Students, please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions regarding the project. These projects are due tomorrow, 11/6/2014 by the end of the school day.
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Art classes are in full swing at Smyser, and students have been creating a number of interesting pieces as we learn about new unit topics.
The lower grades explored the art of Día de los Muertos and also creating new projects that relate the our Artistic Journey Abroad unit. The middle grades completed a self-reflective project that explored identity in addition to portraiture drawing and color blending. Check out the 4th grade projects all across the Main Building. The upper grades have been finishing our quarter-long unit around Renaissance Art. Students learned about the invention sketches created by scientist/artist Leonardo Da Vinci. Students invented their own new high-tech gadget and created a prototype sketch along with an advertisement poster. Our October/November FALL Artists of the Month are below: 109: Ryan Schultz 1st Grade: Eduardo Villagomez 3rd Grade: Litzy Gonzalez 4th Grade: Yousef Awni 5th Grade: Alex Ferrusquia (5th grade buddy for 109) 6th Grade: Jasmin Aquino 7/8th Grade: Mayssa Kouk Congratulations and Great Job!! Can you believe September happened so quickly? This month, artists at Smyser have been working hard to gain new skills and refresh other artistic skills they may not have used in a while.
The word we are focusing on this year is: INSPIRE Students are learning to take outside resources and channel it into new ideas and find what really inspires them deep down. Art is all about creating something new and a lot of times we borrow ideas or change ideas that already exist. Learning to create new ideas is a skill that we must have for our future. 1st grade students have been learning about patterns and lines. We discovered that lines are used everywhere and coming up with new pattern ideas is quite simple if you use images around you for inspiration. 3rd grade artists have been learning about transportation and the anatomy of a hot air balloon. Students are using their imagination to create balloon designs and think of realistic places they would love to fly over. 4th grade students have been discussing identity. What makes us unique? What makes us who we are? Students are learning how to draw realistic self-portraits while learning about facial features and how they are important to our survival. Our students in the 109 cluster classroom have been teaming up with 5th grade "buddies." 10 students from Ms. Knapstein and Mrs. O'Toole's 5th grade classrooms have been creating art with students from rm. 109 and learning how to trace, draw, and paint together. Thank you for all your help, buddies! Great teamwork! The upper grades are exploring some new topics. 6th grade students learned about branding and how logo designs appeal to different audiences. They examined different fonts, colors, and symbols and created their own logo inspired creations. 7th and 8th grade artists started off their Art History inspired year learning about Renaissance Art. Students analyzed some fresco paintings located in the Sistine Chapel and created colorful drawings inspired by Michelangelo's Creation of Adam. Stay tuned as we explore new artists and new topics in October! Also, October is our kick-off to our Olweus Smyser Stands Strong anti-bullying campaign. The artwork on all the doorways look awesome throughout the buildings. I wonder who the winning room will be? Good luck! Good afternoon Smyser Family! With a new school year just around the corner, I thought that this space needed some color to freshen things up. This is an Art blog, after all! I look forward to seeing all of my students again soon and meeting new students as well. I also look forward to sharing lots of stories from my travels this summer. As some of you might know, earlier this year I was awarded a Chicago Foundation for Education's Fund For Teachers Fellowship (http://www.fundforteachers.org/mini-posters/2014/Chicago-2014.pdf). It was an amazing opportunity for me to visit several countries across Europe: Italy, France, Belgium, and Netherlands. I took 1 suitcase and traveled across 10 different cities to explore and see lots of Art I had not experienced yet. I was able to take painting workshops, tours, and view art at many museums. I snapped over 2,000 photos! But I'll just share a handful for now. In other news, there is currently a Donors Choose project in the works. I am requesting mosaic making materials for our students to create mosaics for our Smyser Garden. We are also accepting other mosaic materials such as: marbles, tiles, ceramic plates or cups in different colors, small pebbles, etc. If you have any you don't need, please feel free to drop them off in Room 101 (Main). Please see below.
Ms. Lee's Donors Choose Project - Fall 2014 - Magical Mosaics for Our Growing Garden of Knowledge! Sharpen your pencils, open your minds, and be prepared for a great year in the Art room! Keep checking the blog to see our classrooms in action soon. The past few weeks have been bittersweet! On Monday, we said farewell to the 8th grade students who are graduating and moving on to high school. Smyser artists have been creating some amazing pieces and reflecting on the past year.
