3rd Grade -- Historical Figures

3rd graders just finished up their historical figure sculptures.  They were assigned one of the following people: Louis Armstrong, Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, or Amelia Earhart.  They used white talc clay to sculpt their historical person.  We focused on scoring, slipping, and smoothing to ensure that all pieces were attached.  The students used modeling tools to create textures and details in the clay as well.  Tempera paint was applied to the bisque fired clay.  The 3rd graders created cardboard dioramas, which put their person in a scene that would have taken place.  Here are some examples from all 3rd grade classes:

5th Grade -- Ceramic Boxes

Each student designed a box in their sketchbooks.  Students then rolled out slabs to create sides for their box.  With the use of scoring and slipping, they were able to attached all sides and additional pieces of their design.  Glaze was used to finish these ceramic pieces.
Below are some examples from Mr. Rollo's class:

5th Grade -- #Ceramic Boxes

The 5th graders are finishing up their ceramic boxes made from terracotta clay.  Each student designed a box in their sketchbooks.  Students then rolled out slabs to create sides for their box.  With the use of scoring and slipping, they were able to attached all sides and additional pieces of their design.  Glaze was used to finish these ceramic pieces.
Below are examples from Ms. Germanier's class:

3rd Grade -- Working on Historical Figures

3rd graders are currently working on their historical figures for African American/Women's history.  They have been studying Amelia Earhart, Louis Armstrong, Jackie Robinson, and Helen Keller.  We began by sculpting our people out of white talc clay.  Recently they have been painting their sculptures and also making platforms for their sculptures to stand on. 

Kindergarten -- Pinch Pots

The pinch pot is a simple form of a pot that dates back to ancient history. These decorative/functional pots have been used by various cultures throughout history as well. Our kindergarten students learned how to create a pinch pot. Once bisque fired, the students also learned about glazes and how to use them. Here are some finished examples:

1st Grade -- Wildy & Wavy Paintings

Mr. Kaegi's 1st grade class created these mixed media works of art.  We started out discussing the primary and secondary colors.  We went into depth a little further and discussed how each of those colors have numerous values. 

Hue = Color
Tint = Hue+ White
Tone = Hue + Gray
Shade = Hue + Black

The students chose one hue (blue for example) and took black and white to mix their different values.  They created abstract paintings with as much value as possible.  Once they were dry, the paintings were cut into 4 strips.  The students then glued their strips in wavy formations onto consturction paper.

 

2nd Grade - Pinch Pot Animals

2nd graders recently made pinch pot animals with white talc clay.  We focused on building the pinch pot, scoring/slipping, and using modeling tools to make our animals more realistic.  The students glazed their pieces after they were bisque fired.
We discussed that glaze works differently than paint.

• Glaze shows up the best with three coats applied.  
• The color of the glaze could look totally different from beginning to finish.  
• There must be no glaze on the surface that sits on the kiln shelf.  

Here are some finished examples:

1st Grade -- Pinch Pot Creations

Mr. Kaegi's 1st grade class recently made pinch pot creations with white talc clay.  We discussed how to build a pinch pot and how to correctly attached additional clay via scoring and slipping.  The students applied these techniques when adding hair, arms, legs, eyes, feet, etc.  The students also used modeling tools to create details and textures in their clay.  Here are some examples:

3rd Grade -- Practice Sculptures

3rd graders have been working on practice sculptures to help prepare themselves for when we sculpt historical figures from African American and Women's history.  We practiced making a two-legged figure that could balance standing up.  We also worked on our scoring/slipping methods to ensure the clay properly attached.  The students had a choice of painting the bisque fired clay with tempera paint or with glaze.  We discussed the differences of both.  Many who chose to paint with the tempera paint also finished their figures with Mod Podge.  Here are a few examples:

4th Grade -- Clay House Fronts

For this project we examined architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright and Friedensreich Hundertwasser.  Frank Lloyd Wright used geometric shapes and organic colors in his architecture, while Hundertwasser used many bold colors, curvy lines, and organic shapes.  Both architects loved to incorporate the surrounding environment with their architecture.  Our 4th grade students sketched out a design for their own house.  Some students were inspired by TV shows, by famous architects, or even their own home in Oak Park.  The students rolled out slabs of clay, trimmed out the shape of their house, and then began designing it.  They scored and slipped whenever they attached additional pieces.  They used modeling tools to carve in designs as well.  Once the pieces were bisque fired, the students then used glaze to finish their houses.

