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!)

OUR FIRST ART SALON!

A few weeks back, Murray's 5th graders participated in our  first Music/Art Salon, 

what Ms. Corradino and I have dubbed Art Show & Tell.

A set of brave students volunteered to go first,  sharing an artwork or musical performance---it could be finished or in progress, from school or completed independently. The main idea was to share work along with  a little of the process in order to learn and be inspired by one another.

Students held up their canvases, their drawn games, an origami ornament, and in one case, played a song on the recorder with her nose---elegantly somehow, and to the amazement of the crowd.

It was a pleasure to see students share art, ask questions, compliment one another, and experience a sense of audience. We will continue these Show & Tell sessions throughout the school year as we all continue to learn and grow!

SUMMER TO FALL

Students looked carefully at natural objects, then drew and painted.

For fifth graders, it was shells and other objects for the sea, which reminded us of summer. After drawing, students overlay their objects with designs that created a point of emphasis, inspired by bull's-eyes found in American Artist Aaron Douglas work (below).

Third graders looked at autumn leaves and used watercolor for their work.

Our leaf painting were inspired by the big, bold color and unified designs of artist Georgia O'keeffe, but our final projects could become something more personal and unique!

(Images from top to bottom: Will T., 5th graders working, Aaron Douglas image, Christina, Mea, 3rd graders at critique, Georgia O'keeffe image, Robbie, Gracie)

6 WAYS TO MAKE ART WORK LOOK GOOD!

Year by year, VLM art students explore a principle of design in order to learn how artists make their work look so appealing, (even when the stories or ideas in the artwork may not be.) 

For example, KINDERS learn that using a VARIETY of an art element, like different kinds of lines, can create a pleasing image, as in our Line Designs, after Russian Artist Wasilly Kandinsky.

And FIRST GRADERS explore BALANCE, like in these symmetrical folded prints, loosely inspired by the fantastic wind powered machines of Theo Jansen (below).

SECOND GRADER are studying PATTERN. In their Patterned Pictures, they made stencils to repeat shapes, like traditional artists all over the world.

Meanwhile THIRD GRADERS are looking at the big idea of UNITY, and working to connect and repeat similar lines and colors to  hide a scrap of a magazine image and their own original drawing, as in the still-in-progress work below.

Finally, FOURTH GRADERS are challenging themselves to considering scale and PROPORTION. In their first project they designed and collaged the facade of a home that they might love. (These collages were used to make a series of prints!)

And FIFTH GRADERS are learning tricks to create a point of EMPHASIS, drawing the viewers eye to an important place in their work.  Their  Stand-Out Shell works were inspired by American Artist Aaron Douglas, and will soon be full of color.

Which do you prefer in artwork: VARIETY or UNITY, or can both co-exist?
Remember, Art Matters at Murray!

(Pics of artwork from top to bottom by: Caroline, K, Assorted 1st graders, Healy, Laine, 2nd Danielle, 3rd Alyssa, 4th  & Amelia, 5th)

WHAT MATTERS MOST

To start the year, I shared by idea of what matters most in art: That all students get a chance to

 ACT LIKE ARTISTS---

•  Looking (aesthetics)
•  Learning (art history)
•  Creating (art production)
•  & Reflecting (art criticism)

 ---IN ORDER TO GROW INTO THEIR MOST CREATIVE SELVES!

For our first mini-project, students k-5  looked at the artwork of Takishi Murakami (shown below) a Japanese born international pop artist well-known for his paintings, sculptures, a film, anime, and more. Murakami uses many circular shapes in his work.

Murray students where challenged to start with a circle, too, then using simple materials and tools, create a  image that flexed their creative muscles.

VLM Families: Feel free to check out our variety of solutions on VLM's  art-room  bulletin board and beyond for these first weeks of school.

Here's to a creative year of art ed!

FINAL FIFTH GRADE ART (& MUSIC) EVENT

This May students sung, danced, played instruments, and shared selected artwork in a culminating event for family and friends. Here are a few pics:

Our music teacher: Ms. Corradino! 

Per tradition, I shared a slideshow of students working in the art room, for as far back as I've taught them: in this case, since kindergarten. One student recognizes a slide of a work for past years!

Me and My son! Thanks for the flowers C.F and family!  Thanks for the pictures, dad!