Student projects are well underway and I couldn't be more excited! We are studying and practicing everything from symbolism (6th grade) and calligrams (5th grade), to Pop Art (3rd grade) and color theory (1st and 4th grade). Check out some of the progress below and stay tuned for some finished art to grace our wonderful halls!
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When you make a cake you need flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and baking soda. When you build a skateboard you need wheels, a board, some screws, and perhaps paint for decoration. When it comes to art there are also things that you need. These things exist EVERYWHERE and are part of EVERYTHING. These things can also help you be the best at whatever it is you want to do in life. What are these things? Why, they are known as the 7 ELEMENTS OF ART! This week, students from all grades learned to identify the elements of art and recognized how they are used not only in art, but in everything that they do. Students had a chance to compare the elements of art to the ingredients of a favorite dish, the parts of an object, or the steps of an activity. Students also delved into thought provoking questions related to NON-ARTSY things. Questions like these encourage us to think outside the box and make connections we didn't know exists. For example:
Afterwards, students helped to create visual representations of the elements of art or participate in a hunt. Nothing like a good scavenger hunt to strengthen other important art skills: observation and inquiry! The ELEMENTS OF ART: line, shape, color, value, texture, form, and space. Take a look at your world, which can you find?
We're half-way through another fabulous first week at Delta Center Elementary and I am so glad to see the art room filled with life again from eager and creative students. I can already tell this is going to be a great year and I can't wait to get artwork up in the halls! At the moment, students are spending time getting to know the room and its new additions (I like to switch it up sometimes), learning the new rules and routines (teacher: clap, clap "Mona, Mona!"; students: clap, clap "Lisa, Lisa!"), and warming up to the art making process by designing the covers of their sketchbook (a drawn treble clef and lacrosse stick combination...AMAZING)! Though the process is fairly clean for now, expect messes to show up VERY soon. Please remember to provide your student with an art shirt to help keep them clean! A MIGHTY thank you to all that have donated supplies so far; keep them coming! We really appreciate the support and all the help allows not only for the making of art to run smoothly, but it also provides materials that we can look at in new ways and transform into new things (an excellent skill in any field; problem solving to the EXTREME!). If you're still interested in helping or just want to keep a list handy of things we may need through the year, check out our earlier post "It's Almost Time!".
In just a matter of days school will begin anew. That means new art time adventures including an art fundraiser featuring your child's artwork, new projects, and more! As we get closer to the start of the new year, please remember that your child will greatly benefit from an art shirt. Any old oversized shirt with their name written on it will do. Art is a collaborative effort and we can always use your help in allowing every child success. If you are looking for ways to help we can always use just about anything (and thank you in advance). The list below can be helpful for some idea:
Markers Erasers Tissues Masking Tape Sharpies (black [all sizes] & color [just fine tip]) Glue (liquid, not sticks) Sidewalk chalk We can also use recycled items such as: Egg cartons Stackable plastic containers (yogurt, butter, etc) Old Towels/Shirts Newspaper Magazines Yarn Wire hangers Panty-hoses/stockings (preferable the smooth kind, no bumps or textures) Small objects great for found art projects (i.e. beads, gears, string, sticks, wood, fabric, etc) Materials from nature (i.e. rocks, sticks, leaves, bark, seed pods, etc.) Lastly, as mentioned before art is a collaborative effort and it is one in which no one is excluded. Art allows us to learn acceptance and understanding from each other in an environment that is open, encouraging, and safe. I love using my art room to expand our perception and open our hearts. Delta Center is a great school with wonderful diversity. If you or your family have ideas or experiences that can help enrich our art making process, please feel free to drop me a line. I would love to incorporate it or even have a featured guest visit! See everyone soon! Hey there, fellow DC art enthusiasts! Summer time is a great opportunity to check out art in all its various forms from sculptures, to architecture, to sidewalk art, found objects, and natural landforms. There is no end in sight and so many ways to not only experience it but to also get involved! Check out the artful adventures I discovered this summer. Have you had any