3rd Grade -- Op Art Hands

This week, the 3rd graders have been working on an Op art project involving lines and their hands.  We discussed a variety of optical illusions and how they can trick the brain and eyes.  From there we focused on one style of illusion, making 2D objects into 3D objects.  We traced out hands onto white drawing paper and then choose 2-5 markers to create a color pattern.  We began drawing out horizontal lines from left to right.  Once we came to our fingers, back of hand, and arm, we used a curved line to show it in a three-dimensional way.  The students then erased their pencil from the beginning.  The end result is a hand/arm looking like it pops out from the horizontal lines.

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3rd Grade -- Tessellations

For this project we were linking art together with math to create M.C. Escher like tessellations.  Tessellation is the process of creating a two-dimensional plane using the repetition of a geometric shape with no overlaps or gaps.  The students began with a 3" x 3" square.  They created a line design on the left side with pencil.  That piece was cut out and taped to the right side of the square.  This process was repeated on the top and bottom of the square as well.  The end result was a shape that could fit into itself from side-to-side and top-to-bottom.  Third graders envisioned what their shaped looked like and then drew their creation into their shape.  They used a color pattern to finish their work.

1st Grade Owls

Our first grade students started this project by using a pillow box template. They traced that template onto a colored piece of construction paper. From there, they painted a blank sheet a paper, with values that matched the construction paper color. We discussed the meaning up tints and shades, and also demonstrated different ways we could make texture in our paintings. Once the paintings were dry, the students used spools to trace circles onto their painting. The students cut those circles out and used them as the owl feathers. The students created other key features that the owl would need (wings, beak, feet) and assembled them with glue. Come check out the owls in person. They are located in the glass display case in the lobby.

4th Grade One Point Perspective

Perspective in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is an approximate representation, on a flat surface (such as paper), of an image as it is seen by the eye. The two most characteristic features of perspective are that objects are drawn:
* Smaller as their distance from the observer increases
* Foreshortened: the size of an object's dimensions along the line of sight are relatively shorter than dimensions across the line of sight

After the 4th grade students learned about perspective, and more specifically one point perspective, we began drawing on 12 x 18 paper. The students made a dot to represent the vanishing point. Streets, sidewalks, buildings, cars, etc all lined up according to where their vanishing point was. This allowed the city view to start out bigger and become smaller and you look further down the street. Students had many creative ideas to develop their buildings.

Kindergarten Picasso Heads

Today in our kindergarten classes we read Picasso (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists).  We learned that Picasso was very inventive and changed his painting style numerous times throughout his life.  We learned that he went through certain periods, such as the Blue and Rose period.  Cubism was another style of painting the class observed.  After we read our book, we visited the website PicassoHead.  Each student helped add a feature or change a color of a feature to create their classroom Picasso head.  Notice how the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears are not exactly in the correct spots.  Next week the kindergarten students will begin their own Picasso style self-portraits!  

4th Grade Vasarely Spheres

Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian French artist whose work is generally seen as aligned with Op-art. After viewing some of Vasarely's work, as well as other optical illusions, the students drew out a circle and a grid onto a piece of 12 x 18 white drawing paper. The vertical and horizontal lines that cross through the circle were curved to give the illusion that the circle is actually three dimensional. The students then chose 1-2 marker colors to create a pattern. Once the pattern was completed, the students used vine charcoal around the sphere to create a shadow, as if the sphere was floating above the checkerboard grid.