We Are Diving Into Learning

This is actually a blog that was drafted, yet never published in 2014. It was also made into a newsletter that was sent home to parents when we realized that the website that I had maintained for five years had been taken down when a system wide change in networks had occurred. I am publishing it now, because I think it deserves to be documented here.

This is my 8^th year in the Art room at BGE. I always enjoy jumping back into my explorations of the visual arts with our students. Most agree that the best part of art is making it, even if art history, criticism, and appreciation have been a part of Art Education for decades. The latest national trends are pushing students to become more reflective and verbal about their artistic experiences than ever before. I am truly enjoying this challenge, even if it means we might create fewer projects in 2014-2015 to make time to reflect upon what we are making.

The first weeks of school have made good use of Button Gwinnett’s 2014 school theme “Diving Into Learning.” We are examining artworks that have watery themes and subjects. We have explored contemporary artists whose art explores our oceans, as well as more famous artists such as Winslow Homer, Paul Klee, and illustrator Eric Carle. We will continue to use this theme to direct our explorations in Art as long as student learning directs us there.

Kindergarten

Is a time when students are making connections to the world we live in. Frequently student work is more about the process of creating art rather than what the end result should look like.

This includes learning how to do draw with crayons or markers, to tear paper, how to cut with scissors, and how to use a bottle of glue. You can see to pictures of student work to the left.

 

First Grade

Is still process-oriented, yet students are learning how to talk to others about the art they are experiencing and creating. In August we used a number of children’s books related to the ocean to explore collage and crayon resist. This month we are using the whimsical “fish art” of artist Paul Klee to explore line, color, and making choices as we create our own fish compositions.

 

Second Grade

Our second grade students generally begin the year experiencing how lines are used to create forms in sculpture using a variety of paper strips. This year meant that we examined to sculptures of British artist Alan Ross. Students used paper tubes, construction paper and a variety of tools to create relief sculptures of life “under the sea.”

 

Third Grade

Students began exploring images of fish that are both realistic and imaginative. We reviewed the elements of value and color that most learned in second grade before creating a large fish drawing from our memories and imaginations. Students chose a color of paper to draw on that complements one color of oil pastel. By mixing that color with black or white oil pastels, students are creating monochromatic fish “paintings. They are also furthering their understanding of how primary and secondary colors are related to one another.

 

 

Fourth and Fifth Grade

Students examined the lines and patterns of several contemporary seascapes as we discussed the artistic principal of movement. Each student has created a composition full of wavy, watery lines. Each has used his or her imagination to add at least one ocean creature or object, and used color sticks (similar to colored pencil) to color these. Fourth grade has added patterns to their layers of waves, contributing to the sense of movement in the water.  Currently 4^th grade is using values of blue and violet to paint the water and sky in these compositions. Fifth grade is using values of blue and green watercolors. All students are enjoying the chance to explore new ways to use watercolor in their work.