This week in the art room....

This week, first grade students learned about the colors in the color wheel. Then we used that knowledge to create a classic still life of flowers in a vase. The students first spent a class period making painted paper with tempera paints. During the following class period, those painted papers (along with construction paper) were used to make our still life works of art.

Kindergarten students learned a little bit about Claude Monet and his famous water lily paintings. We read the book, "The Magical Garden of Claude Monet" and then created our own versions. The first class period was spent painting the pond water with various tint of blue, lavender and white tempera paints. A bit of glitter was added for that Impressionistic glimmer of light. During the second class period, students looked at photos of water lilies and then cut out their own flowers and lily pads. Chalk pastels and crumpled tissue paper were added to give the flowers both real and implied texture.

Fourth grade students began working on their annual self-portrait project by learning about the painters known as the Fauves, which means "Wild Beasts" in French. These painters were famous for creating paintings using wild colors and heavy brushstrokes. The children's interpretation will involve creating a cut-paper collage with various bright construction paper colors.

2nd grade artists finished their zebra collages this week. They are just adorable and full of unique personality. 

Some of the 2nd grade classes had finished their zebra collages last week, so those students began an apple still-life painting. This week, we used oil pastels to draw our apples and our fruit bowls, then painted them with tempera paints. Next week, we will cut them out and assemble them into a classic still-life composition.

Art at Irving Elementary School

I'm very happy to be starting this fall at Irving Elementary School in Oak Park, covering for Mrs. Tague while she enjoys her maternity leave. Here is a look at some of the fun projects the Irving students have been working on so far:

Third grade student began the school year creating painted paper. We spent one class period making lots of beautiful papers that would be cut out into the shapes of boats. 

During the next class period, students learned how to blend oil pastels and use watercolor washes to create a lovely seascape.

Second grade students started out with a self-portrait painting inspired by Pablo Picasso and the Cubism movement. Using black oil pastel, they drew their faces, then added non-realistic color with watercolor paints.

After completing their self-portraits, the 2nd grade students worked on a torn-paper collage of zebras in a natural habitat. We started by drawing zebras from observation (using photos, of course!) in black crayon. Then the children tore pieces of black construction paper and glued them to their drawings to make the stripes. Paper scraps and collage techniques were then used to create a place for the zebras to live. 

The fourth grade students began the year with a challenging drawing and painting project. After looking at photos and discussing the characteristics of tropical birds, children drew a variety of birds in a natural setting. When drawings were complete, they were painted with tempera paints, and students were further challenged to mix a variety of new and unique colors with the paints.

Fifth graders were excited to start the year off working with clay - a favorite of almost every student. We took inspiration from Aztec sun stones and created wall hangings of terracotta suns. First the students mapped out their designs on paper and then transferred that design to the clay. The suns are almost finished drying and will go in the kiln at the end of this week. Then the glazing begins!

And I also want to thank everyone who made it into the art room for the Irving Open House night and contributed to our community circle painting. The project was a big hit with kids and adults alike, and together we created a fun and colorful mural painting. 

Stay tuned for more photos and details about kindergarten and first grade projects, coming soon!