Scroll-A-Thon!

The Scroll-A-Thon is here!!! More to come...

Fourth Grade Animal Heads

Fourth graders are working on a papier mache sculpture project.  We were inspired by the work of artist AJ Fosik.  He uses wood to create really interesting relief pieces. 

 We are making animal heads out of recycled materials. 

Students chose an animal whose character traits resemble their own.

First, we sketched out a plan from the front and the side.  

Then we created a structure of recycled materials and masking tape.

Next, we are covering them with papier mache. 

Keep checking here for the next stage of this project!

Kandinsky Trip!

The last part of our second grade music and art Kandinsky study was a trip to the Guggenheim to see his work.  The students did a spectacular job at the museum. Here are some examples of their work from the trip. It was a blast. Thanks to Brogan Ganley, our visiting artist for this unit!

click on the image to see it larger



Here are some additional drawings done in the rotunda gallery:



Thanks to the Arts and Multicultural Committee for setting up this trip for us!

4Fives Transformative Upcycling Installation!

The 4Fives are working on an installation for their classroom.  We wanted to transform something into art, so we looked at the work of Tara Donovan.  She uses simple materials to make extraordinary work.  If you don't know her, check out her website. She is one of my favorite sculptors. For our installation, we are using toilet paper rolls. Here is what one 4Five artist wrote about the project:

The 4Fives are learning all about upcycling. Upcycle means that you can’t throw away like boxes or paper towel rolls because you should make them into something better that you can use.

So we went to the art room to make an upcycling project with Bee and Ms.Kimball. We went inside the art room and Ms.Kimball showed us what were going to do.  We used toilet paper rolls.  We cut them into small circles. Then we painted the circles in different colors.  We painted a million circles and this month we are going to put them together and make an art installation in our classroom.

Oh and while we were painting we put music on.  After we finished, we washed our hands, because our hands had a lot of paint on them. So we washed with soap and we washed with water. It was a lot of fun.

John

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!

I have so many things to update on the blog! I promise to post this week about the 2nd grade Kandinsky trip, 4th grade sculpture projects, 5th grade characters and more!! Until then, here is the newsletter for the month of January.  I am very excited about the visiting artist project that we have going this month.  Thanks to Bee Ladd and the 4Fives for getting it going!

Studio 220 Newsletter: January 2010

 

Happy New Year! We have a lot going on in the studio this month in addition to our regular curriculum.  One very exciting project is called the Scroll-A-Thon.  I am super excited about this collaborative project because it involves all students in grades 1 to 5.  Two Brooklyn artists, Steven and William Ladd (brothers of Bee) will be coming in throughout the next three weeks to work with every class.  The Scroll-A-Thon will incorporate drawings, text, photographs and sculpture.  Steven and William will be working with the students to think about how one artist can influence and collaborate with another.  The finished project will include a multi-media installation and an artist book.  I am thrilled to be working with all of the students on this! Check out Steven and William’s website to see some of their work.  Or, if you want to see it in person, take a walk down to The Invisible Dog gallery on Bergen Street and check out the chandelier that they created as a permanent installation in the space.  It will be great!

 

In addition to the Scroll-A-Thon, here is what we are also working on:

First Grade: First graders are finishing up their clay pots.  They created pinch pots with animal-head lids.  We have sculpted them, and just need to complete painting.  Keep your eyes out for an exhibition in the lobby at the end of the month.

 

Second Grade: Second graders are continuing to build 3D forms from paper.  They are using paper to create a three dimensional sculpture of their own play-space.  For inspiration, check out one of my favorite blogs: playgrounddesigns.blogspot.com.

 

Third Grade: Third graders will begin a painting unit.  We will work on experimenting with watercolor paints and watercolor resist.  Students will then create work from their imagination and from life.

 

Fourth Grade: Fourth graders continue to work on their sculpture project.  We are looking at the work of AJ Fosik and creating large animal heads out of papier mache and cut paper.  We are thinking about how Native Americans believed that animals represented and had personality traits.  Each student will choose an animal whose “personality” is similar to his or her own.  They will then create a relief sculpture to represent their animal.

 

Fifth Grade: Fifth graders will be visited by another artist this month in addition to Steven and William. We will work on an abstraction project with painter Collette Taber. Fifth graders also continue to develop their imaginary characters and are working on creating Tunnel Books.

 

More on the Scroll-A-Thon as it develops!

