September means a new box of crayons...

There is nothing more exciting to an artist than brand new crayons, sharpened pencils, and a palette filled with bright colors of paint. The art room (rm 205) is upstairs in the Early Childhood Education Center alongside the music room and World Languages. Our special subject hallway is a fun and cheerful place to visit during the Ranney School day.

Welcome to my art room blog!
This blog is our online conversation where you can see highlights of student artwork, videos featuring our young artists, and be updated with news from the art room all year long! You can follow my blog through the email link to the right. I will also send out messages whenever your young artist is honored and celebrated this way. For privacy in the online community, please know that I will not use last names to identify anyone's artwork, and as well, first names will never accompany a recognizable photo. For any questions regarding my use of photography and video in this blog, you are always welcome to stop by the art room or reach out to me at blevine@ranneyschool.org.

As we begin our creative journey this year, students will be 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.

You may also notice that many of our projects are based on the work of a famous artist or illustrator, and that we often look beyond our classroom walls to other cultures for inspiration. Together, we will see how the style of other artists can influence our own creative efforts as well as help us realize and represent our place in the rich world of art history.


Getting ready for the new year

All lower school students, Beginners through 5th grade, should bring in an artist portfolio. If you have one from last year, you are welcome to use it again. Place a new label on the front with the student name and new homeroom teacher. I prefer to have these thin cardboard portfolios for storage in my room, frequently found as a red cardboard portfolio with plastic or woven handles. 17" x 22" or a little larger is perfect. Please do not bring in a very large or a thick leather case. It is only for storage in my room and I will not have the space to hold extra large cases. I look forward to filling these portfolios with wonderful artwork all year long!

5th grade art students should also bring in a sketchpad each week on art days. We will talk about the size and style of sketchpads during our first class. Otherwise, all materials you need for art, including artist's smocks, are already in my room. Come ready to have fun!

FIFTH GRADE . . . Crossing the Lawn!

Join us in celebration of the class of 2022 as they get ready to cross the lawn in to Middle School art!

Our wall of art in Panther Hall gallery highlights their final painting project for 5th grade and their thoughts on what creativity means to them. Enjoy!

KINDERGARTEN . . . We are published authors and illustrators!

Ranney School is filled with Kindergarten Monsters . . . Monsters painting pictures! Monsters playing a musical instrument! Monsters reading a book!

Our Kindergarten artists drew pictures of what they might do if they brought a monster to school. As we learned all year, art should tell a story. Along with their pictures, we recorded everyone's voice telling the story of their monster at school.

To share our work with EVERYONE, our stories were published as an original and interactive audio book, available in the iTunes bookstore as a free download into any apple device, such as an iPad, an iPhone, an iPod touch or a Mac computer.

To download the book follow these simple steps:
1. Add the iBooks app to your iPad or other apple device. (It is a free app). iBooks allows you to view our book as interactive audio book with swiping pages and sound.
2. Either click on the link below to access the book, or it can be searched directly through the iTunes bookstore on your iPad by simply typing in: Monsters at Ranney School. Our book is listed under the category of education and is a free download.
3. Once the book downloads, open it in your iBooks app. Press the sound key on each page to hear everyone's story!
Enjoy!!

Monsters at Ranney School Levine, Barbara Category: Education

FOURTH GRADE . . . Painting like Georgia O'Keeffe

"If you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for a moment." - Georgia O'Keeffe

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way . . . things I had no words for." - Georgia O'Keeffe

Fourth graders paused in their busy schedules at school to admire the beautiful work of Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986), an American artist, best known for her studies of nature. She often zoomed in on her subjects, getting us all to slow down and notice the beauty she captured in the world around her. She did not paint an entire field of flowers, but instead focused on the shapes and colors of just one blossom.

As well as inspiring us to admire the details in a single flower, a sea shell, or even an animal skull, Georgia O'Keeffe was a master of color and blending. To follow her lessons, we each chose a photograph of something from nature and drew the image very large on our canvases. Then, we selected our color palette, considering carefully how to create the best blends.

