Gallery CS

Projects for the week 8.0

2012-01-25T12:43:00.001-08:00

ELEMENTS, SKILLS and MATERIALS

Inspiration and THINKING…

7^th

ELEMENTS: Directional Line, painting like a pro, overlapping

SKILLS: Understanding art element line, discovering anatomy of a paintbrush, Using line variety, push/vs. pull paintbrush technique, creating works with limited line requirements, multimedia

MATERIALS: Paper, Colored pencils, paint

Can I create a work of art using ALL the lines plus overlapping?

Why should I use a number two brush to outline?

How will I use what I know about lines and proper paint brush technique to design my work?

What scene from over 100 years ago will be my inspiration?

8th

ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES: Space,Line

SKILLS: creating illusions of space through objects going In, Out, Over and Under and recalling overlapping

MATERIALS: White Paper, Black Sharpie color pencils

What the method to make objects appear like they are overlapping?

Can I demonstrate a loop and IOOU?

What is a creative scene that can use IOOU?

9^th

ELEMENTS: Form, Space, Value, Perspective and color theory, value

SKILLS: Discovering 3 dimensional objects, shading using light sources, affecting objects with perspective, ellipses, creating monochromatic, complementary, triadic, and analogous color schemes, value and intensity

MATERIALS: Paper, Pencils, color pencils, markers, Erasers, sketchbooks

How Do I use what I know about forms and overlapping to correctly draw a still life?

How do Value and contour lines make objects look 3-D?

Do any objects in my still life use ellipses, one point or two point perspective?

What is the difference between value and intensity?

10^th

ELEMENTS: Value

SKILLS: Contour line drawing, Charcoal, smudging, additive and subtractive drawing techniques.

MATERIALS: Toned gray paper, white pencil, charcoal, smudge sticks

How can I illustrate my dream on toned paper?

Which two techniques can I use to show more values in my artwork?

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2012-01-25T07:37:00.000-08:00

You have to check out Kirina Smigla-Bobinski's Helium Filled Kinetic Sculpture. If you have a chance look the video up on You-Tube you will be amazed. In the meantime, what do you think this could be? It is a floating sculpture with charcoal spikes sticking all over it. The installation is trapped inside a small room and the charcoal drags along along the gallery walls as participants, twirl, toss, and interact with it.Is the artist Kirina, the viewers, or maybe the ball? I really urge you to look at the video! My artists are LOVING this one!

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2012-01-18T15:59:00.001-08:00

Mr. Bishop found this artist and was excited for me to share it with my art students. Scott Wade took scribbling "wash me" on a dirty car to a whole other level! He intentionally muddies the windows of a car then brushes away the mess to create his masterpieces. Very unconventional and fun!

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2012-01-13T09:53:00.001-08:00

Tyree Callahan's "Chromatic Typewriter" was a hit this week. He replaced the letter stamps and ink with water color paint. Then he painted the keys to correspond. He says that he "painted a paragraph" or "typed a painting". Pretty neat, huh?

Projects for the week 7.0

2012-01-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

ELEMENTS, SKILLS and MATERIALS

Inspiration and THINKING…

ELEMENTS: Directional Line

SKILLS: Understanding art element line, discovering anatomy of a paintbrush, Using line variety, push/vs. pull paintbrush technique, creating works with limited line requirements, multimedia

MATERIALS: Paper, Colored pencils, crayons, paint

Can I create a work of art using only 3 types of lines?

What materials will work best for my idea?

How will I use what I know about lines and proper paint brush technique to design my work?

ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES: Space,Line

SKILLS: creating illusions of space through objects going In, Out, Over and Under and recalling overlapping

MATERIALS: White Paper, Black Sharpie color pencils

What the method to make objects appear like they are overlapping?

Can I demonstrate a loop and IOOU?

What is a creative scene that can use IOOU?

ELEMENTS: Form, Space, Value, Perspective

SKILLS: Discovering 3 dimensional objects, shading using light sources, affecting objects with perspective.

MATERIALS: Paper, Pencils, Erasers, sketchbooks

How are forms different than shapes?

How does Value make objects look 3-D?

How does a Vanishing Point on a Horizon line help to make shapes look like forms?

ELEMENTS: Color, Shape, Line

SKILLS: Recognizing color relationships, Contour line drawing, Pressing a Print

MATERIALS: Cardboard, Paper, Markers, Tacky Glue, Yarn, Scissors, Water Soluble Ink, Brayer, Baren

How can words and art work together?

Which three words are important in my life right now?

How will I make sure my words read correctly when I print?

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2012-01-06T06:07:00.001-08:00

The Artist of the week is Guy Laramee. His amazing works are carved from real book pages! Have you ever looked at an ordinary object and imagined what it could be?

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-12-14T09:21:00.001-08:00

Arturo Herrera's 'Keep in Touch' led to much discussion in the art room this week. His wintry scene inspired lots of art words including art movements and artist intentions. Why do you think he combined two very different styles in one painting?

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-12-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

The artist of the week was John Baldessari and his work 'eyebrow'. Have you ever imagined the windows and doors of a house as a face?

