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

5th Grade I am Art Reproductions

Grade 5 :  The 5th grade recreated  four famous pieces of artwork.  Students were asked to put a picture of themselves into the picture and give the picture a creative spin to it. There were four pictures to choose from:

Vincent Van Gogh, Sunflowers    Hokusai, The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Edvard Much, The Scream

Monet, The Bridge

Here are a few examples to see what our fantastic fifth graders did to their reproductions: 

How creative are these kiddos? Each picture came out with a one of a kind way to incorporate not only their idea, but a new way to look at famous piece of artwork. What a refreshing way to look at art history!