To make two colors blend together, we referred to the color wheel. Colors that are near each other on the wheel will make the most natural blends. Adding white will create a tint of the color and adding darker hues will create a shade of the color. Any of these choices would work well. To blend the colors directly on the canvas, we worked in one area at a time, letting our paintbrushes do the blending. For a flower with many petals, that meant applying the colors and blending them together, one petal at a time.

Not only were these fourth grade nature paintings the highlight of our art show, I am so proud for them to grace the screen of my art blog. Bravo to all my artists! A special recognition goes out to Nick B. who broke his arm just at the start of this project, and even with his injury created the most amazing blend of colors all around his animal skull!

Here is a small sample of what we created. To see everyone's paintings, follow this link to our home page on artsonia.com. http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Painting by Alden R.

Painting by Emilia R.

Painting by Nick B.

Painting by Michael G.

And one final quote that I certainly can relate to...

"Singing has always seemed to me the most perfect means of expression. It is so spontaneous. And after singing, I think the violin. Since I can't sing, I paint." - Georgia O'Keeffe

THIRD GRADE . . . Go figure! Drawing the human figure in motion.

Sketch by Garielle

The wooden artist's model is a perfect way for us to learn how to draw a human figure in proportion. It also shows us where the body can move. Each joint is represented by a wooden ball in the model.

Third graders drew a sketch of the wooden model and posed their figure in any way they wanted. We started with an oval for the head and added a circle underneath for the neck. Each part of the body was added on just this way, a shape for the body part followed by a wooden ball for the place it can move. We were careful to make the length and width of each shape in proportion to the size of the head that we started with. Learning to draw a figure this way reminds us of where the body can move without it looking awkward in our sketches. For example, the arm can move only at the shoulder, elbow or wrist. If we tried to bend it anywhere else, we would be breaking a bone!

To make our drawings look just like the wooden artist's model, we added on the pole and the stand. Shading each part of the body also gave our figures dimension and form. Here are a few examples of our figures in motion. You can see all of our sketches by following this link to artsonia.com and scrolling down through the exhibits for third grade.   http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Sketch by Araiya

Sketch by Eli

Sketch by Shaya

Sketch by Jason

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

FIFTH GRADE . . . Learning about Picasso

Abstract Sculpture by Alexis

Fifth graders experienced abstract art with our latest sculpture project. Inspired by the shapes and forms of our favorite musical instruments, we built an abstract version of our instruments using wood, string and cardboard.

Pablo Picasso changed the way we all view and accept what we consider to be "Art." His brilliant and influential ideas went far beyond just painting a face with features in the wrong place. As a well trained realistic artist, he could create a very recognizable and beautiful study of the human face. He was trained in anatomy and in figure drawing. He understood how to represent the world on paper in a traditional way. Why would an artist paint a face as strangely abstract as he is best known for doing, if he could draw like this image below?

Realistic Sketch by Picasso

Abstract painting by Picasso

Fifth graders compared these two images in class and most students thought he was just having fun with the shapes and colors, or he was looking for a way to be different. We looked at the events and developments at the end of the 19th century that might have led to an acceptance of abstract art as an art form. Architecture with the design of the Eiffel Tower, for example, also displayed this new obsession with an abstract visual that went beyond practicality. The world was changing and Pablo Picasso was a dramatic leader in our changing vision. His cubist portrait with features drawn in strange places was a creative experiment in how to portray a 3D person on a flat surface. Why would you try to make something look like it has dimension on a flat canvas, if the surface is flat? He broke all the rules as he tried to make sense out of these revolutionary ideas.

Picasso's Guitars

Music was a recurring theme for Picasso and many other abstract artists of his time. A few years back, the MoMA in NYC held a show of Picasso's guitars. These pieces were collages and reconstructed musical instruments reflecting his ideas with cubism and abstractions. We used this collection of pieces by Picasso as the inspiration for our fifth grade art show.

Just as Picasso was trained early in his life as a realistic artist, we began with realistic sketches in our sketch pad of our instruments. Then we looked for creative ways to break all the rules and create a sculpture inspired by music, without trying to reproduce our instruments in a realistic way.