Projects for the Week 6.0

2011-12-02T07:41:00.001-08:00

ELEMENTS, SKILLS and MATERIALS		Inspiration and THINKING…
7^th	ELEMENTS: Color, Shape, Line SKILLS: Realistic Portrait Drawing MATERIALS: Paper, Pencils, Oil Pastels, Mirrors	What is the face formula? How can knowing the face formula help guide me to create a realistic self-portrait? How can I blend oil pastels to make a realistic skin tone for my self-portrait?
8th	ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES: Color, Value SKILLS: Tempra Paint Color Mixing MATERIALS: White Paper, Black Sharpie Markers, Tempra Paint, Paint Brushes	What is a tint? What is a shade? How many different tints and shades can I make using one primary color, black, and white paint?
9^th	ELEMENTS: Color, Form, Texture SKILLS: Watercolor Wax Resist Technique, Metal Embossing Technique MATERIALS: Paper, Pencils, Crayons, Watercolor Paints, Paint Brushes, Sheet Metal, Scissors, Wooden Embossing Tools, Tacky Glue	What kind of house will I choose to paint? What important features of my house will I include in my painting? How will I use the embossing technique I learned to create textured metal doors for my house?
10^th	ELEMENTS: Color, Shape, Line SKILLS: Recognizing color relationships, Contour line drawing, Pressing a Print MATERIALS: Cardboard, Paper, Markers, Tacky Glue, Yarn, Scissors, Water Soluble Ink, Brayer, Baren	How can words and art work together? Which three words are important in my life right now? How will I make sure my words read correctly when I print?

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-11-29T11:37:00.001-08:00

Mirage by Cao Fei

This week, students are looking at Beijing-based artist Cao Fei's photography. So far, their responses have varied from 'cool!' to 'so weird!' and everything between. There is no right answer. We all respond to art in our own unique way. Do you like this photograph? What do you like about it? If you don't like it, what are your reasons?

A Friend for Artie!

2011-11-29T08:24:00.001-08:00

This 9th ager knew Artie needed a friend so she crafted him one over the weekend. How thoughtful!

Project Gallery: 9th Age

2011-11-29T07:50:00.001-08:00

Mixed Breed Pastel Creatues

Project Gallery: 8th Age

2011-11-29T07:30:00.001-08:00

Clay Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skulls

Henri Matisse Inspired Triadic Color Schemes

Mixed Media Bug Collages

Watercolor Wax Resist Landscapes

Project Gallery: 7th Age

2011-11-29T07:25:00.001-08:00

Terrific Texture Squares

All About Me Collages

Project Gallery: 10th Age

2011-11-23T08:50:00.001-08:00

The 10th agers used a coil building technique to form their hand built pots. After the pots were fired the first time (bisque fired), they had the opportunity to add some color to their creations painting on glaze! A second glaze firing ensured their pieces were finished and ready to take home. I hope you enjoy viewing this artwork as much as they enjoyed making it!

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-11-22T11:14:00.001-08:00

Judy Pfaff

Students enjoyed identifying the geometric shapes and multitude of colors in Judy Pfaff's sculpture installation. When prompted to identify what kind of mood or feeling this sculpture gave them, answers such as hyper, happy, confused, and nervous were heard. It always amazes me how a single sculpture can be interpreted so many different ways!

Project Gallery: 8th Age

2011-11-16T12:43:00.001-08:00

Shining examples of the 8th Agers' Self Portrait/Dream Diptychs!

Project Gallery: 9th Age

2011-11-16T12:32:00.001-08:00

Beautiful and functional slab construction clay bowls from the 9th Agers!

Project Gallery: 7th Age

2011-11-16T09:35:00.001-08:00

The 7th agers 3-D postcards are out of the kiln! Each one of these pieces has a story behind it. Be sure to ask the 7th agers if they made their postcard about a place they've been, a place they wish to go, or an imaginary place. I guarantee you'll hear some interesting answers!

Artists in Action!

2011-11-16T07:32:00.001-08:00

A window into the artists' studio where the magic happens!

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-11-14T12:42:00.001-08:00

This painting by artist, writer, and activist Faith Ringgold was used to illustrate her children's book Tar Beach. Ringgold's work is a combination of fabric quilting, painting, and story-telling. Tar Beach became a Caldecott Honor Book in 1992. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, put it on your list! It's a must!

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-11-09T06:14:00.000-08:00

This picture by German photographer Thomas Struth was taken at The Art Institute of Chicago. What do you notice in this photo? What do you think of the idea of creating art about how people view art?

