Ms. Baird's Art Class

2nd grade- Trade Beads

The second grade is learning that people all around the world have used beads for trade. A person would give a bead and receive something in return. Beads that are used like this are called trade beads. Sometimes, people traded beads to show friendship. Have you ever given a friend a gift?

Artists still make tradebeads from many materials, like glass, paper, and clay. What materials, or media, were used to make these beads?

We will make trade beads out of clay, paint them, trade them with friends, and make necklaces.

Learn more about how glass beads are made all around the world:

Your turn…Steps:

1) You will need half of a packet of Model Magic.

2) Follow these steps to make your beads. Your clay will be all white. Make sure the hole is big enough for yarn. (These holes would be too small!) The hole will shrink a little when it dries. Make AT LEAST 10 beads, try new shapes. Make one bead just for your teacher (shh…it’s a surprise!).

3) Gently place your beads in the egg carton. Make sure they are in the spots with your name. Let your beads dry, go help a friend!

4) Once beads are dry, gently take them out of the egg carton. Place them on your scrap paper.

5) Use markers to color your beads- your hands will get messy, it’s okay! Use the scrap paper to keep the table from getting messy.

6) Trade three beads with three different people. Give me your bead for your homeroom teacher, I will make the surprise necklace.

7) String your beads onto your yarn. Tie a knot. Wear your necklace. Be careful, the colors will come off if your bead gets wet!

1st grade- Cave Art

The first grade is learning about Cave Art, or Rock Art. We are learning that Cave Art is a very old art form that’s found all around the world. We are focusing on the Cave Art in Africa and Europe. In Cave Art, people used symbols that told stories, called pictographs. Art that tells stories is called narrative art. Today, people still make art to tell stories. We will look at Cave Art from different parts of Africa and Europe and look for clues that tell us what the story is about.

What do you notice about the lines, shapes, and colors in the paintings?
What materials do you think artists used to make Cave Art?
What stories do you think they’re telling?

The Caves of Lascaux, in France

We will also learn that people still use caves to make art. Artist, Ra Paulette, creates beautiful sculptural spaces in caves. These artworks don’t tell stories in the same way that ancient Cave Art does, but it is a new way to use caves.

Cave Art Pictographs http://www.123rf.com

Steps:

2) Cut up ONE side of the bag. Cut through the triangle at the top.

3) Cut out the “bottom” rectangle of the bag.

4) Lay your bag out flat. You should have completely cut out the rectangle. Write your name and class on the back.

5) Crumple up your bag, then smooth it out so it looks like a cave.

6) Draw your pictographs with red, black, white brown chalk pastels.

7) Use ONE finger to smudge your pictographs so they look old.

Our Bibelots are back!

I picked up our Bibelots from the Headley-Whitney Museum last week. I was so excited to get them back to school so they could be put on display. These are the artworks that were student- nominated to represent each 5th grade class. Two students’ sculptures received Honorable Mentions at the Improbable Baubles Exhibition. I couldn’t be more proud of the students!

Bonus: The artist statements will be saved for our annual Writing on the Walls display this spring. This is the project that keeps on giving!

Kindergarten- Contrasting Color Collages

The kindergarten is learning about contrasting colors. Contrast is the difference between two things. With color, contrast is the difference between light and dark colors. We will look at Morgan Russell’s artwork Synchromy Number 4, painted in 1914.

What colors do you see?
Which are light, which are dark?
Do the dark colors make the light colors stand out?
Do the light colors make the dark colors stand out?

We will compare the colors used in Synchromy Number 4 to Starry Night, which we just learned about. How do contrasting colors show make something stand out?

Write your name and class on the back of your paper.
Choose light colored papers and glue them onto your paper. You can spread them out or put them close together. *Put glue on your paper and then stick the tissue paper onto the glue.
Choose dark colored papers and glue them onto the empty spaces on your paper. Fill up your page.
If you have small empty spots, fill them in with crayons.
Trim your edges with scissors.

3rd grade- Janet Fish Still Life Drawings

Part 3: Subject Matter- Still Life

The 3rd grade will complete their unit on the three types of subject matter. We’ve learned that landscapes show nature and portraits show people, so now we’re moving on to learn about still lifes. They are artworks that show objects that do not move. The objects are still, so they’re still lifes! Which type of subject matter do you think is the most challenging? Why?

David Hockney, Mulholland Drive

Paul Cezanne, Still Life with Commode (Chest of Drawers)

We’ll learn about Janet Fish’s realistic still life paintings. She loves to challenge herself by painting transparent objects, like glass. This is the first time we’ll draw from observation. We will look at a still life in front of us and draw what we see. We’ll focus on using overlapping shapes, shadows, and realistic colors.

Why do you think painting glass would be so challenging?
What do you notice about her artwork?
How does she use lines, shapes, colors, and textures?

