Keeping it Creative: Early winter update!

4TH GRADE: African Masks. For the past month we have been building masks! This is a great project for kids who love to build and work on something that does not involve a lot of drawing but a a lot of mess! This is one of my all time favorite projects too, who doesn't like to work with lots of messy materials! 

 Masks from Mrs. Calkin's 4th Grade

Building the masks!  The masks take about four to five classes to build. This is day two of building, adding the tissue paper and mod-podge over the paper mache layer. This helps make the masks very strong and full of color. 

 5TH GRADE: Keith Haring Clay Figures. We finally were able to paint our clay figures we made which were inspired by the artist Keith Haring. We made the clay pieces back in October and then started an Optical Illusion Box project (see some pictures of those below!). Now we are finished those boxes and could paint the clay figures this week.

 

 6TH GRADE: Cubism!
We were able to study some of Picasso's cubistic faces like the one above ( The Weeping Woman, 1937) and look at the different ways he broke down the face. There was sometimes a side profile, which is what Cubism is; breaking down an object into different perspetives. Students were asked to draw a side profile of anyone they wanted (even a made up person!) and use some recycled materials to build a face. Here is one of the building days with Mrs. Hick's class:

5TH GRADE: Optical Illusion Boxes

This project definitely challenges students to think about making lines to trick the eye and move back into space.  There is lots of patience involved with this particular project. There is always lots of effort and energy put into making unique designs. The best part, watching students teach each other how they came up with a new pattern or, how they figured out to create their own.

Time for an Update!

 5th graders were able to jump into some art history and learn about the artist Keith Haring and his subway artwork that made him famous in the 1980's. The great thing about Haring's artwork is that students can relate to his bold lines and colors that tell a specific message. We were able to tell our viewers a message that represents their school : CSDA!  Our school statement is Create, Share, Dream, and Achieve. Students could pick one word to represent of all four and make a statement about our school through images and characters like Keith Haring's.

 6th Grade Mandalas

Our first project in 6th grade we focused on the art of mandalas and the idea of creating a design that becomes  visually pleasing because it is symmetrical and has details that draw your eye into the design. Here are some of the 6th grade creations that students came up with:

Welcome Back Wagon

Welcome Back Artists! 

Mrs. Gagne's desk is already full of creative ideas! 

What were some big adventures you had during this hot summer we had? 

Here are some of my adventures with my little lady Lilly. We had a bit too much fun! 

I hope you were able to play, read, draw, paint, and explore all summer long and NEVER EVER got bored! 

The art room is ready to be used as a creative space and I know these next two and a half days I am anxiously waiting to see how much all the artists grew both in height and in maturity at CSDA! 

                                              Art buckets are ready for each table group! 

We have some big projects that are going to happen this year in each grade with some favorite projects sprinkled in between. Some projects we can look forward to making are clay gargoyles,  Egyptian mummies, African Masks, weaving, painting, clay, clay, and this year I hope to create with more clay.  

One thing we will be talking about on the first day of  art class in school is making mistakes in the art room.

I absolutely love the book by author Barney Saltzberg called Beautiful Oops! 

We will be able to read the short story and talk about what a mistake or an oops means while creating something. 

What do you do when you make a mistake in art? 

What can you do with a mistake instead of starting your entire project over?

What can you do if something does not come out the way you planned? 

Then, we will get creative making art from recycled paper and found objects. 

Looking forward to it! 

Grade 6 Life Sized Egyptian Sarcophagus Designs

Here they are: finally! The sixth grade has completed their Egyptian Sarcophagus designs they have been diligently working on for the past two months. Their commitment to undertaking such a large piece of artwork was evident in their enthusiasm for each class they came in. I am pretty sure we could have kept going and creating even more details and designs onto these life sized masterpieces. Here is a quick glimpse into Mr. Putnam's class working on their last day to complete this project.

Collaboration was the main goal of the project. Creating a final piece of artwork that had everyones ideas and designs! 

Students were able to use acrylic paints, Sharpie markers, and oil pastels to add details.

Students added Egyptian symbols and hieroglypics to connect to their lessons in Social Studies about ancient civilizations. 

2016 CSDA Awesome, Amazing, Art Show!

What an outstanding art show this year! 

It is an absolute pleasure for me to watch this event unfold each year and hear feedback from families about the projects that have been happening in the art room. 

Of course, the best part of the job is watching students show off their projects to families and friends that come along to see their hard work. The support that surrounds our art program at CSDA is obvious by the turn out and excitement during this specific event. This being my fourth art show at CSDA, I can see the connections that have been made for myself with various families. I have taught multiple children from one family and even some students whose families are connected to my own life outside of CSDA, and it is a true pleasure to be involved with teaching creativity to an entire generation of each family that comes through the doors of CSDA. Cheers to another successful art show! 

6th Grade Recycled Cubistic Portraits 

 5th Grade Keith Haring Clay Figures

4th Grade African Masks

4th Grade Kente Cloth

 6th Grade Enrichment: What is Art?

4th Grade Leaf Prints

5th Grade Optical Illusion Boxes

5th Grade Gothic Castle Prints

6th Grade Candy Compositions

5th Grade Optical Illusions

6th Grade Recycled Cubistic Portraits