MK

Open Studio

Open Studio is a reward for getting ten challenge points. Challenge points are awarded when an entire class works as a team to complete a challenge. A challenge could be organizing a silent clean up or having every artist follow all directions during studio time. Once they reach ten points, the following class they have a choice of what materials to work with and get to bring home all of their creations that same day. I like Open Studio because it gives me an idea of where the students interests lie and what they are most excited about working on. Recently, Ms. Patterson's class was given Open Studio. Here are some of their creations:

First Grade Clay Experiments

Whenever I begin clay with a class, I always give them an entire period to manipulate the clay in any way they like. They truly get to play with it and figure out its qualities. The students need this time for experimentation before we begin the assignment. The classroom explodes with ideas and the students are often creating figures, hiding spots and characters that come to life when they interact with each other. I love this opening to clay. Here are some photos of what happens:


Once the period is over, we all SQUISH what we have made and return it to the clay bin. Students then work together to make a list of all the things you can do with clay. Here is what we have come up with:
Squish
Roll
Flatten
Mold
Model
Break
Twist
Pinch
Form
Squeeze
Scrunch
Push
Pull
Scratch
Indent

Next, we will begin to learn about ceramics and will create pinch pots with lids that will be painted.

Third Grade Shadow Play In Progress

Third graders are studying China in social studies. To link up with their work, we are looking at a traditional Chinese form of puppetry- Shadow Play. Legend has it that it was invented in China two thousand years ago. In this unit, we are focusing on how negative and positive space can be used to create detail in shadow puppetry. Using black construction paper, students have been experimenting with how they can create animals and imaginary creatures that will come to life when used with a light. Now that we know how it works, we will begin to create large shadow puppets operated by rods. Here are some in-class shots:

2nd Grade: Kandinsky

Wow! Our second grade Kandinsky study has come to a close (almost) and it has been great! Here are the parts that I have yet to update you on:

Part 2: Music as Inspiration
We learned that Kandinsky was very inspired by music. He felt that it was an example of a purely abstract expression of emotion. We talked about how Kandinsky was inspired by musicians like Schonberg and Wagner. To practice collaboration and using line to depict mood in music, we worked with graphite sticks with a partner to create drawings inspired by different pieces of music. We were sure to include songs that students were working on in music such as "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Winter." The results were really interesting.
Parts Three and Four: Collaborative Painting
For the final two parts of our project, students focused on listening to one song and translating it to drawing and painting. We looked at the work we had done so far to talk about how artists can collaborate and work together to make one piece. Then, students used what they had learned about how line and color express emotion to make a large painting together. It was so much fun. Thanks to our visiting artist Brogan Ganley for helping to make it work!

To finish up our study, we took a trip to the Guggenheim where there is a large exhibit of Kandinsky's work. The students created some amazing drawings there. I will scan and upload some examples later this week.

December in Studio 220

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First Grade: First graders are working with clay! The ceramics unit is a very exciting time of year. We will be exploring where clay comes from, what you can do with it, and what happens once it dries. The students will be working on a texture exploration to see what happens when clay is imprinted with different materials. Each student will create a pinch pot that is textured with the materials of their choice. We will then paint our work in a way that highlights the textures we create.

Second Grade: Second graders are beginning a sculpture unit. We will be studying the job of playground designers. We will look at different interpretations of playgrounds from around the world. Each student will imagine his or her ideal playground. They will use paper to create a three dimensional sculpture of their own play-space. For inspiration, check out one of my favorite blogs: http://playgrounddesigns.blogspot.com.

Third Grade: Third grade artists are working on the art of shadow play, a traditional art form first invented in China over a thousand years ago. We will be creating many different shadow puppets (pi ying) based on animals, creatures, monsters and ourselves. We will be learning about how using positive and negative space affects how the puppet looks when lit. We will also be exploring how artists can add sound and movement to their work.

Fourth Grade: Fourth graders are working on a relief sculpture unit. We are looking at the work of AJ Fosik and creating large animal heads out of papier mache and cut paper. We are thinking about how Native Americans believed that animals represented and had personality traits. Each student will choose an animal whose “personality” is similar to his or her own. They will then create a relief sculpture to represent their animal. Please send in cereal boxes, newspaper and cardboard tubes!

Fifth Grade: Fifth graders have been working on creating realistic drawings and paintings for the past few weeks. Taking a break from this, we will be exploring how artists create characters from their imaginations. We will look at many different artists who create fantasy characters, including Tim Burton, who now has an exhibition at MoMA. Each student will use pen and ink, watercolor and clay to create an imaginary character.