Thomas Struth

Projects for the Week 5.0

2011-11-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

ELEMENTS, SKILLS and MATERIALS		Inspiration and THINKING…
7^th	ELEMENTS: Color, Value, Line SKILLS: Understanding primary and secondary color relationships, Creating variations in value, Using line variety, Pressing a print MATERIALS: Paper, Colored pencils, Styrofoam mandala circles, Foam stickers, Water soluble block printing ink, Brayer, Baren	How does the amount of pressure I apply to my pencil affect the value of the colors in my drawing? What is a mandala? How will I use what I know about color and value to design my mandala color wheel drawing a variety of different lines?
8th	ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES: Form, Texture, Balance SKILLS: Pinch pot clay technique, Scoring & Slipping, Glazing MATERIALS: Clay, Slip, Clay tools, Glaze	What is scoring and slipping? Why is it important to the construction of my clay skull? How will I combine three pinch pots to create a clay form inspired by the sugar skulls of Dia de los Muertos? Which traditional patterns will I use to decorate my skull? Which new patterns will I create?
9^th	ELEMENTS: Color, Shape, Line SKILLS: Identifying complementary color relationships, Contour line drawing, Pressing a print MATERIALS: Cardboard, Paper, Markers, Tacky Glue, Yarn, Scissors, Water soluble block printing ink, Brayer, Baren	What is a symbol? Which symbols are important in my life? Which symbol will I choose to recreate a self-expressive print? Will I choose to create my own symbol or use an adinkra symbol? How can I make a successful print?
10^th	ELEMENTS: Color, Shape, Line SKILLS: Recognizing color relationships, Contour line drawing, Pressing a Print MATERIALS: Cardboard, Paper, Markers, Tacky Glue, Yarn, Scissors, Water Soluble Ink, Brayer, Baren	How can words and art work together? Which three words are important in my life right now? How will I make sure my words read correctly when I print?

Five Minute Museum Artist of the week

2011-11-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

Takafumi Yagi

Takafumi Yagi used colored pencils to create this chandelier-shaped scuplture. Have you ever used colored pencils to do something other than color? Try it out!

Projects for the Week 4.0

2011-11-02T05:07:00.000-07:00

ELEMENTS, SKILLS and MATERIALS		Inspiration and THINKING…
7^th	ELEMENTS: Color SKILLS: Identifying primary and secondary colors, watercolor painting techniques MATERIALS: Paper, watercolor crayons, pencils, paint brushes	What are primary colors? Secondary colors? How do these colors relate to one another? *What is a theme? What theme will I choose for my painting?*
8th	ELEMENTS: Texture, Shape SKILLS: Recognizing and creating patterns, collage MATERIALS: Paper, black Sharpie markers, crayons, colored pencils, markers, tacky glue, fabric	What bugs will I choose to draw? Will my bugs be imaginary or realistic? How will I design the patterns on the surface of my bugs? How can I use drawing and coloring together to design a complete collage?
9^th	ELEMENTS: Color (warm & cool), Line SKILLS: Color blending, Line variety MATERIALS: Black paper, white colored pencils, oil pastels	Which three animals will I combine to design my creature? How can I use a combination of lines and color to express the character of my creature?
10^th	ELEMENTS: Form, Texture SKILLS: Coil building technique, Slipping, Scoring MATERIALS: Clay, Slip, Clay Tools	What are the stages of clay and why are they important to the process of creating my coil pot? Will my pot be functional or decorative?

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-10-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

Amos Ferguson was a Bahamian folk artist, best known for his brightly colored Bible scenes and paintings of Bahamaian social rituals. The picture below dipicts a street parade at Junkanoo, a festival celebrating freedom from slavery.

Amos Ferguson

Felting for Fall

2011-10-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here is another "Try at Home" project from Mrs. B (also "at home" -with baby Anabelle).

I think Fall is the perfect time to start thinking about fuzzy fun projects. Felting can be a great way to make warm wearing or cuddly artworks. There are two types of traditional felting methods: wet felting and needle felting. I recommend starting with wet felting first and advance to needle felting when you get the feel for the material. All you need for wet felting is wool, water, soap and a plastic bag. Needle felting requires special barbed needles in various sizes, a piece of foam and wool. Check the pictures here for some great ideas. Missing you all, happy felting!

-<3 Mrs. B

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-10-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

Paul Baliker's "Ocean Exodus"

Paul Baliker used driftwood to create this sculpture of sea creatures for Grand Rapids, Michigan's 3rd annual ArtPrize event. Out of more than 1,700 artists, he placed 8th in the competition. Have you ever used natural materials to create art? Try it out!

Projects for the Week 3.0

2011-10-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

ELEMENTS, SKILLS and MATERIALS		Inspiration and THINKING…
7^th	ELEMENTS: Shape, Form, Texture SKILLS: Slipping & Scoring, Understanding the stages of clay MATERIALS: Clay, Slip, Glaze, Clay Tools	How is clay different than Play Doh? What can I do with clay? What does it mean to slip and score my clay, why is it important, and at which stages of clay can I slip and score? Will I choose to design my 3-D postcard around somewhere I’ve been, somewhere I wish to go, or an imaginary place? What important features of this place will I include in my postcard?
8th	ELEMENTS/PRINCIPLES: Color (Triadic Color Schemes), Shape (organic), Line (Contour Lines), Balance, Harmony SKILLS: Recognizing triadic color schemes, Differentiating between geometric and organic shapes, Creating a balanced composition, Contour line drawing, cutting, gluing MATERIALS: Colored paper, drawing pencils, scissors, glue	What is an organic shape? How do I draw one? How did Henri Matisse use colored paper to create art? How can I recognize a triadic color scheme? Which three colors will I choose for the color scheme of my art? How can I arrange my shapes to create a composition that appears to be balanced and in harmony on my paper?
9^th	SKILLS: Book making- sewing, folding, gluing, threading a needle, measuring MATERIALS: Cardboard, fabric, paper, glue, ribbon, thread, ruler, pencil, push-pins	What makes a quality artist book? How can I use careful craftsmanship to make my book? How do I imagine using my book?
10^th	ELEMENTS: Form, Texture SKILLS: Additive clay technique, Stamping, Slipping, Scoring MATERIALS: Clay, Slip, Stencil Plates, Clay Tools	What is the purpose of slipping and scoring my clay? How can I sculpt my stamp so my initials can be read most clearly?

