Fourth Grade- Alebrijes

Alebrijes

Over the past several weeks, fourth grade students have been working very hard to create alebrije inspired sculptures. Alebrijes are brightly colored folk art sculptures of creatures. Alebrijes are traditional art found in of art found in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Using the Oaxacan tradition as inspiration, 4th grade students...

1.Used foil and tape to create the form of an animal. This is called the armature, or skeleton of a sculpture.

2.Then students used plaster to create a smooth and strong surface.

3. Students painted the skin one tertiary color. Tertiary colors are a primary color plus a secondary color.

4.Lastly, using lines, shapes, and colors students paint the fine details.

1st Grade- Color Science Experiment

Building upon the previous project, first grade students are again thinking about color. In this project, students predicted the results of a color experiment. Together we added vinegar to baking soda and watercolor to create fuzzy experiments. Once we observed what secondary colors appeared, students drew beakers and filled them with primary colored watercolors. Students learned a technique of watercolor that allowed for the colors to mix on the page resulting in a secondary color. Students collaged these beakers onto a background of bubbles. The students colored the bubbles primary colors. Where the bubbles bumped, the students colored in the secondary colors.

First Grade - It's Okay to be Different Self Portraits

It’s Okay to Be Different Self - Portraits!

In this project, 1^st grade students read and discussed the book It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Park. The students discussed with one another how we all are different, which makes us unique. In class the students looked at the portraits in the book. The students observed how Mr. Park illustrated the portraits using vibrant primary and secondary colors.

To create these portraits, students mixed the secondary colors from primary colors. Once the painted paper was dry, students collaged them together to create self-portraits. A self-portrait is an image that an artist creates of himself or herself.

Kindergarten - Noisy Paintbox

In art class, Kindergarten students learned about the artist Wassily Kandinsky. Together we read The Noisy Paint Box written by Barb Rosenstock. In the book, students learned how Wassily Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist. He is credited with painting one of the first abstract artworks. He was very inspired by the music. We learned that Kandinsky could even see colors when he listened to music. While listening to classical music, the Kindergarten students used cups to stamp circles using black paint. When the black paint was dry, the students painted the circles and background different colors. Students chose the colors by listening to the music and guessing what color Kandisky would choose to match the sound. 

Second Grade - Color Unit part 2

In the second part of the color unit, students used the painted paper they created in the previous class to create fall scarecrow collages. Students discussed the two types of shapes, geometric and organic. The students began this portion of the unit by creating the backgrounds for the collages. Students used the primary colors to create various colors in the sky and the background. Following this process, students collaged objects in the middle and foreground. For example a barn might relate to a rectangle with a triangle on top.

Second Grade- Color Unit part one

In Second Grade we started off the school year talking and thinking about color. Looking at the book Mouse Paint  by Ellen Stoll Walsh, the students discussed the primary colors and secondary colors. In the beginning stages of the project, students painted paper using the primary colors. Once dry, the created a second layer of color using an alternative primary color. As a result a secondary color was made!!! Here are some photos of students creating some awesome textured hand painted paper.