  What kind of feelings do you get from this artwork, happy, magical, scary?

Thanks to the American Folk Art Museum for the inspiration for this lesson.

Natural Views

In K-1 we have been learning about and exploring ways to express our ideas and feelings about nature. We've looked at and discussed  nature in art from various cultures from the past and present. The following artworks represent individual ideas, feelings and interests about the natural world.  

clockwise from top: Shark and Seal, Birds and Heart, Clouds, A lot of Trees, Listening

Clockwise: Whale, Leaf, Clouds, Leaf, Pond Day

Inspired By Nature, Art and Poetry

“The worship of convention will never lead to astonishment.” Tama J. Kieves

I Am A Leaf Bridge

I am a leaf bridge

I wonder if more leaves will fall on me?

I hear the water run

I see birds chirping

I am a leaf bridge

I pretend to be solid

I feel the leaves on my back

I worry about tornadoes

I cry when I crack

I am a leaf bridge

I understand that sometimes people will want to use another bridge

I say that’s okay

I dream about walking away

I try to lift myself up

I hope I will always be useful

I am a leaf bridge

2nd Grade Ms. Narsette’s Class

Visual Arts




Transdisciplinary Theme: How We Express Ourselves
Central Idea: Art is a way to explore our ideas and feelings about nature.
An inquiry into:

• nature in art from the past and present
• ways in which artists observe and record their own ideas about nature
• illustrators- nature in storybooks
• details in natural objects
• how artists can use lines and colors to suggest mood and/or movement

2nd grade collaboration

I love the way the kids responded to this project.  Let me back up a bit...last week I introduced our central idea (see above). We looked at and discussed images of nature in art from the past and present. We looked at leaves through loupes (10x magnification) in pairs and discussed discoveries relating to the art elements; colors, lines, shapes, textures, etc. and  of course along with anything else that came to mind!  We then used watercolor paper and either invented a new leaf design or did an observational drawing (their choice).
Now, here's the best part...this week when they arrived we reviewed a bit and then I introduced the work of Andy Goldsworthy.  They were fascinated by his process and work, especially this one...

Screens Series, Lake District England, 1998

     .
I asked the class
" Could we create one class project  to go with our central idea?"
A lot of different ideas came shooting out.  I was just there to facilitate. At this point, I had no idea what the outcome would be, but I was okay with that, because I knew only great things come out of such excitement.  One student had the idea to make a bridge with the leaves, they all loved it, should it be flat or raised, thick or thin, how do we get it to stay up?  They worked everything out together and they were sooo excited.  Just one problem...
who takes it home?!




*side note- Using the same process as Mr. Goldsworthy (he works with existing materials in nature) was not one of the goals of this lesson, nevertheless, his work itself was a wonderful inspiration.

Celebrations

Winning the Corn Festival Race
1st Grade Student

I love this celebration artwork because it makes you visually anticipate what's going to happen next.
Kindergarten Student.

Happy Day
4th Grade Student

This is the celebration of the departure of the Titanic.
3rd Grade Student





Concept: Celebrations
Essential Questions:
Why do we celebrate?  Who celebrates? How do we celebrate? How does art help us understand celebrations from other cultures and our own?  Is it important to celebrate? Do celebrations bring us closer as a whole?


That's how we started this lesson, by looking at celebratory artworks throughout history and sharing our own stories of celebrations.  I tried this lesson with various classes from K-4th.  I must say it was successful at each grade level because the students were able to connect the concept of celebrations to their own life experience and what is important to them.

The Art of Science!

Summer IB Programme

Learn more about the IB Programme

This summer, my school is introducing the IB Programme.    I am working with the kids by creating art (or artful things!) that coincide with  the central idea.  Some of the projects include collage, dioramas of habitats, terrariums, plant models, mobiles, and paintings.  It's been a lot of fun for me because science and art are two of my favorite things! Science is all about looking closer and noticing the little things in life...observing.  Of course we know that artists do that ALL the time... it's just a way of being.   Check out the video to see the joyful learning that's been happening so far!

This Week in Art... from Gabriela Elizalde on Vimeo.