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-10-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

This week, we're looking at Sandy Skoglund's installation "Shimmering Madness", made with jelly beans. Don't be surprised if your child's dessert morphs into a masterpiece! Many of them want to create candy sculptures of their own.

Artie's Everywhere!

2011-10-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Artie has been helping to keep order in the art room all week long! He likes to sit with tables where people are kind to each other, work quietly, and clean up well. He's also happy to keep you company in the hallway if you need a drink of water or a visit to the bathroom.

Here's Artie!

Water Pass

Bathroom Pass

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-10-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

This week, we're looking at Lawrie Brown's Food Series. The young art critiques have enjoyed checking out these images and dicussing what goes into the food they eat.

White Rice

Orange Cheese

Kool-aid

Art Room Update

2011-09-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Another great week inthe Lower School Art Studio!

10^th Age

The 10^th agers finished up their artist bookcovers and began to sew the pages inside. I only have the opportunity to meet with each10^th age class once a week, so I am especially grateful for the timewe spend together. I admire the effortthey’ve put into the craftsmanship of their artist books. These books will hold their notes andsketches from art class this year, and hopefully remain cherished keepsakes oftheir final year at Calvert Lower School.

9^th Age

The 9^th agers slab bowls progressed through thedifferent stages of clay- plastic, leather hard, and bone dry. Many of them began to underglaze their work. With a kiln firing scheduled for next week,several students should have beautiful new bowls to bring home soon! Andyes, they can eat out of them. Theglazes we’re using are non-toxic. My only advice is to keep them out of thedishwasher.

8^th Age

If you walk through the hallways near the 8^thage classrooms, you’ll notice their outdoor scenes on display. Each student filled out a label on the backof their mount responding to the prompt, “Tell me something about your artworkI may not know just by looking at it!” We discussed strong examples of what to write and some things thatmay already be obvious.

"What if I wrote ‘Thereis a green tree in my painting’? Is that something I should write in that space?"
"Noooo."
"Why not?"
"Because you can see the green tree when youlook at it."
"What if I wrote 'This painting was inspiredby a trip I took to Maine'?"
"YES!"

I’m hopeful this reflection will lead to deeper discussions of their art.

All of the 8^th agers are now on theirnext project- a self portrait “diptych”. This project emphasizes the themes of observation and imagination. One half is dedicated to drawing a realistic self-portraitfocused on the proportions outlined in the “face formula” as well as eachindividual’s unique features. The otherhalf is an illustration of their dreams- day dreams, night dreams, or whateverthey hope the future holds; it’s open to interpretation. Students spent several minutes examining theirown faces in mirrors before even putting a pencil in hand. For the dream illustration portion, they were askedto draw their dreams whatever way felt most natural to them. Each class is at a different stage of theproject. So far, the process and resultshave been exciting!

7^th Age

Our 7^th agers continue to keep busy measuring, cutting, tearing, and gluing together coloredpaper, tissue paper, metallic paper, and ribbon for their “texture square”studies of color and surface texture. It’s a joy to watch them work! They appear to be deeply engaged with the presentmoment, not thinking about anything in the past or the future, totally emergedin the task at hand.

The “All About Me” collages created in the first few weeksare mounted and will be on display in the hallways next week. Each student gave their collage a thoughtfultitle before turning in their final piece. Please ask the students about thesymbolism in their collages. You’ll be impressed by the stories behind them!

**A HUGE thank you goes out to all who volunteered in the art room this week! Ifyou’re interested in becoming involved, please email me directly at kleonard@calvertschoolmd.orgwhile Mrs. Bishop is away on maternity leave. I will be forever grateful!**

"Try this at home"....from Mrs. B at home

2011-09-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

BURLAP BABY!

While at home with baby Anabelle, I'm trying to take advantage of nap times to connect with my classroom and students at school. I miss you all! While looking for a "try at home" project for kiddos I ran across lots of burlap crafts and creations. Here are some that inspired me. There are so many different uses and applications. These are only a very small sample. What would you make using burlap as a start? What other materials would you use? Would it be something useful or decorative? If you make something take a picture and I'll post it here! -Mrs. B

Five Minute Museum Artist of the Week

2011-09-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

Jun Kaneko

From the Clay Room...

2011-09-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

I'm convinced that if everyone found something they loved to do as much as 9th agers love working with clay, the world would be a better place! Five days each week, I get to watch my students' faces light up as they pinch, press, roll, and mold this magical mud into original creations. It's tough to motivate them to clean up at the end of class. Some will pretend not to hear me, some are so deep in their "art zones" I'm sure they don't actually hear me, but somehow, it always gets done! Scraps of clay transformed into dragons, snakes, and mythical creatures are tossed into the extra clay bag, tools are collected, the paper table covers are rolled up, hands are washed... As I look out on the sea of young artists patiently awaiting their dismissal, I'm inspired to create! And when I look down at my hands, notice my fingers have formed a small clay dragon of their own.

"Can you send my mom a photo of my dragon?"

Rolling out the dough for cookies!

