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| Ava just pulled a test print and is very pleased with the results! |
February, 2020
Middle school artists are working on a printmaking unit, learning about the history of the medium as well as the huge variety of creating fine art prints (relief, intaglio, screen-printing, lithography, woodcuts, etchings, etc.). We made our own original printing plate by creating a drawing on a piece of cardboard and outlining it with glue. When the glue dries, it creates a raised area for inking. These glue-line printing plates are a fantastic way to create prints!
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| Maggie is inking her beautiful fish printing plate before pulling her test print, or "proof." |
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| Zach is working on creating a background for his prints by overlapping thin layers of tissue. These beautiful colors will serve to create a different mood for his prints next week! |
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| Hayden just pulled her test print and, WOW! The Don Stewart inspired "Cat Cactus" is amazing! We brainstormed visual puns after looking at the art of Homewood artist Don Stewart, a former medical doctor who left the field of medicine to become a full time artist. Way to go, Hayden! The print looks fabulous! |
January 2020
After finishing their paper mache surface decoration, students worked with clay for a few weeks. One class made ceramic food after learning about Pop artists Claus Oldenburg and Wayne Thiebaud, and the other class was challenged with creating a zoomorphic vessel! I am very proud of the results and can't wait to see these pieces after they are glazed and fired again!
December 2019
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| Elephant mask by Ava A. |
Right before Christmas, middle school art students worked on building mask forms with paper mache. We learned about mask making traditions around the world before tackling the difficult task of creating an armature for these sculptures out of poster board. Students were challenged with layering the paper mache neatly and in layers, then adding colored tissue before the final decorative additions. We reviewed design principles as well, discussing the necessity of keeping things simple while creating enough variety to make it interesting.
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| designs by Tiauna and Kendall N. |
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| designs by Hayden and Ellie |
September 2019
Our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade artists have been learning all about drawing and shading. We did pre-instruction drawings, then watched professional artists create optical illusions with sharp drawing accuracy and amazing shading skills in the below video clips. Then, (after Mrs. Nichols demonstrated) students drew their own value scales, spheres, and other geometric forms with realistic shading. Our goal was to create smooth, blended areas of value gradations, where one value faded into another with no lines between. Also, it helped to have as many values as possible, from black, dark gray, medium gray, light gray, and white. Objects are shaded, not just the shadows cast by the objects!
3D Drawing: A Realistic Glass of Water, anamorphic illusion, YouTube
Realistic drops of water, YouTube
How to draw a Sphere With Pencil, YouTube
After spending one class period learning how to represent light and shadow, students did an observational drawing with a geometric or an organic still-life. They set up the objects they wanted to draw and completed four small thumbnail sketches to figure out the best composition possible. Students then slowly and carefully attempted to capture the image as accurately as possible. (8th graders were challenged to draw a more complex object such as a jewel, marble, or piece of popcorn.) Finally, we also talked about space techniques, where an artist uses overlapping, size, placement, shading, and sometimes value and detail to create a sense of depth on a 2-dimensional surface.
The last day of the project, we discussed several different art styles: Cubism, Surrealism, Hyper-Realism (also known as Photo-Realism), Dutch Realism, and Pop Art. All of these artists created still-life paintings with completely different agendas; there are as many ways to create art as their are people on earth! Students were encouraged to add color, pattern, objects, scenes, or other images to their drawings to make them as unique as possible. All students completed a self-evaluation and written reflection for this piece.
The act of drawing is a highly intellectual practice; studies have shown that our brains grow as we put together this visual puzzle! I am proud of my students and their efforts - everyone started this unit with a different ability level, and everyone felt like they grew in their skills! A few students were amazed that their drawings turned out so well, saying they were the best drawings they had ever done. Outstanding!
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| 7th grade |
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| 7th grade |
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| 7th grade |
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| 7th grade |
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| 8th grade |
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| 6th grade |
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| 6th grade |
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| 6th grade |
Standards:
6th Grade Investigate, Plan, Make
2. Formulate an artistic investigation and discovery of relevant content for creating art. Example: Make, share, and revise a list of ideas and preliminary sketches.
6. Make observations and reflect on whether personal artwork conveys the intended meaning and revise accordingly.
7th Grade
Investigate, Plan, Make
1. Implement methods to overcome creative blocks.
3. Develop and demonstrate skills with various techniques, methods, and approaches in creating art through repeated and persistent practice.
6. Reflect on and explain personal artwork in an artist statement or another format.
8th Grade
Investigate, Plan, Make
1. Apply early stages of the creative process visually and/or verbally in traditional or new media. Example: Document processes through sketchbooks
3. Engage, experiment, innovate, and take risks to pursue ideas, forms, and meaning that emerge in the process of creating art.
Reflect, Refine, Continue
5. Plan select, organize, and design images and words to make visually clear works of art using traditional and/or digital methods.
