PRE-KINDERGARTEN . . . Tracing our hands and feet!

Artwork by Brooklyn

Artwork by Ryland

Artwork by Josiah

Artwork by Andrew

Pre-Kindergarten artists worked with many different materials for these portraits. We started out by tracing our hands onto big paper and coloring them in with colors and patterns we enjoy. Then we took off our shoes to trace them onto the paper too. The idea that we would actually trace our feet brought out many giggles in art!

Our faces were created out of a pad of multicultural face-shaped papers. We added eyes, noses and mouths and glued the faces at the top of the paper. To complete the portraits we glued down strips of colored paper to best match our own hair color.


 Making a portrait that represents who we are is a fun and creative way to get to know each other in class. We can't wait to share all of them with you at our art show next month! To see all of our work, please visit our home page on Artsonia.com and scroll down through the exhibits to the Pre-Kindergarten portraits.   http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

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 . . . A Modern Mona Lisa!

Portrait by Brooks

Portrait by Juily

Portrait by Mia G.

Portrait by Jonathan

As an introduction into the rich world of art history, first graders learned about the "Mona Lisa," painted by Leonardo da Vinci. To create our self-portraits, we drew our faces, shoulders and folded hands just like in the famous portrait by da Vinci, and colored them in with a color palette that best represents each of us.

In the "Mona Lisa," the subject of the painting is the portrait. The background is the area behind the subject, represented as a soft landscape that seems to be very far away.

To make the distinction between the subject and the background in our pictures, we created two separate works of art. The subject of our pictures is a portrait drawn with bright colors and fine details. The background was created as a landscape with watercolors in softer, more muted tones. Some students created a pattern with colors, just like with Sydney's beautiful background below. Tyler blended his colors together and this gave him a  lovely painterly appearance, as you might see in an impressionist landscape.

Subject by Sydney

Background by Sydney

Subject by Tyler

Background by Tyler

Our portraits were personalized to look just like us with hair and eye colors that best represent us. As Sydney did, some students wrote or drew something special on their shirt. Other students, such as Tyler, drew a favorite pet or toy in their arms, and this also helps to identify who they are. The portraits were then cut out of the paper they were drawn on. On the back of these portraits Styrofoam strips were added so that the portraits would look 3-D when we attached them to the backgrounds. This distance between the subject and the background gives our portraits a sense of perspective.

To see all of our Mona Lisa style portraits, visit our home page on Artsonia.com and scroll through the list of exhibits to first grade portraits.   http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

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 . . . What kind of Lego figure would you be?

All students in Lower School are creating a self-portrait in art class and second graders transformed themselves into Lego figures! Using the basic look of the mini figures in a Lego set, students personalized the figures to represent their personality or their appearance. For example, they carefully chose a color palette, selecting hair and eye colors to match how they look. Or perhaps they let us know who they were by the details in their clothing or the items they hold in their hands.

What kind of Lego figure would you be? An artist like Ava, or perhaps a soccer player like Alexander? Each drawing is as unique and special as the personalities that fill our class. To see all of our Lego self-portraits, follow this link to our home page of Artsonia.com and scroll down through our exhibits... http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

In the art room, our Lego box is used to create sculptures. Part of each period in art is designated for group instruction and project work. Another part of each period is free time and this is where students can explore their creativity independently. Building a three-dimensional design with these colorful blocks is always a sure way to inspire the creativity in all of us.

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