9th age girl slipping and scoring her "cookies" to create a slump mold bowl.

"Miss Leonard, do you think I'm finished? Or do you think I can add something?"

Purple table girls excited about clay!

Here are some "cookies" with various textures.

The guys at the green table are all smiles today!

Projects for the Week 2.0

2011-09-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

ELEMENTS, SKILLS and MATERIALS		Inspiration and THINKING…
7^th	ELEMENTS: Texture, Color, Shape SKILLS: Measuring, Line Drawing, Cutting, Gluing, Creating Actual Texture with Mixed Materials MATERIALS: Mixed Media: Colored Paper, Tissue Paper, Wrapping Paper, Ribbon, Fabric, Modge Podge, Glue, Scissors, Pencils, Rulers s	How do I use a ruler to draw a straight line? How do I draw a perfect square? What happens when I layer different materials together? How many different textures and colors can I create in my art?
8th	ELEMENTS/PRINCIPLES: Line, Shape, Balance SKILLS: Observation- draw what you see Imagination- draw what you think, feel, dream… MATERIALS: Paper, drawing pencil, crayon, watercolor paints	What shapes make up my face? How do I draw a realistic face that is balanced and proportionate? How do I make my face look like ME ? What are my dreams? (Night dreams and day dreams) How can I communicate my dreams visually through illustration?
9^th	ELEMENTS: Texture, Shape Form, Space SKILLS: Slab Making, Slump Molding, Texture Imprinting, Slipping & Scoring MATERIALS: Clay, Slip, Plastic Bowls, Clay Tools (Clay knife, wooden pin tool), Plastic Covering, Seashells, Leaves, Various other items for imprinting texture	What are the different stages of clay? Why is it important to be aware of these stages when creating my piece? How can I use different materials to create texture in my clay? What will I use my bowl for?
10^th	SKILLS: Book making- sewing, folding, glueing, threading a needle, measuring MATERIALS: Cardboard, fabric, paper, glue, ribbon, thread, ruler, pencil, push-pins	What makes a quality artist book? How can I use careful craftsmanship to make my book? How do I imagine using my book?

Outdoor Artists

2011-09-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

The 8th agers have been busy working on outdoor scenes! They've learned to create the illusion of depth on a 2-dimensional surface with the thoughtful placement of a foreground, middleground, and background. Using techniques of overlapping objects, drawing realistic "Y" trees, and combining crayons and watercolors for varied surface texture, all the 8th agers masterpieces are coming along beautifully! Here are some photos from today's 8th age girls' class!

5 Minute Museums

2011-09-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

We begin each week in art class with a Five Minute Museum. Students view works by professional artists and practice using their art vocabulary words when evaluating the art. They are challenged to make predictions and voice their opinions, considering the questions "Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?" in their visual art exploration. So far this semester, Maira Kalman, Roxy Paine, Banksy, and Chris Jordan have been featured artists in our Five Minute Museums.

Maira Kalman

Roxy Paine

Banksy

Chris Jordan

wave of colors

2011-09-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Miss Leonard and I are always on the lookout for new and inspiring ideas to amp up the creativity in the art room. We are all so affected by our environments. Therefore, it would make sense that as part of amplifying the creative drive for the students that we would want to involve them in creating an inspiring space. To engage them in the process, we have found several projects that will make a impact in the art room and hopefully in the spirit of the space. These projects will act as "intermission" projects. When a student or class finishes a lesson early they may participate in making one of these inspiring ideas. Take a peak at what we have in mind...

What's New in the Art Room

2011-09-08T08:52:00.001-07:00

Check out what's new in the Art Room this year! First is Miss Leonard, my long-term substitute during maternity leave. We all think she is fantastic, so will you. Also Artie is a new character here in the Art Room. He will be our mascot who delivers fun facts and reminders. You can see him here in several places, including peeking out with prompts for our Five Minute Museum. A few of our cabinets were painted with chalkboard paint, providing even more opportunities for kiddos to leave their creative mark.

O.M.P. Demonstration

2011-09-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Along with the other "new" things for our "new" school year. Miss Leonard has initiated O.M.P. It is used to transition the brain from one activity to the next. She explained that O stands for oxygen, a chance to take a refreshing breath. M for movement, an opportunity to get the wiggles out. And P for Pretzel. This exercise aligns the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Here is a video of an 8th Age Girl's class doing a one minute O.M.P.

Projects for the week

2011-09-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

ELEMENTS, SKILLS and MATERIALS

Inspiration and THINKING…

7^th

ELEMENTS: Shape- Geometric and Organic

SKILLS: Collage, overlapping, texture- actual and implied, Recognizing and using patterns

MATERIALS: Colored paper, magazines, glue, fabric, scissors

How can I use organic and geometric shapes to create my collage?

How can I make a collage that tells people something about me?

What does overlapping look like?

8th

ELEMENTS: Space (FG, MG, BG and horizon)

SKILLS: Y technique, creating a sense of depth, Cropping, wax resist technique, relationship scales

MATERIALS: Paper, drawing pencil, crayon, watercolor paints

What outdoor scene will I create?

What is happening in my FG, MG, BG?

Are objects in the BG larger or smaller than in the FG?

How can I make a more realistic tree?