Here’s how a still life is made- on an iPad!

2) Draw your table, fruit, shadows, and wallpaper.

4) Add oil pastel color to your background.

6) Check your work. Write your reflection.

The longer version:

Write your name & class on the back of your paper. Draw a horizon line. This will be the line for the table.
Your teacher will pass out 3 fruit. Pay close attention to which fruit you receive and how they are arranged.
Carefully draw the fruit closest to you. Draw lightly. You might need to erase some parts. Make sure your fruit is below the horizon line.
Draw the next closest fruit to you. Repeat step 3. Remember to show if one fruit is overlapping in front of another.
Draw your last fruit. Repeat step 3. Your still life might look differently than your neighbor’s. They might have different fruit closest to them.
Use oil pastels to color in the fruit. Add realistic colors (apples are more than just red!).
Blend white and black oil pastels to make gray shadows.
Use oil pastels to color your background/wallpaper.
Use tempera cakes to paint your table. Check your goals and write your reflection.

2015 Winter- Fine Arts Night

On Tuesday, January 13th, Simmons held our Winter Fine Arts Night. We displayed over ONE HUNDRED artworks while Mrs. Bowmer’s Friday classes performed on their instruments. The artworks are currently on display, so please visit our 2015 Winter Art Exhibition.

Kindergarten- Starry Night Landscapes

The kindergarten will learn about Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. What kinds of lines, shapes, and colors do you see? What kinds of sounds do you think you’d hear if you were in this painting? What looks like it’s moving? What looks like it’s still? Movement makes artwork look exciting.

Students will learn about Van Gogh and his painting through a virtual tour of the Museum of Modern Art. Can you explore the museum and find Starry Night? http://www.moma.org/interactives/destination/

Here’s a mesmerizing view of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. There’s an interactive animated app.

Write your name and class on the back. Draw a wavy line to separate the land from the sky.
Using crayons and markers, draw a moon, glowing stars, and wind in the sky. Add lines to make the sky look like it’s moving like Starry Night.
Draw a town on the ground. What places will you add? Make sure your buildings aren’t floating in the sky.
Add details like doors, windows, and trees. Fill in your paper.

2nd grade- Season Masks

The 2nd grade will learn about mask-making. They will learn that, all over the world, people wear masks. Masks are worn for many reasons, like celebrations and holidays. Have you ever worn a mask? Did it change the way you felt or acted? Do you have a favorite mask to wear?

Most masks are the same on both sides, which means they have symmetry. Many masks have textures added, like feathers or beads. Do you see symmetry and texture in these masks?

This link is from the Art Institute of Chicago. Click on the image to learn about masks and create your own.

How are music, dance, and art all connected? This is the Raven Dance (dance), which shows the Raven Mask (art), instruments, and singing (music). What a way to celebrate a raven!

Your mask will celebrate your favorite season. Think of what symbols or pictures you could use to show your season. What season do these masks show?

Your turn…

Day 1:

1. Fold your large brown paper in half like a hotdog. Make sure the folded side in on the LEFT.

2. Draw a dot at the top and bottom of the folded side 1. Draw a dot in the middle of the unfolded side.

3. Connect the dots using curvy, wavy, zig zag, or diagonal lines. You choose!

4. Cut on your lines, this will give you your mask’s shape.

5. Write your name & class on the top of your back.

6. Draw one eye, use the tip of your scissors to make a hole.

8. Fold your mask on the folded line, trace your eye with crayon.

9. Cut it out like you did your first eye.

11. Fold your mask again, on the folded side, draw half of a mouth.

Day 2:

1. You will need 2 pieces of small brown paper.

2. Fold one piece like a hot dog (long ways).

3. Fold it again on either side, so it looks like a fan.

4. Keep folding until it looks like a fan.

5. Cut it in half, so it’s shorter. Flip your mask over.

8. Put glue on the TOP of the airplane wings.

9. Press the wings onto your nose. Pinch the top and gently pull the bottom parts out so it looks like a nose.

10. Take your second small piece of paper.

12. Cut out your ear. You might have two, or need to cut them on the folded line.

Day 3:

1. Use a hole punch to make symmetrical holes. Tie your string.

2. Decorate your mask to show your season. Add texture “beads.”

Friday 3rd grade- Marc Chagall Memory Paintings

The 3rd grade is learning about Marc Chagall’s artwork I and the Village. They learned that Chagall’s artworks are often inspired by his memories. Artists often include symbols, or clues, about their lives in their artworks. What symbols do you see in I and the Village? What symbols would you include in your artwork? Students will paint a self-portrait that includes symbols about their lives.

Learn more about I and the Village, from the Museum of Metropolitan Art (MoMA).

Kindergarten- The Dot

The kindergarten is reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. We are learning how a positive attitude and trying new things are important for an artist. We are creating more than one Dot artwork, like the book’s main character, Vashti, does.