Our fifth grade artists learned about Zentangles - a contemporary art form that explores the use of pattern, line, shape and symbols. Students had the choice to create their final composition on white drawing paper or scratchboard. Great job, artists! 

Our 7th grade students studied the art of Optical Illusions created by artists Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley. Students used the elements and principles of design to manipulate lines and shapes to create optical illusions of movement on a flat surface. Using their knowledge of Op Art, students created a three-dimensional cube using various geometric Op Art designs.

Our 6th grade students created their own diamond cut drawings. Students discussed and dissected a diamond using mathematical terms (symmetry – horizontal, vertical, radial, shapes, pattern, balance, etc.). After learning that symmetry is directly related to a diamonds worth, we set to create our own diamond drawings focusing on value and reflection.

In honor of our themes on unity and collaboration, the 5th through 8th grade students created another collaborative artwork for our third floor wall. We used the artwork of fabric artist Tula Pink for inspiration for this piece. Each student created their own diamond, focusing on color and repetition of triangles. 

For our first mini collaboration project, students were asked: What do artists do? Their goal was to write and illustrate their answers on an index card, while only getting to use one color. Here is our final product:

For the second unit of the year, our 8th-grade students focused on the art element: value. Students studied value and contrast and learned about the differences between low and high values. They practiced making these wide ranges of values through various value scale exercises using special graphite pencils. For their final project, students looked to artist Chuck Close and his method of creating realistic portraits using the grid method. Students had the opportunity to chose their own photo to draw and enlarge using this method.

Our printmaking club spent some time experimenting with different monoprinting techniques. First, students used liquid watercolor and bubble solution to make bubble prints. Then students used Gelli plates to create abstract designs with letters and texture.

​Gyotaku is the Japanese art of fish printing. “Gyo” means fish, and “taku” means rubbing. As the story goes, fishermen in Japan invented this art form as a way to record the size of their catch. After all, there were no cameras! The ink was applied directly to the fish, and the image was printed on rice paper to memorialize the moment.

The fifth-grade students created two prints for the project. For their first print, students created an under-the-sea-themed background using oil pastel and watercolor. For their second print, they used a more traditional printing method with rice paper.  

​The fifth-grade students used their knowledge of reflectional symmetry to create beautiful cursive art designs. The students first reviewed how to write their name in cursive. For many, this was their first time learning how to write in this manner. After they felt comfortable writing their names in cursive, students applied it to their final art piece. For color, the fifth graders used oil pastel and a blending technique to create a wide range of value and gradation in their work.

It all started with a selfie and Pop Art.  After having a look at various portraits and the elements that make some more interesting to the viewer than others, the 6th-grade students used iPads to take their own selfie. Afterward, students created a digital contour line drawing and enlarged it using a computer program. Students redrew the contour lines on big poster paper and added black glue to the lines. In the final lesson, students looked in depth at how artists portray the light and shadows on faces. With this conversation, they set off to apply chalk pastel to their artwork.

​The 5th through 8th-grade students have been hard at work creating masterpieces for the Square 1 Art fundraiser. The students in 5th grade created inspired artwork by famous Pop Artist Romero Brito. The 6th graders used their previous knowledge of zentangles to create a zentangle flower with watercolor. The 7th and 8th graders explored multiple mediums to produce a unique and individual design. 

During the graphic design unit, the students in 7th and 8th grade learned how to use the vector program Adobe Illustrator. They learned the importance of graphic design in our society and how it has impacted them. After creating simple imagery in vector format, students began their final project. They were asked to choose a logotype of a particular business or service and re-create it in vector format for large scale printing. However, they had to use their own name in place of the business's name. 

The 6th grade students are experimenting with printmaking techniques using foam plates this month. Students created geometric and organic designs and then carved out their designs onto foam plates. During the printmaking process, students were asked to focus on placement and color between the two designs.​​

Students in the 8th grade learned how to create parabolic curves from straight lines. After learning some simple curved line designs, students set off to create their own line art design on graph paper. Once their design was complete on paper, they transferred their design to tag board using needle and thread. 

The 8th graders are currently sewing their parabolic designs onto tagboard. Finished works of art will be up soon!