Japanese Cherry Blossoms

In the Art Room, the Kindergarteners took a nature walk on campus to find beautiful emerging Cherry Blossom trees early this Spring. We learned about the gift of 3000 cherry blossom trees bestowed on Washington, DC by Tokyo, Japan. Then we studied photos of cherry blossoms and Japanese paintings of Sakura- cherry blossoms. The students used a drip method and straws to create the branches. Then with fingers and corks they added pink, red and white paint blossoms. With tissue paper, they glued on more blossoms. They also studied traditional Japanese calligraphy and the special brushes and ink required for that art. They had an opportunity to practice copying some characters and then making their own special signature character or Hanko.

5th Grade Chalk Pastel Butterflies

These butterflies were created in the Art Room by 5th graders in conjunction with their World History unit on the Holocaust and inspired by the poem "I Never Saw Another Butterfly." The line drawing was made with black oil pastel on black paper and then the color was added with chalk pastels. Butterflies are a symbol of hope.

Rainforest Puppets

Lemur, Jaguar and Sloth

The First Graders made Rainforest animal puppets in the art room to correspond with the animals they were researching in their classroom. They used basic cardboard shapes to make the puppet, thinking of the special features that distinguish each animal. Then they brought their puppets to life using a multitude of materials like felt, foam, fabric, fur, yarn and more to create colorful and fantastical creatures. When the parents came to their in-classroom Animal Book Publishing party, they were treated to a puppet show as well!

Anaconda

Pirhana

Macaw

Tarantula

My Garden-

In the Art Room, we read the book My Garden by Kevin Henkes in which a child imagines what her magical garden would be like. The room was abuzz as the Second graders were conjuring up images for their gardens. They drew in craypas and then water-colored their fantastical  landscapes. They posed for photos which were added to the gardens. They also had an opportunity to write a description of their gardens which was all compiled to create a bound book. 

 

 

Kindergarten Sunflower Studies

In Art Class, we looked at real Sunflowers and read Camille and the Sunflowers, a story about Vincent Van Gogh in Arles. The students quickly drew in craypas and then painted their own big, bold and beautiful versions of a Sunflower. These always make viewers smile.

 

Inspired by Paul Klee's Big Head

“Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see.”  Paul Klee

The fourth graders started with a big round head, divided it up and used craypas to make patterns in warm or cool color combinations transposing facial features for vibrant results.

Paul Klee was a Swiss artist of German Nationality (1879-1940). His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism. His works reflect his humor and sometimes child-like perspective, his personal moods and beliefs. He was a highly trained musician and instructed his students in a series of musical operations for pattern development using rotation, inversion, mirroring or transposition of colors.