FIRST GRADE .... Joan Miro Project

Our First Grade Joan Miro project has covered many different activities as students learned about the whimsical work of Joan Miro. In our earlier first grade posts, you can see videos showing how we discussed Miro's artwork on our Smart Board and our fun activity of drawing objects hidden inside a brown paper bag. With this final project, first graders created a sculpture of a person using part of the drawings they made and assorted wooden and paper shapes. Their only rule was that the person should have a face and some indication of arms and legs. Miro was very abstract in his interpretation and we used that inspiration to create our three dimensional figures.

In every grade, we are learning that art should tell a story. To keep that focus in mind, our first grade figure sculpture is not only a sculpture of a person, but of an artist, a musician, or perhaps a veterinarian. The sculpture can let us know about who the person is by what it might be wearing or holding in its hand. Here are a few examples of our completed sculptures. You can see all of our work by following this link to the first grade exhibition on artsonia.   http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Artwork by Drew

Artwork by Abriella 

Artwork by Anthony

Artwork by Layla

Artwork by Cole

Note to families...
This art blog will be updated regularly with new posts sharing our daily activities in the art room and news about upcoming art exhibits. To respect the privacy of our students, names will always be limited to first name only and identifiable photos will never be accompanied with a name. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write in the comment box below or send me an email at blevine@ranneyschool.org. I would love to hear from you!
    In my class, students are given the chance to explore different materials and fun new techniques as they develop their signature style. Some young artists love to draw with a pencil, some like to paint on canvas or create images in a digital format, while others prefer working with clay and molding three-dimensional forms. In my classroom, we use a variety of materials allowing all artists to experiment and figure out which type of art they like the best. At Ranney School, we place a strong emphasis on originality and celebrate artistic differences, always nurturing and encouraging the imagination of every student.
     Remember to check out our display of finished artwork and student portfolios in the Ranney home page of Artsonia.com.  http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

KINDERGARTEN . . . Cleo the Cat

Kindergartners continued to work on their painting skills with this latest project. We read 'Cleo the Cat' in art class, one of a series of picture books by Caroline Mockford. As usual, we were most interested in the illustrations that bring the story to life. What is unique about the illustrations in 'Cleo the Cat' is that they are paintings done on a black background.

We learned how to draw a cat, either sitting or standing, with shapes to create the head and the body. Using black paper for our scenes, we added bright colors of tempera paint, to fill in the cat and the areas of our background.


Here are a few examples of our colorful cats! To see all of our work, check out our exhibition on artsonia by clicking on this link.    http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Artwork by Drew

Artwork by Mara

Artwork by Vijay

Artwork by Zahra

Note to families...
This art blog will be updated regularly with new posts sharing our daily activities in the art room and news about upcoming art exhibits. To respect the privacy of our students, names will always be limited to first name only and identifiable photos will never be accompanied with a name. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write in the comment box below or send me an email at blevine@ranneyschool.org. I would love to hear from you!
    In my class, students are given the chance to explore different materials and fun new techniques as they develop their signature style. Some young artists love to draw with a pencil, some like to paint on canvas or create images in a digital format, while others prefer working with clay and molding three-dimensional forms. In my classroom, we use a variety of materials allowing all artists to experiment and figure out which type of art they like the best. At Ranney School, we place a strong emphasis on originality and celebrate artistic differences, always nurturing and encouraging the imagination of every student.
     Remember to check out our display of finished artwork and student portfolios in the Ranney home page of Artsonia.com.  http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839