More Student Space Study

Reusable and Recyclable Materials Request

Dear Families,

I am writing you once again to request that you empty your recycle bins and old craft buckets to assist in our creation of collages and sculptures by reusing everyday objects. Our upcoming lessons will involve the use of papier-mâché and other sculptural materials, which will be nicely complemented by items found around the home. The types of items we need include the following:

· Bottle caps

· Coffee cans

· Buttons

· Cloth scraps

· Ribbon and thread

· Spools

· Wrapping paper

· Tissue paper

· Wood scraps

· Small sticks

· Decorative napkins

· Egg cartons

· Newspaper

· Old puzzle pieces

· Wood scraps

· Cardboard

· Feathers

· Cotton balls

· Masking or Duct tape

· Rope

· Beads

· Nuts and bolts

· Plastic plant pots

· Storage bins

· Macaroni

· Cardboard tubes (like from toilet paper, paper towels or wrapping paper)

· Chopsticks or wooden skewers

· Soda can tops

I will be accepting these on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Any contribution you can make, large or small, would be greatly appreciated. Please do not feel the need to go out and buy anything. As always, thank you for your support and positive attitudes!

Stay creative!

Mrs. DiSalle

SPACE Projects: Students at Work

SPACE Projects

Check out Wordle!

January is SPACE month!

The days are getting longer, and time is certainly flying by! I cannot believe that 2012 is upon us! Hopefully everyone had a restful holiday. I know I did, but I am excited to be back and making art with your kiddos! Our focus for art in January is the idea of space and composition. The Massachusetts Arts  Curriculum Frameworks states that, “For space and composition, explore composition by creating artwork with a center of interest, repetition, and/or balance. Demonstrate an understanding of foreground, middle ground, and background.”  Students at all levels will be creating art focused on this understanding.

Kindergarten will be focused on the idea of overlapping to create depth on a 2D surface. We will read a variety of stories focused on winter, hibernation, and bears. Then, we will create a variety of scenes using these ideas. We will also learn about the various January celebrations, such as Chinese New Year, Twelfth Night, and MLK day.

First graders will be introduced to Impressionism through tempera paint. Students will paint an Impressionist background and overlap birch trees. They will also practice the short strokes of Impressionists through the use of pastels. They will create a fireworks drawing to bring in the new year. Lastly, students will be introduced to the idea of still life through creating their own still life collage.

Two artists, Piet Mondrian and David Hockney, will be studied by the second grade. Students will use primary colors to design a Mondrian-style winter hat. Then, students will create landscape collages with tissue paper inspired by Hockney.

Third grade will learn about creating depth in a composition through the study of Henri Rousseau and Joseph Stella. They will create depth through overlapping in a collage, and then learn about emphasis and developing a center of interest by creating an abstract design like Stella.

A beautiful watercolor landscape with birch trees will be created by our fourth graders. They will learn about the wet-on-wet watercolor technique to create atmospheric perspective in their work. Center of interest will be reinforced by a study of movement in Edgar Degas’s paintings.

Creating space and emphasis through enlargement of an image will be the fifth grade focus as they paint large snowmen in the style of Georgia O’Keeffe. This assignment also allows them to experiment with color mixing. Designing a JRB yearbook cover will be the second space and composition activity as they learn to lead the viewer’s eye to a center of interest.

As you can see, we have a busy month ahead of us, and as always, tons of fun! Be sure to visit the art blog for regular updates and images of student activities in the art room. Thank you again to all of my art room volunteers for your help in planning and execution of my lessons. Contact me if you are interested in volunteering. Stay Creative! :)

Happy New Year!

"Now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been."

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Ugly Sweater Contest!

We all had a great time celebrating with our ugly sweaters!
 Thanks to Mrs. Wright for judging!

Thank You!

I just want to thank everyone for the wonderful gifts
that were shared with me for the holidays.

You are all so gracious and thoughtful!

I hope you had a spectacular holiday and will see you in the New Year!

Happy 2012!

Kindergarten Keith Haring/Mondrian Figures

Come in after vacation and take a peek at the Keith Haring figures drawn by our kindergarten classes. Many have finished designing hats and mittens in the style of Mondrian, and the rest will be finishing this week. Lots of fun going on!

Thank You Volunteers!

I just wanted to take a moment to send a HUGE thank you out to my art room volunteers. I do not know what I would do without you. I have had such wonderful individuals joining me in the classroom, helping with students and preparation. It has been a tremendous experience getting to know everyone. So, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for everything!

Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone a holiday filled with joy, lovingkindness, friendship, and family!

Stay safe and get some rest! See you next year!!!

Children's Book Illustrators

Check out all of the new links I have posted of different children's book illustrators. Many of them have fun interactive aspects designed just for kids! Enjoy! :)

December Newsletter

During the month of December all students will be finishing pattern projects from November and reviewing the concepts we have learned so far this year.

Through the theme of winter and holiday art, students will review line, shape, and pattern, combining the concepts into one piece of art. Artists such as Mondrian and Monet will be studied. As always, check the art blog for updates and images.

Hopefully you all enjoyed viewing the artwork in the lobby as you visited for parent-teacher conferences. The Gratitude Tree will remain in the lobby through the first of the year for everyone the peruse. It is such a beautiful reflection of our school community! I hope you have enjoyed reading the hands as much as I have.

Thank you so much to everyone who ordered from the Square 1 fundraiser. Products will be arriving soon. I am so excited to see the children’s art reproductions!

Lastly, I would like to hearken back to my English teacher days and share a Robert Frost poem about winter. It is a famous one, so I’m sure you’ve read it before. Take some time to appreciate the season, both literally and figuratively. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season!

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sounds the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

 

Pattern Projects in Progress

First Grade Trees of Life inspired by Gustav Klimt

 

Third Grade Frank Stella-Inspired Sculptures:

Fifth Grade M.C. Escher inspired Tessellations: