What is art?

Art is a language that artists use to express ideas and feelings that everyday words cannot express.
Throughout time, the arts have been essential to human existence. When people create in images, they discover ways to shape and share their thoughts and feelings with others. The arts enrich quality of life. All students deserve access to the arts through creation, performance and study. The fine arts are fundamental ways of knowing and thinking. In addition to their intrinsic value, the arts contribute to children's development.
Works of art are some of the highest achievements of civilization. In school, students learn the language of the arts and how to interpret visual images. Because the arts are both universal and culturally specific, they are a powerful means of increasing international and intercultural awareness. Through the arts, students gain a greater understanding of their own cultural heritage, as well as a sense of the larger world community.
Source: isbe.net

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Learning to see lines in art.

Today we looked at a variety of famous works of art featuring strong lines. We then read the book "Little Green" by Keith Baker. In this story, a hummingbird flies around a little boy's garden in loops, spirals and zig zags. As the boy watches the hummingbird, he copies its movements onto paper, creating colorful line art. In our class, the children used their hands and arms to make lines in the air like the hummingbird, and then transferred these lines onto paper using markers.