9^th

ELEMENTS: Form, Texture

SKILLS: Additive clay technique, Stamping, Slipping, Scoring

MATERIALS: Clay, Slip, Stencil Plates, Clay Tools

What is the purpose of slipping and scoring my clay?

How can I sculpt my stamp so my initials can be read most clearly?

10^th

SKILLS: Book making- sewing, folding, glueing, threading a needle, measuring

MATERIALS: Cardboard, fabric, paper, glue, ribbon, thread, ruler, pencil, push-pins

What makes a quality artist book? How can I use careful craftsmanship to make my book?

How do I imagine using my book?

1000 Crane Challenge...

2011-09-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Children in Japan learn to fold these origami birds. They are a symbols of luck, peace and friendship. What would 1000 origami cranes look like in our art room? While I'm away, do you think you could meet the 1000 crane challenge? Half of it? ALL of it?!!

Anytime you finish a project early you can try to add a crane...little by little, we can do it!

Mrs. B

Here is a link if you want to try at home... http://www.origami-fun.com/origami-crane.html

Smockos!

2011-09-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

September 2011

Dear Calvert School Families,

Welcome to a creative year in the Calvert School art studio! We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of your young artists.

In an effort to protect our artists’ uniforms from glue and paint, we ask that each student bring a smock to every art class. Store bought smocks are fine, but nothing beats an oversized button up shirt with long sleeves. Please don’t feel like you have to go out and buy a new one. We will need these by Tuesday, September 13^th at the latest. If your child is a 9^th or 10^th ager, arriving to class prepared with a smock is reflected in their effort grade.

I can’t wait to meet you or see you again! Please feel free to contact me anytime via email.

Warm Regards,

Mrs. Bishop

Lower School Art Teacher

Calvert School

lbishop@calvertschoolmd.org

Miss Leonard

Long-term Substitute Art Teacher

Calvert School

kleonard@calvertschoolmd.org

Grading Rubric

2011-09-02T04:55:00.000-07:00

So you want an A in effort and conduct? Great! You can do it! Here’s how…

EFFORT:

A. You always participate in class, and you are curious and try new things. Your art work is completed following directions the first time, with careful craftsmanship and no reminders. You focus on your projects until they are finished. You are determined to do your best, try new things, take art risks and not give up. You follow class rules without reminders. You come to every class prepared to work and with your smock.

B. You participate in class often, and you are curious to try new things most of the time. Your artwork is usually complete when we begin new projects because you are mostly focused on working. You are usually careful with your craftsmanship. You occasionally need reminders to stay focused on your work. You generally follow class directions without reminders. You come to every class prepared to work and usually have your smock.

C. You participate in class occasionally. You may have rushed craftsmanship. You might not complete your work in the time given for the project. You need reminders to stay focused on your artwork and to follow directions to keep you on task. You are sometimes not prepared to work and may come without your smock.

D.You don’t participate in class often. Your craftsmanship may be rushed and sloppy. You have difficulty completing projects because you consistently need reminders to stay focused and follow directions. You don’t come to class prepared to work and don’t have a smock most of the time.

CONDUCT:

A. You are a model citizen and who is always on task. You are respectful towards adults and classmates all the time. You set positive examples for other students. You follow the class rules without reminders. You are always respectful to others, yourself, the art supplies and room.

B.You are usually on task. You are mostly respectful to adults and classmates. You follow class rules with a few reminders. You are usually respectful to others, yourself, the art supplies and the room.

C. You are sometimes disruptive to the class and classmates. You need to be reminded about the class rules and appropriate behavior. You don’t always respect others, yourself, the art supplies or the room. You may have to be removed from class at least once in the marking period to regroup.

D.You are disruptive to the class and classmates. You are reminded often of class rules and expectations. Even after repeated reminders you might be off task, and not respectful towards others, yourself, or the art materials and room. You may have been removed from the class at least three times in a marking period to regroup.

Welcome Back to School 2011-2012!!!

2011-08-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hello all my friends! As we begin this new school year, I hope everyone is excited to have the most creative year to date! As you may know I am expecting my first child this September. I would like to introduce you to our long-term substitute while I'm on maternity leave, Katie Leonard. Miss Leonard will be a wonderful teacher in the duration and has much to offer the students. I'm sure you will be delighted by her!

I wanted to touch base before going on leave to mention a few changes that were implemented since my start here at Calvert. Last year, I experimented with developing a new art curriculum. Your students may have shared this with you, or you may have seen it while visiting the school. In an effort to empower students to conceptualize their own ideas and maximize their very active imaginations, I developed a new lesson presentation system. Students will all learn a certain set of "skills", involving: materials, techniques, elements or principals. This is complemented by a "thinking piece" which poses a series of questions related to the skills which can only be answered visually through the creative process. Students embraced this freedom to explore their own inspirations and produced artwork which was varied and unique to each individual. All the while each piece is assess-able by using the skills and answering the prompts. It was a huge success and I plan to continue and expand this process this year when I return from maternity leave in late November.

The art posts from now on will be presented in this new format. Please stay tuned to see how that evolves. Miss Leonard will be maintaining this blog while I'm away so please check back often. Have a wonderful Fall, I look forward to seeing you when I return!!!

