4th graders are just finishing up studying the American painter Wayne Thiebaud, a pop artist who gained popularity in the 1960's ahead of many other big names in the movement, who loved to paint realistic desserts with strong shadows on plain backgrounds. Thiebaud is an interesting artist whose time spent in the food service industry may have had an influence on his choice of mass pro ducted (typically of the pop movement) food items in his artwork. He also spent time working as a Disney animator one summer as a teenager, where he would draw "in-between" frames for very cheap pay. Here, our 4th graders render 3-D objects using tints and shades in the likeness of Thiebaud.
Our 5th graders recently finished up the huge undertaking of building a 3-D totem pole in teams using only recycled material. They learned about the culture of Native Americans in the US and examined the symbolism of animals commonly used in the poles. Here are a few examples of their creatures and totem poles.
In 1st grade we just finished studying jazz music and trying to capture the feel and sound of jazz in a painting. We listened to jazz music, drew real instruments (that Mrs. Winters, the band teacher, so kindly lent us!) and looked at paintings from the Harlem Renaissance. I didn't have any photos of the finished products, but I did find this depiction of a trumpet by a 1st grader particularly delightful!
In kindergarten this past week, we learned about pattern and used what we already knew about spirals to create a patterned snake. This was one students "minion snake" that I thought was really cute!
2nd grade is just finishing up their warm and cool paper weavings. These will be featured at the 2nd grade after school showcase in March.
Also, I received this lovely handmade Valentine last week and the amount of work put into it really made my day along with the sweet message inside. I was really feeling the love that day, mostly in the form of chocolate!
I'd also like to thank all the 3rd grade families that came out to the showcase night last week. I hope you enjoyed our Keith Haring drawings, the kids worked really hard to make up for lost time (snow days) and finish them in time for the showcase. I heard from students many positive comments that families said about the art - thank you for supporting your children and the arts!