6. Apply relevant criteria to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for a work of art or design in progress.
6. Apply relevant criteria to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for a work of art or design in progress.
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| 8th grade collages |
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| 7th grade collages |
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| 7th grade collages |
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| 7th grade collages |
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| 7th grade collages |
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| 6th grade collages |
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| 6th grade collages |
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| 6th grade collages |
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| 6th grade collages |
Middle school artists participated in several creativity challenges during the first two weeks of school! We took the "Make It" challenge last week, where students worked together or individually to create something out of random materials such as popsicle sticks, tissue, or paper strips. There were limitations, such as they could not use tape, glue, scissors, or anything else outside of the box of materials they were given. Students came up with all kinds of solutions to this creative problem!
We also made sketchbooks by stapling stacks of copy paper together and gluing them into a folded poster paper. Students invented fantastic name designs for the covers! They were asked to come up with multiple original name designs and then draw the best one onto the sketchbook cover. I love these results! Each one is very unique, creative, and a beautiful design.
Students discussed I Corinthians 12 in relation to our first project, a "Personality Collage." They brainstormed personality traits and then searched for related images, colors, textures, etc. that could serve to communicate aspects of their personality. We talked about each one of us being created in the image of the First Artist, Jesus Himself. We are all masterpieces in His hands! I pray that each student will learn who s/he is in Christ, that s/he is precious and amazing just because we are His workmanship. He delights in all of us and loves us so much!
Finally, we discussed the 7 Elements of Design (line, color, shape, form, texture, value, and space) which are the basic ingredients of any work of art. We also talked about the 7 Principles of Design (Unity, Variety, Balance, Repetition, Movement, Contrast, Emphasis), which are how the Elements of Design are organized. Much like a chef follows a recipe and a builder follows the blueprint for the house, an artist uses the Design Principles. The chef wouldn't throw the cake ingredients in the oven without measuring, and the builder doesn't just throw the nails, boards, and sheetrock into a pile and expect a building to appear! Artists follow a plan as well; that plan is known as the Principles of Design.
Standards for Weeks 1 & 2:
6th Grade
Investigate, Plan, Make
1. Work collaboratively to develop new and innovative ideas for creating art.
2. Formulate an artistic investigation and discovery of relevant content for creating art. Example: Make, share, and revise a list of ideas and preliminary sketches.
3. Develop new ideas through open-ended experiments, using various materials, methods and approaches in creating works of art.
7th Grade
Investigate, Plan, Make
1. Implement methods to overcome creative blocks. Example: Students brainstorm possible images by sharing and listing ideas in small groups
8th Grade
Investigate, Plan, Make
1. Apply early stages of the creative process visually and/or verbally in traditional or new media.
Example: Document processes through sketchbooks
3. Engage, experiment, innovate, and take risks to pursue ideas, forms, and meaning that emerge in the
process of creating art.
Reflect, Refine, Continue
5. Plan select, organize, and design images and words to make visually clear works of art using traditional
and/or digital methods.
The overall goal of the sixth grade visual arts program is to bridge learning from elementary grades to a more rigorous curriculum in the middle grades. Students are in a state of transition, both physically and emotionally, and are acquiring a broader range of understanding of the world around them. Students at this age want their works of art to look more realistic. They are still developing self-confidence and refining motor skills. A dynamic, coordinated, and stimulating environment best meets the growing needs of the sixth grade student artist. The visual arts course is designed as a foundation for all students, regardless of visual arts background, ability, or academic achievement, therefore requiring some introduction and review of the elements of art and principles of design. Since many sixth-grade programs serve as exploratory classes, students should receive a survey of art history, methods, and procedures.
7th Grade
The overall goal of the seventh grade visual arts program is to facilitate growth in learning and working in the visual arts. Knowledge is based on the foundation laid in sixth grade, and students begin to work more independently and more in depth with projects of personal interest. The visual arts environment remains stimulating and a bit more intensive as students investigate traditional and exploratory subjects, techniques, styles, and media, including the latest digital and multimedia resources. Students begin to implement the elements of art and principles of design independently of teacher-led instruction. They are becoming more proficient technically; however, they are still developing self-confidence and refining motor skills.
8th Grade
The eighth grade visual arts program continues to focus on cognitive, emotional, and social skills. There is increasing independence and responsibility for creating and presenting original artwork and communicating complex interpretations and implications related to that work. Work at this level increasingly relates to global interests and social commentary with a personal voice. Content standards for Grade 8 provide the final steps for preparing students for the rigor of secondary visual arts education experiences while providing a safe place to express new ideas. A developmentally appropriate curriculum provides the foundation these students need to build confidence in their creative and artistic abilities. The visual arts classroom provides a safe and appropriate learning environment for media exploration and self-expression. An active, structured, and stimulating environment that allows for flexibility best meets the needs of the eighth grade student artist.
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