fun summer art opportunities? If not there is still time!!! Can you identify the different kinds of art above? Bonus if you can can guess where they're from or have seen them in person! Land Art: uses the natural landscape to create site-specific structures, art forms, and sculptures. Functional Art: art objects that serve a purpose such as buildings, furniture, and even books; it DOES something. Non-Functional Art: used to describe art objects that serve no purpose, except to bring beauty into the world and to inspire creative thought. Installation Art: used to describe large-scale, mixed-media constructions, often designed for a specific place or for a temporary period of time. Found Art: uses objects, products, or materials that are not normal art making materials to created modified works of art. Street Art: visual art created in public locations outside of the context of traditional art venues. Exhibit Design: is the process of developing a exhibit from a concept through to a physical, three-dimensional exhibition to display materials. Confused by a few still? Well that's because... Mother Nature is our biggest and most inspiring artist known to date,
so get out there and explore!!! Our year has finally come to an end and let me tell you that it was AMAZING! In my first year of teaching I was literally blown away by just how creative, inventive, inspiring, and imaginative these kids are. I truly got lucky when Delta Center accepted me. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible! I look forward to next year's art-tastic adventures. Until then, keep on creating and stay posted for some summer fun activities! Art has an infinite amount of value and purpose. One of the areas in which art plays a key role is our understanding of the visual language. We place a lot of emphasis on reading and writing but did you know one of our first method of communicating was through pictures?! Think of cave art with its prehistoric pictures on the walls telling stories and providing information regarding recent events on hunting, food sources, and families. Think back to ancient Egypt and the colorful hieroglyphs that decorated walls, vases, and even tombs telling us the story of famous pharaohs. Native Americans used pictorial symbols on their functional and decorative art. Even today, the first scaffolding needed to understand the process of reading and writing starts with picture books! Visual language is used everywhere in today's society. Advertisements, posters, t-shirts, road signs, movies, and toys are just a fraction to name a few. Delta Center 3rd graders learned just how important art is to understanding visual language by using today's most used visual language: EMOJIS 😃😀😁🤗😎 See how are 3rd graders expressed their feeling on their upcoming summer vacation using just four 😊😂😙 This year 1st and 6th grade students had the chance to have the full clay experience; from molding when its in its plastic state, to watching it turn bone dry, and finally handling it after it had a chance to bake in a kiln at over 1200 degrees. Students learned about the different stages and properties of stoneware clay, learned how to build, shape, and attach clay to create 3D sculptures, and discovered the many different ways to complete a clay project after it becomes bisqueware. The results are stunning! First graders learned to roll clay in many ways to create their clay fish. While we waited for them to get out of the kiln, 1st graders had fun creating the perfect painted background for their watery friends. As you can see, when it came to the fish, bronze was a popular acrylic color due to its shimmery appearance. I would love to get a chance to swim with some of these! Sixth graders also learned how to roll and shape clay to create an interactive sculpture that was entertaining to put into motion. Using acrylic paint as a finisher (again, bronze and this time silver, were very popular choices), these finished bobble heads are sure to impress. I love the range of creativity that are expressed in these little guys! Just last week, I had a chance to visit the beautiful Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, MI and boy was I impressed! There is so much to see and learn and so much to do. As I explored, it was hard to contain my excitement, and I thought I did pretty well, until I saw these... Authentic, real life, Keith Haring and Jim Dine Sculptures!!! Not only do I love these artist in general, but there was an even stronger connection of awe and appreciation due to the fact that we recently covered Keith Haring with 4th graders and learned all about Jim Dine with 1st graders back in February! Of course, I just had to share these discoveries with my classes! Have you seen them yet? If not, I highly encourage a visit to Frederick Meijer Gardens!
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Nicole BD
Life long learner and art enthusiast. Follow along as I delve into the world of teaching elementary art! Archives
September 2018
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