KINDERGARTEN . . . What is a sculpture?

We learned about 3-D art in Kindergarten this week! What is the difference between a sculpture of a person and a flat painting of a person? We talked about how a sculpture can be made of many different materials, such as clay, wood, plaster, cardboard and metal. We also saw how a sculpture can be seen from all around. You can take a walk around the sculpture and see the sides, the back, the top and the front. You can even see the bottom if it is displayed on a clear base! What happens if you turn a flat portrait around? You just see the back of the paper or canvas. You do not see the back of the person!

We started with white modeling clay. To dye the clay a color, we first learned a technique of applying a water based marker on the clay and then kneading the clay until the marker has turned the clay into whatever color we selected. Kneading clay takes time and a lot of muscle power!

To make our sculptures, we rolled part of our clay into a ball. That was the easiest step for everyone and so much fun! Then we rolled a smaller ball for the head and even tinier balls for the feet. Using the extra clay we had left over, we created ears, a tail, a horn, stripes or spots. Friends in class were also eager to share their different colors of clay to make very creative looking animals.

Here are some examples of our Kindergarten sculptures! To see all of our animals, click on this link for artsonia.com.
http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Cat by Vanessa

Unicorn by Lexi M.

Spider by Nathan

Bear by Brooks

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

SECOND GRADE . . . Ranney School Landscapes

Our latest drawing project was inspired by the work of Norman Rockwell, a beloved artist and illustrator who created scenes of everyday life in America during the mid 1900's. His drawings and paintings are remarkably realistic and show details that never fail to amaze his viewers. Best known for his illustrated covers of a popular magazine, "The Saturday Evening Post," Rockwell captured American culture at its best, through images of children, life in a small town, and current events. If anyone has a chance to travel to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, please stop off and visit the Norman Rockwell museum. It is the most wonderful place to visit in the Berkshire mountains!

Our project was based on Norman Rockwell's painting, "Stockbridge, Main Street at Christmas". Here, he captured the town he lived and worked in, creating a full street scene with festive details of the season and realistic architectural images.

To create our Ranney School street scenes, we studied the architectural details of the buildings in our school campus. Most of our buildings can be created with a long rectangle and a triangular roof over the front entrance. Some have a sloped roof, such as the Commons, and others might have large white columns, such as the GPA. Focusing on these differences makes our buildings very recognizable. To complete our scenes, we used colored pencils, and just like in Norman Rockwell's scene, some students added snowmen and bare trees to represent the season.

Here are some of our landscapes. To see them in detail, click on the image to enlarge the view. For all of our Ranney School street scenes, click on this link for artsonia.com.

Artwork by Eva

http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Artwork by Catilyn

Artwork by Marcella

Artwork by Alexander H.

Artwork by Peter

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 . . . Sharing our sparkling scales

Kindergarten students just completed an underwater scene with watercolor and tempera paints, based on the illustrations in the book, "The Rainbow Fish," by Marcus Pfister. In this story, we read about a beautiful fish who learned the way to true happiness only after sharing his special scales with the other fish in the sea. What activities do you do at home that is more fun when you share them with your friends? Doesn't it feel good when you make someone you care about feel special too?

Here is a video of the story we read together in class to share with your family...

To create our paintings, we first learned how to draw a fish using basic shapes, such as an oval and a triangle. We also learned how to add scales inside the fish and how to complete a full underwater scene with an ocean bottom, plants, starfish, crabs and bubbles in the water.

Next, we created the ocean with a large brush, lots of water and blue watercolor paint. With a small, detail brush, we added shimmering colors of tempera paint for each detail in the scene. Finally, when all the paintings were complete, we shared a sparkling sticker with every fish and friend in class!

Here are some examples of our underwater scenes. To see all of our work, click on this link for artsonia. com and scroll down to the Kindergarten exhibit.  http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Artwork by Joy

Artwork by Alexa

Artwork by Benjamin

Artwork by Tyler

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