1st grade students learned about Austrian artist, Hundertwasser (pronounce that with a German accent!). Students were asked to strike a pose as a forest explorer, and the photos were incorporated into a Hundertwasser style landscape complete with organic lines and funky shapes. Third grade students are finishing a unit on Robert Indiana, and how his iconic pop art spread the message of peace, harmony, and love. Fourth grade artists learned chalk pastel blending techniques and the still-life art of American painter, Wayne Thiebaud. Students used parallel lines and angles to create a layered cake with lots of decorations. Thank you for all the birthday wishes on Friday, by the way! The upper grade students completed several neat projects which were all on display during the A Day and B Day Smyser Specials Showcase. I hope all my students have a great rest of the school year! Great work this semester!! The last half of Quarter 4 is upon us and spring is in the air! I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing Spring Break. Smyser artists have been extremely busy across all 3 Smyser buildings the last few weeks.
First grade students have been learning about the artistic process of one of my personal favorite artists and authors, Eric Carle. Students used paint blending techniques to create many shades and tints of bright colors. 1st grade artists also learned about textures, and used a paintbrush flipped upside down to create unique marks in to the wet paint. Students used the painted, textured papers to create a variety of spring-inspired creatures and plants. Ms. Leiman's classroom 109 has also created a painted mixed-media public art piece currently on display above the 1st floor water fountains. Students learned about the story of The Lorax and created two mixed-media pieces using paints, recycled packaging, newspapers, and magazines. The plants look full of life! 3rd grade artists have also been learning about spring and nature inspired art. They discovered the artistic career of Spanish artist, Antoni Gaudí, and his famous mosaic and architecture designs. Students are creating a unique mosaic designs while learning about craftsmanship, proportion, and building techniques. Currently, the 3rd grade Musical Instrument Invention Advertisement Posters are in display in the South Stairwell. 4th grade artists finished their Cartography Connection Maps earlier this month, are they are now learning about American artist, Wayne Thiebaud. He is currently 94 years old and is still a working artist, producing dozens of paintings depicting delicious desserts, candies, and sweets. Students learned how to draw a layered cake with many details such as frosting, icing, caramel, sprinkles, and other drippy designs. The challenging part was to draw the cake in 3-D, and also to make it appear as if several slices are taken out of each layer of the cake. The project requires using lots of correct angles and parallel lines. Next, students will use liquid glue to "ice" their cakes, and give their drawings a drippy texture before using vibrant chalk pastels to finish adding colors. They look scrumptious! 6th grade artists have been completing their Manga Comic Book Panels. The process requires many steps, tons of planning, and incorporation of dramatic angles, scenes, text, sounds effects, and lines in order to draw in the viewer. They will be on display during the Smyser Specials Showcase at the end of May! 7th and 8th grade students have been studying... themselves! Artists learned about the famed work of Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, and Vincent Van Gogh. Students learned about portraiture, and they are currently creating self-portraits of themselves. With a mirror in one hand, and a pencil in the other, students are figuring out unique ways to represent themselves to other. With a special collaborative guidance from 8th grade literature teacher, Mrs. Salyers, Students also created identity "I Am.." free-verse poems and studied the use of metaphors and alliterations. They will use the 18 lines of their poetry to draw into their portraits to create another dimension. Check them out at the Specials Showcase! In other news, thank you to my 4th and 5th grade students in Art Appreciation Club for making the last 20 weeks an amazing time. We had tons of fun creating all sorts of art and designs. From paintings to weavings, to clay sculptures, and jewelry, great job on all your efforts. And a special shout-out to Room 103 in the Main Building, thanks again for letting us use your classroom. Congratulations to the April ARTISTS OF THE MONTH (artwork exhibited in Room 101): 3rd: Sophia Monroy 4th: Martyna Wieczerzak 6th: Aurora Velniciuc 7th: Realyn Aquino Nice Work! The weather is still cold and gray, but Smyser artists are keeping things colorful! Students are producing some new pieces and learning about a variety of topics and issues this month.
1st grade students are observing artwork in stories such as Tar Beach, The Rainbow Fish, and Eric Carle books. Students are learning about illustration and how the images enhance the stories. Students learned about different mediums used for illustration such as painting and mixed media. 3rd grade artists are learning about advertisements. They are learning about how products use ads and commercials to draw the attention of a large group of people using visual language and persuasion. Students learned about musical instrument categories, how to draw instruments, and invented their own instrument creations. Students are creating advertisement posters using lines, shapes, and colors to entice their audience with their new inventions. 4th grade students are learning about the art of cartography, or map making. Students are using rulers to measure correct proportions and planning a road and land map of their ideal future community. They learned about artists such as Matt Cusick and Paula Scher who also incorporate maps into their work. 6th grade students are finishing up a unit on craftsmanship and optical art. Op Art started an a controversial art movement in the 1960's, using modern lines and repetition. Students are using watercolor pencils techniques to finish their groovy designs. 7th and 8th grade artists are currently finishing some political and socially inspired propaganda posters. They are exploring artists such as Shepard Fairey and Banksy to take controversial topics and channel their ideas into a visually powerful piece. Currently, their Emotion Design Diptychs from last month are on display in the Annex Building. Quarter 3 has kicked off to a great start in all of the Art classrooms. Students have been extremely productive in finishing projects. Also, the new upper grade elective classes have been settling in smoothly. 1st grade artists learned Lunar New Year and how cultures have different traditions in Asia. This month, students will be learning about art and storytelling. Students will read and make artworks based on some of Ms. Lee's favorite stories including Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. 3rd grade artists will be starting a new unit this coming week, and their Picasso Twisted Portraits will be on display soon. 4th grade artists are finishing up their Romare Bearden Jazz Collages and discussing the life of the African-American artist and other influential artists during the Harlem Renaissance.