Here are a few examples of our work. To see everyone's sketches and sculptures, follow this link to the Ranney School exhibit page on artsonia.com.    http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Sketch by Lily

Abstract Sculpture by Lily

Sketch by Tucker

Abstract Sculpture by Tucker

Sketch by Emily

Abstract Sculpture by Emily

Sketch by Oscar

Abstract Sculpture by Oscar

Sketch by Sophia Z.

Abstract Sculpture by Sophia Z.

KINDERGARTEN . . . and then what happened?

Did you ever read a story, close the book, and wonder what happened next? Did the characters in the book just live happily ever after or did you wish there were more adventures to read about?

Kindergarteners shared a story as told by Aesop, over 2000 years ago in Greece. Aesop's Fables, a collection of stories featuring animals as the lead characters, teaches us lessons about human life. In the fable, "The Lion and the Mouse," Aesop entertains us with the idea that a small mouse might be able to save a ferocious lion from the trap of hunters. The moral of this story is; "Even the strongest can sometimes use the help of the smallest." 

In our illustrations of this fable, Kindergarteners continued the story that began so many years ago. What happened after the mouse helped the lion? Could they become friends? Here are a few adventures to enjoy...

Artwork by Brooke

Artwork by Cash

Artwork by Mia G.

Artwork by Sydney

Spring art show now in Panther Hall Gallery!

FIRST GRADE . . . Who invented art anyway?

First graders took a trip back in time, over 40,000 years ago, to the age of cave people. Cavemen drew amazingly realistic pictures of animals on the walls of caves. What kinds of art tools do you think they used? Was there a Michael's Arts and Crafts back then to buy paints and brushes?

We looked at cave paintings of early horses, buffalo and other animals. They were not only recognizable, they looked like they were drawn in action, appearing as if they were running on the walls in the caves! Surprisingly, these images of early cave art are very similar all over the world, which suggests that people were producing "art" at a much earlier time, possibly before they began to spread out across the earth.

In art class, we drew our animals in pencil and marker on big sheets of recycled paper. Then we crinkled up the drawings to create creases, just like on the surface of a rock. The animals were painted in warm earth tones, and chalk was rubbed into the background areas to represent the marks and colors of the wall.

Often, the cavemen used a hand print to signify people in their art. Taking a cue from the images we shared in class, we traced our hands near our animals to represent our signatures.

Here are a few examples of the work in our prehistoric cave. All of our paintings will be on display in Panther Hall next week for our Spring art show. You can also see everyone's images on artsonia.com.   http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Cave Painting by Adam

Cave Painting by Saahil

Cave Painting by Lorelei

Cave Painting by Zahra

THIRD GRADE . . . design and composition

Abstract Art: Art that does not attempt to represent reality, but seeks to achieve its effect through shape, line and color.

Abstract Collage by Nico

Leonardo da Vinci

Piet Mondrian

Third graders took a journey through art history in the 19th and 20th centuries and saw dramatic changes in what people considered to be "Art." Before the use of a camera, it was an artist's job to make a rendition of any scene or person as realistic and recognizable as possible. An important way to record history was through depictions of portraits, landscapes, paintings of battle scenes or illustrations from the Bible. Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" was the level of mastery that artists tried to follow.

During the 19th century, artists explored how they could express their feelings in their artwork and began to break away from the rigid rules of the masters in Europe. Artists who experimented with impressionism or cubism had a difficult time becoming accepted in a traditional art world, but it was their daring ideas that eventually changed the way we view art. Pure abstract art, such as the painting shown above by Piet Mondrian, is not supposed to represent an object or a person. It is meant to stand on its own as a wonderful composition. Learning to appreciate abstract art means understanding and appreciating the art of the design.

Third graders created their own abstract compositions with cut papers. We balanced colors, textures and random shapes together to create a pleasing design. My only rule was that it should not be based on a portrait or a scene, but just a random arrangement of paper.

As well as creating a unique and interesting composition, we played around with which way it should be held. As it is an abstract and not a picture of a person, we showed our collages to the class and turned it four different ways until the students agreed which side should be facing up. Selecting just the right color frame was another important design decision they had to make.

To see all of our abstract collages, follow this link to our 3rd grade exhibit on artsonia.com.
http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Collage by Kaitlyn

Collage by Gabriella

Collage by Luke

Collage by Seth

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