2010-09-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

First 5 days of school! I can't believe that it is already here. School is back in session and we are already in the swing of things, give or take a few schedule changes. We started the new year in art with some changes in the art room. We have a new PROJECTOR! It is great for our five minute museum tours. Each week the kiddos will analyze 2 artists slides for 5 minutes to engage their visual critical thinking. It has been a great success so far. The artists this week were Hans Holbein 'the Ambassadors' and Andrew Wyeth 'Christina's world'. Another change is the art projects. I want to encourage them to conceptualize their own ideas for artwork. They will still learn a skill/technique/ concept from me called "the skill part". Then I will pose a question for them called "the thinking part". They answer the question with their artwork using the skill taught. I think this will teach them valuable creative skills. Hats off to a new year, we are very excited!

Free Form Sculptures

2010-04-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

After reviewing what free form sculptures are we began building our own. 9th Agers engineered some very creative works. They were asked to think way outside the box and build a sculpture that met 3 basic guidelines without making an objective sculpture. The first objective required them to build it 4 inches at it's highest point, the next was that is must have an extension, and the last was that one side should measure 5 inches across. They analyzed their ideas and wrote a plan for how they might accomplish this using the materials on hand. Have a look at some of the amazing results!

Gustav Klimt

2010-04-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

Gustav Klimt may have had colorful, decorative work but the 7th Age was so inspired that they might have topped him! Besides the example of Klimt's masterpieces, the kiddos were motivated by their first printmaking project! They recreated and embossed the patterns and shapes found in Klimt's art onto foam printing plates. They rolled ink on using a brayer, this was very popular, and printed their image onto shiny gold paper. After designing a person adorned with patterns and shapes they painted them to finish the piece. We are very tickled with the results!

If a tree falls...

2010-04-01T04:57:00.000-07:00

7th Agers tackled the second clay project this year. They had a try at the slab technique earlier on their texture owls. This time they were cutting and attaching clay to more clay. In this technique one must score and apply slip (a clay solution that acts as "glue") to the clay to secure it. If the clay isn't prepared properly it will detach. What better way to illustrate this concept then with trees? If the trees stood tall through drying, bisque firing and glaze firing then , Hooray, you did a great job of scoring and slipping! We loved seeing these little forests come to life. Next, they also had a chance to review the glazing process and apply glazes. This was very abstract to them but they were delighted witht the results.

The answer to the age old question...If a tree falls in the forest- then it needs more slip!

Value scales, still life and one-point perspective!

2010-03-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

10th Agers began their culminating art project a few weeks ago. To start, we studied art element: Value. Students made their own value scales and analyzed some master art to see how value is used in shading. Afterwards 10s began drawing and shading basic geometric objects using their value scales. They studied how the light source effected the value of the object's color. Following this they jumped right into one-point perspective. This helped them to understand how the objects appeared 3 dimensional in space. We will keep you updated as we move forward with this project!

Tar Beach

2010-02-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

Not only is this project inspired by the beautiful work of artist and author Faith Ringgold, but it is in celebration of Black History Month. In addition, I understand that this projects, in it's many variations, has been done at Calvert for at least the last 15 years! We studied her artwork and read "Tar Beach" about a 3rd grade girl who dreams she can fly. She imagines that if she flys over these places they become hers. "Sleeping on Tar Beach was magical...All I had to do was fly over it for it to be mine forever...it's very easy, anyone can fly...All you need is somewhere to go that you can't get to any other way. The next thing you know you are flying among the stars." It's a powerful story about overcoming struggles with the will of imagination. In the style of Faith Ringgold, the kids have been cutting fabric for quilt boarder and drawing places they could imagine themselves oneday. Have a look...

Aboriginal ART

2010-02-21T18:16:00.001-08:00

I can't say enough about these 8th Agers. I have given them a very rigorous curriculum this year and each project they deliver wonderful results! By the end of this year they will be color theory masters! Most of the projects have focused on on some version of color understanding. This next one is no exception. Using the inspiration of Australian Aboriginal Artwork the kids are demonstrating their knowledge of primary, secondary and tertiary color blending. In addition to this they are practicing pointillism, a painting technique using only dots. I will post pictures when we finish! UPDATE: See wonderful examples of the project above!

Japanese Parasols

2010-02-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

These parasols were sitting in my parent's garage in Virginia gathering dust after our wedding. I thought the Art Clubbers would have fun giving them a new life. We studied the beautiful art of Japan and China for inspiration. We noted that nature was the primary subject matter. They first tea stained the rice paper for an older, antiqued look. The kids used ink and bamboo brushes to paint their names in Japanese characters. After filling the parasol with beautiful brushwork they began embossing foam plates for seals. The seals were filled with symbols of fortune and inked with bright red ink for luck. We all love how well they turned out by combining the graceful brushwork with the bold printmaking!

Modigliani

2010-02-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

10th Agers quickly reviewed facial proportions, studied all the rules of thumb, then BROKE them! We were inspired by Amedeo Modigliani who distorted facial proportions to create a unique style of his own. 10th Age has been working on self portraits that are long and lean, like Modigliani. We are using oil pastels and a black wash to complete the look.

Optical Illusions and Hypno-wheels

2010-02-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

This was a fun blend of science and art! We looked at lots of optical illusions and were wowed by how our eyes can play tricks on us. To understand how this happens we tackled a choice of 3 optical illusions. The kids really did a great job with these. To complete the mystery of illusions we added some hypnotizing wheels around the art. Don't stare too long!

