THE WONDER OF CLAY

My third grade students knocked it out of the park with their clay creations, inspired by sculptor Henry Moore, who is known for sculpting seated and reclining figures. 

 Students started by practicing and planning with modeling clay. They could use different forms---slabs, coils, and spheres---to create a person or creature. Students chose athletes, pets, mythical creatures and at least one angel.

Our final work was fired in the kiln, then painted carefully with watercolors. The wonder of clay is its ability to engage all learners, and transform into something that lasts.

(Work from top to bottom: Kate, Cole, Conner R., Kai,  Yusef, Lucy, Robbie, and Madelyn, Daniel)

NOW & THEN

I found some great parings of pictures of fifth grade students (now) and their work through time. 

For Instance: Nora in kindergarten, and her work, again, in 5th grade.....

And Preston in 1st grade and 3rd.

Here's Lydia in 2nd grade, and her 5th grade portrait in progress.

It's heartening to me to see in stills and color how much my students have changed from year to year...

And how they have remained the same. 

 What a beautiful and creative bunch---each and every one of them!

  What do you remember most from art this year at Murray?

FINAL FIFTH

Here are a few images from our 5th grade final performance and Art show. My favorite parts, how the fifth graders talked, Salon style about their self created musical expressions and...

...the standing room only, jubilant, slide show of students in the art room through the year.

We did it, Ms. Corradino!

Art Matters. 

To peek at our slideshow images, and more photos from our event, go here. 

TEXTURE & FORM

Our blustery spring art days have been filled with texture and form: Each grade level has (or will soon) work with clay--- forming spheres, coils, slabs---first practicing with modeling clay then creating containers, pendants, masks, and more.

Students also have played with TEXTURE, both actual and suggested.  Kinder students used a variety of textured materials---bumpy, spongy and slick---to create an image about place.

2nd and 3rd Grade students used repeated lines and patterns to make us imagine the textures for feathers, scales shells, branches and other objects in the natural world.

Using texture and working with form are among our funnest, most novel projects of the year!

 (Images from top to bottom:  Michael practicing clay, 5th graders working, 5th grade greenware, Kinders working with textures, Birds by  Reece and Skyler, Jackson's practice piggies!

THROUGH THE YEARS

One lovely, unique thing about teaching art  is seeing kids grow up in the art room. One place this is most evident is with Still life. 

At Murray we work with Still life grades kinder through 5th, using different materials, but looking at the same groupings of objects and interpreting them in lines, shapes and colors. 

Many students came in saying, Oh! Still life! excitedly

recognizing the fun and challenge. 

What object would you include in your Still life? 

(Images from top to bottom: Mira  holding Still life & closeup kinder ; Chase working  kinder; Camille's still life, kinder; Madeleine working and closeup, 2nd grade; Kai's still life, 3rd grade; Braden's still life, 4th grade; 5th grade class; Nora's still surreal, 5th grade)

CREATIVITY COUNTS: Essential Qualities of Creativity!

One goal in Music and Art Ed is to help students grow their creativity. We're working to do this, in part, by sharing some of the essential Qualities of Creativity as 'BE' statements, with students at all levels. Here are our top six:

• BE BRAVE Try something new. Share something personal. Take a chance (BRAVERY)

• BE FLEXIBLE Change your approach. Be open to new possibilities. Be influenced by or collaborate with others (FLEXIBILITY)

• BE PERSISTENT Don't give up. Don't easily give in (PERSISTENCE)

• BE CURIOUS Ask questions. Pay attention. Be observant (CURIOSITY)

• BE COMPASSIONATE Be kind too yourself and others as we struggle and try (EMPATHY)

• BE YOURSELF Be true to your own unique taste, experiences, and impulses (AUTHENTICITY) 
• 
  

Which Creative habits come easier to you? Which things are more of a struggle? Are there other qualities of creativity that you think are important too?

(From top to bottom: Cool kinder girls Collage, Kinder Matisse Cut-out Creatures, Charlie balances 3-d lines and close up, Shelby's 3-d line design!)