Art

The circus came to town! In a blaze of talent and comic relief, the students shined on stage and under the sun to deliver another mini tour of wonderful shows.  It was a treat to see our kids show off their talent and skill. 

After all the excitement of the circus, the 5th/6th graders began their 3 week lesson on Still Life.  

The first week the students had a short intro lesson on observational drawing with fresh flowers in jars.  They worked with pencil and newsprint and experimented with shading and highlights, with a focus on size and shape, outline and shadows.  They spent the whole class period completing several attempts from different perspectives, using the continuous line technique and lots of hatching.  

Last week I had the kids sketch out lemons.  Each student had a lemon propped to their satisfaction with lots of side light to create dramatic shadows.  Some kids experimented with color this time around.  I shared techniques on using their erasers to create highlights, contour lines to follow the shape of round or curvy objects, to actually shade beyond the outline and to later eliminate any line unwanted, and most importantly, to remind them to feel confident in what their eyes see and to trust their ability to draw something that looks real on paper/canvas.  

We have this week to look forward to before our Spring Break begins.  We will explore more still life but this time using acrylics! It’s always a different experience with a paint brushing hand!  I’m thinking something monochromatic, maybe? A large centerpiece and get different perspectives? Stay tuned! 

Have a wonderful time on your break! 🌸

When we get back in early April we will use our time in the art room dedicating each project to Earth day as we will create with recyclables and upcycled goods.  I can’t wait!