Oaxaca (Whoa-HA-ca) Weaving

2010-02-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

Whew!!! We have been weaving fools, but it has really paid off. First we studied the Oaxaca weavers in South America. Students first saw the whole process in a video then jumped right in on their own. They wrapped the looms with warp string then began the long process of weaving the weft yarn over and under until we finished. Once they finished weaving they cut the projects off the loom and tied off all the ends until it was secure. The kiddos were so patient with this project, and learned what a real art weaving is. Hooray for the 9th agers!

P.S. They did all this while excitedly planning and rehearsing for their rock-star play performance!

Romare Bearden

2010-02-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Black History month we are focusing on artist Romare Bearden. He was an accomplished multi-media master. Bearden combined collage, painting, and drawing to create powerful images of Harlem and other African-American culture. We have been practicing collage and painting separately and are excited to combine them in this project. So far, we have stained paper for collage by bleeding the colors of tissue paper with a spritz of water. This will be fun!!

UPDATE: Here are some finished masterpieces. You can see the painting, coloring and collage combined, in keeping with Bearden's techniques, to recreate the recent blizzard!

7th Age Self Portraits

2010-01-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

7th Agers began the New Year with a fresh self portrait. Using very basic facial proportions, they drew and painted their portrait. Afterwords, we learned to look at images from magazines for color and texture. As we "looked beyond" the pictures we discovered some neat designs for cutting out names to label the artwork. We worked hard to overlap and layer to build a collage around our portraits. This project is a lead in for our next project in February for Black History month. Stay tuned...

Corks for Calvert

2010-01-26T07:40:00.000-08:00

Formally known as "Sip and Swing", Calvert has hosted an event for parents of students to enjoy some fun for years now. Each time, each grade level collectively creates a project that parents can raffle to own. Here are a glimpse at what we are still cooking up for this years art projects....just a peek.

Egyptian Scratch

2010-01-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the 9th Age "Corks for Calvert" project, students got in the Egyptian state of mind with a quick scratch art project. They were asked to use facial proportions and include a secret message in Hieroglyphics. Check them out...

Foil Figures

2010-01-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

8th Age explored the sculptor Alberto Giacometti. He was famous for his sculptures of long, thin bronze figures. We reviewed the art elements that we had covered and focused in on art element: form. Each student then crafted their own foil figure using a variety of materials. Afterwards we spray painted them bronze to look like Giacometti's famous works. Have a look at the different poses and personalities they have!

UPDATE: Did you know, shortly after we finished this project an unknown buyer purchased a Giacometti sculpture at auction for a record $104.3 MILLION dollars?! I guess we inspired somebody...

Winter Birch Trees

2010-01-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

I'm loving this project! 8th agers completed a very involved project recently. We used a new material and mastered it as well. Mod Podge was key in making these multi-media masterpieces. Students first stained paper to later use as bark for trees. They next tore pieces of tissue paper and decoupaged them to the top of the page to create a skyline leaving the lower portion white as if covered in snow. Next they cut out "Y" trees from the stained paper and mod -podged them down. For extra texture we added natural wood fiber trees and curled some paper to simulate the bark peeling from the trees. We made sure to consider art element: space in our forest with trees of different sizes to indicate depth.

Faberge Eggs

2009-12-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, the pictures do not do this project justice! The kids did a magnificent job on this project. They are adorned with "jewels and gems" and "guilded with silver and gold". I'm so proud of you 10th Agers!

Folk Art Pointsettias

2009-12-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Ohhh, these were FUN! Students exercised observational drawing skills to depict winter poinsettias accurately. After using oil pastels students balled up their artwork to wrinkle them into looking antique. They washed them with sepia or silver wash. Next they pasted them on backgrounds and decorated them to the nines! I love the results...how about you?

Snow Globes

2009-12-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

Seventh Agers created some really cool snow globes to get in the winter mood. They practiced tracing, cutting and pasting skills. After adding snow and a touch of "magic" they turned out beautifully! Have a look, I only have the one picture as I was excited to send the others home ASAP. Enjoy!

Winter scenes

2009-12-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

8th Agers were excited to create winter scenes with scratch board. Only the scratch board we used was metallic! Silver and gold winter scenes, scratched with care, from our art room to you to share, with friends and family, this project gleams with holiday cheer.

Warm and Cool hands

2009-12-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here are the results of the super sucessful Warm hands Cool Hands project. Have a look! Way to go Kiddos!

Holiday Houses

2009-12-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

Students out did themselves this time! Drawing on images of winter, the students painted the houses with a watercolor wax resist first. To top it all off, they embossed metal doors for the perfect finishing touch. I love these! You will be so impressed by these masterpieces when they come home!

Future Faces

2009-12-23T07:08:00.000-08:00

Ninth Agers completed their Future Faces. Taking in to account the signs of aging and facial proportions they delivered magnificent results! Have a look here at few. Wonderful!

Posh Pets

2009-11-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

Put up your posh pinkies dearies! We are having fun playing fancy pants with this lesson. 7th Agers are painting crowned cats and dogs in unrealistic colors. Using primary and secondary colors these are bold and fun. We are finishing them with a thin black contour outline. They are sure to please. Stay posted for pictures.