So far this year we have been very busy in the art room learning about LINE, SHAPE, FORM, and VALUE.  

Window collages inspired by Matisse's Open Window ​brought a beautiful close to the summer.
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K-2 students have explored their EMOTIONS using abstract art to show the colors and feelings in their hearts.  The results are beautiful and meaningful.  

Grades 3-5 have been using LINE to create depth in artwork.  

With Halloween around the corner, students in Kindergarten and 1st have been creating cat collages.  

​2nd and 3rd grade have been working on using VALUE to create FORM in organic pumpkin drawings/collage.  The lumpier the better!   

4th and 5th grade have been working with clay to create spider web coasters and witch hats.  This exploration of FORM has been especially fun.

For the past few years, I have had the opportunity to donate my time and artwork for an extremely good cause.  Spaulding for Children hosts yearly Celebrity Cook-Off's and Wait-Off's where, amongst other things, local celebrities work as cooks and waiters.  The celebrities wear hand painted aprons that get auctioned off during the evening.  The proceeds are donated to Spaulding for Children. 

I have had such a great time painting aprons for the cause in the past, that this year I brought in some aprons for the students to help create.  They had an amazing time with them.  The only complaint was that they wanted to make more!  

I was so pleased and impressed by the student's reactions.  The project spurred discussion of the importance of helping others, the positive aspects of adoption, and more.  A student in fourth grade even had an opportunity to share her own adoption story and was very proud to help paint the aprons to help others.  

All in all, it was a great experience.  A special thank you goes out to Spaulding for all the wonderful hard work they do each and every day!
                                                                                                                                      http://spaulding.org/

Students from Kindergarten to second grade are exploring the wild world of POP art.  They are spent some time learning about, and discussing, Andy Warhol and his artistic stylings.  

Using Warhol as an inspiration, students are creating POP art paintings and drawings.  They are bright, BOLD, and fun!!!

Some of our student artwork was selected to be displayed in the Trenton Board of Education office!  

Here it is!  If you are in the neighborhood feel free to stop by and check it our for yourself!

Our newest unit is all about TEXTURE.   Students are using implied and actual texture to create a wide variety of artwork.

Kindergartners are creating tissue paper and mixed media collages based on the writing and illustrations of Eric Carle.   Hungry caterpillars and mixed-up chameleons all around!

First graders are learning about ways art can impact society.  Artist Andy Lakey used texture in art to create work that people could feel.  He was the inspiration for our actual texture paintings.

Second grade is drawing inspiration from Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life to create a textured tree of life that seems to pop off the page.

Third grade is using implied texture to create landscapes inspired by traditional Japanese landscape painters.  

Fourth grade is also exploring implied texture by creating collage landscapes using magazine scraps in unexpected ways.

Fifth grade is using texture as a form of personal expression.  They are creating abstract self-portraits and symbolic license plates.  They are using found objects as a base and then using tin tooling for the surface textures.   

These past two weeks have been very fun and exciting!  We have delved into our painting units in 1st-5th grade and the Kindergartners are learning about Native Americans

4th and 5th grade are creating beautiful watercolor paintings of fall leaves floating in a pond.  They are inspired by the famous stained glass of Louis Tiffany.  

1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade have done a recreation of Monet's Waterlilies using watercolor washes and collage techniques.  They look amazing!

Classes that finished their painting projects early have also been working on watercolor mixing techniques making colorful circle art.
 
The kindergarten classes have had a very interesting few weeks in art.  They are in the process of making Native American inspired pinch/coil pots and dream catchers.  They are very excited and doing a great job.  They are learning all about clay, glaze and kilns.  They are also so excited to see if their dream catchers will really work!  One kindergarten class tried out scratchboards for the first time as well.