KINDERGARTEN . . . We are Authors and Illustrators!

We have finished our books called, "All About Me !" Our self portraits became the cover of the book and we filled the pages with our favorite things. Here are a few sample pages from our Kindergarten books. With each illustration, we learned about shapes, lines, color, and how to represent what we like best through our artwork. These books will be going home for Grandparents and Friends' Day!

Illustration and words by Claire

Illustration and words by Alexandra

Illustration and words by Vincent

Illustration and words by Ansh

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

FIRST GRADE . . . Weaving with patterns

First Graders are learning to weave in art class. This is a project that celebrates the art and culture of the Native Americans and teaches us a wonderful technique using patterns.

Our handmade looms were created out of the cardboard base from water bottle trays and we recycle these looms every year. Six slits are cut into both ends of the cardboard and yarn is strung from top to bottom creating the warp (or vertical) strings of the loom.

Next students choose their first color to weave with. We learned how to measure the yarn against a table edge by working in pairs with our friends. One student holds the end of the yarn against the end of the table and the other student unrolls the yarn to match the length of the table and cuts it off. To weave our colored yarn into the loom threads, we learned how to follow a pattern of "Over, Under, Over, Under, Over and Under." Not only is the process of weaving a pattern, but we can also create a pattern by alternating our colors of yarn.

Here is a short video of some of our students demonstrating how to measure the yarn and weave!