6th grade students are learning about symbolism and icons in Pop Culture. 7th and 8th grade artists are learning about Abstract Art and how to convey and translate emotions into a visual design. As we approach the second half of our school year come Monday, let's reflect back on the past few weeks! Students in first grade have been working on Winter inspired art. Students set New Year's goals and wrote them on decorated snowflakes as a reminder. Currently, they are learning about the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. and the way he helped students of all kinds. Students in classroom 109 have been hands-on during art class. Students experimented with new materials to create art related science projects. Students made minty Scented Snow Slime, Sculptural Colored Puffy Paints, and Marble Reaction Abstract Paintings! 3rd grade artists finished their Chicago Cityscapes, and next they will explore oil pastels to create Pablo Picasso inspired portraits. 4th grade students are working on Harlem Renaissance Jazz Collages. Last month, students completed Supply Still-Lifes. Some finished pieces are currently on display in the Main Building. The Smyser Specials Showcase took place last week! All of the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade artwork was displayed in the cafeteria and students had a chance to view the Art Gallery Exhibit. It was a great success, way to go artists! News Updates: Starting Monday, classroom 101 will be used for Mr. Dupree's music courses. Art will be traveling throughout the 3 buildings with the exceptions of B Day Art Electives. Happy Holidays Smyser!
Despite losing 6 days of school last month, Smyser artists had some great art days and produced many successful pieces! Students in 1st grade learned about Japanese artist, Hokusai. Students used watercolor techniques to create their interpretation of the famous print called, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. Last week, students learned about the different food groups and held an interesting discussion regarding foods, feasts, and celebrations. Students created their own collaged Thanksgiving inspired plates, yum! Currently, students are traveling to Russia to learn about the folk art and traditions behind Matryoshka Dolls. 3rd grade artists have started their Chicago units in their classes. In conjunction with their curriculum, the artists are producing some neat Chicago skyline cityscapes using mixed media: collage, watercolors, markers, and crayons. Keep an eye out for the cityscapes within the next few weeks! 4th grade artists, completed their Surrealism Silhouette Portraits. Some of the finished pieces are being displayed in the stairwells of the Main Building. On some of the pieces, you can read about which surreal images the artists chose to depict. Currently, they are starting a still-life unit. Students will learn about the history of still life art and start practicing how to complete observation drawings from still objects. 6th grade artists have been working diligently on their 8 paneled Manga Comic Books. Students are learning how to narrate and illustrate an interesting short story using a variety of character traits. Students are focusing on drawing their scenes from various angles (zoomed in, panned out, bird's eye view, etc.). We are excited to share the results with everyong during the Smyser Showcase at the end of the quarter! The 7th and 8th grade artists spent the last month taking a break from art making and learning about Art terminology and history. Students learned about the Elements and Principles of Design. What elements make up art? What makes art successful? Students learned about the building blocks, or "ingredients of art" as I like to call them. We also learned how to critique and properly analyze a work of art. Next, students learned about 10 popular Art Movements ranging from Renaissance and Baroque (1400's) all the way through Cubism and Pop Art (1960's). 7th and 8th grade artists will spend the next few weeks working on acrylic paintings using a subject matter and art style of their choice. Art Club on Thursdays have been busy! 4th and 5th grade artists are working hard to create holiday inspired paintings to be used for holiday cards. Some of them will be scanned and printed to create cards you can purchase during the Smyser Santa's Workshop (December 11th). Support our artists by picking some up for your family and friends! As always, donations of all sorts are very appreciated! Thank you to all of our supporters who have been bringing in stacks of magazines, boxes of handmade paper, rolls of paper towels and wipes, and a special thank you to room 4th grade classroom 211 and Mrs. Edwards for the lovely $50.00 Blick Art Materials giftcard last month! Let's have a great rest of December! |
Smyser ArtMs. Lee - Visual Arts Teacher Month
September 2015
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