PARENT CONFERENCES    I would like to extend an invitation to all of you to visit the Art Room when you are in for Parent Conferences. Students have been busy putting their portfolios in order for you. Each student has done their benchmark drawing and many have self-portraits, and other assignments aligned with our Visual Arts Standards in place for you to see. Each classroom has their own marked cubby so individual portfolios are easy to find. Please stop by and check out your child’s artistic growth!

HARVEST The Harvest has been a common topic in the fall for many classes. Vermont’s changing seasons makes this topic very understandable for all of us. The leaves fell, produce has been picked, and gardens prepared for the winter. With several classes, we made autumn backgrounds from leaf rubbings for drawings of trees and rural Vermont landscapes. This simple printmaking process gave the impression of a windy fall day.

Third graders looked at the colors, shapes and lines of various pumpkins and practiced drawing them so they would look three-dimensional. This is achieved by drawing curved lines down from the stem of the pumpkin to the blossom end.  The results were great! It is amazing the difference it makes when students actually look at the object they are drawing. We added watercolor skies and gardens. These are now on display in the hallway from the library to the cafeteria. There are a couple cut paper scarecrows hanging there as well. Most Kindergarteners wanted to take it home but you can get the idea from those that left them with me to hang up. These scarecrows are protecting gardens and were inspired by the book Tattercoats by Bernadette Watts.

Second graders used leaves as a tool in working with pottery clay. They used the slab method of working with clay to roll their clay out flat. They then rolls leaves into their clay and either cut right around the leaf or cut a shape.  This autumn leaf can now be used as a paperweight or container. These should be on their way home! Enjoy!

First graders are learning about the first Thanksgiving and the traditions surrounding the holiday. In Art class we examined ornamental Indian corn and discovered that we could draw them using ovals, circles, and elongated triangles. They used q-tips to paint the kernels. These can be found hanging on cornstalks outside their classrooms.

In Kindergarten, we used Zoe Hall’s book It’s Pumpkin Time as inspiration for collages of pumpkin patches. We first made painted paper by mixing the primary colors to create pages of greens, oranges, and browns. We then cut these papers into gardens, pumpkins and vines.

NATIVE AMERICAN ART                    Maria Martinez, the famous Native American potter from the small pueblo community of San Ildefonso, New Mexico, has been the focus for our third graders as they begin their classroom study of the various tribes of North America. Many of her black coil pots are now owned by museums and Art collectors worldwide. In the video "Maria" released by the National Park Service, she and her son explain the methods they use to create their coil pots. She begins by scattering blue corn kernels to thank the earth for providing her with the red clay and blue sand needed to make the clay. She and her son gather the clay and sift the sand. Adding water to a mixture of clay and sand, she then kneads the clay to a smooth consistency and rolls coils of clay between her hands. She demonstrates how she polishes the dry coiled pot, and her son shows how the designs are painted on with slip … a mixture of clay and water. They then build an outside kiln from dried cedar and cow "chips." The slow smoldering of the kiln is how the black color they are famous for is achieved. We made our own coil pots this week and will be glazing them using some Native American symbols and designs. These will be coming home just before the Holiday break.

While our clay pots are drying, being fired, and glazed, third graders are creating patterned paper. All tribes were weavers to one extent or another using flowers, weeds, and berries as their natural dyes. Students are drawing patterns on paper using one of four tribal designs. Once these designs are drawn on they are coloring them in a limited color palette of three or four colors. Later this year we will be comparing Native American designs to the patterns used by various African cultures in their textiles.

FROM TREES TO LINES Fourth graders transitioned from stylized trees with patterns to a line assignment. We looked at how Mondrian’s art work progressed from realistic landscapes of trees to vertical and horizontal lines and primary colors. He felt these works expressed his thoughts and feelings. He wanted to create a design that placed lines in just the right place to form squares and rectangles. Students found this assignment easy to do yet they all look so different. Each piece has a variety of line and color. Our work can be found hanging in the cafeteria.

BUGS and INSECTS Fourth graders have visited the Audubon Center and have been doing research on bugs and insects. They have snails that they have been sharing between the three classrooms as well. In Art class we drew a large bug or insect in the middle of a 12x12 inch square piece of paper. These were then colored in with crayon. The next part of the assignment was to divide the background into squares, rectangles or diamonds using horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines. We looked at the work of Swiss artist, Paul Klee, and observed how he often used complementary colors to divide the background from his focal object(s). To imitate his style, we are currently using watercolors to paint these areas in. If we used cool colors for our bug, the background is mainly warm colors. Students are having fun mixing colors too. We hope to have these completed shortly after Thanksgiving.

PORTRAITS There is an exhibit of etchings done by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijin (1606-1669) at UVM’s Fleming Museum. It runs until December 14. Check www.flemingmuseum.org for more information. These prints resemble line drawings, so our fifth graders tried their hand at simple black and white line portraits. We then used oil pastels on black paper to draw portraits in the style of Rembrandt’s portrait paintings. As cameras had not been invented by the 1600’s, people would commission an artist to paint a portrait of them or their family. Rembrandt liked to use strong lighting in his work that would then cause the background to be dark and shadowy. These works can be found by the library and outside the Art Room.

Fifth graders are continuing to work on portraits but this time we are looking at the art style called cubism. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Spanish painter and sculptor, was probably the most influential 20th century artist. He was often called the father of Modern Art. He and fellow artist, Georges Braque, originated cubism. Together they started an artistic revolution  in which figures and objects became angular, distorted and flattened into planes of color. Cubism simplifies shape into geometric forms and distorts perspective showing more than one view at once. This new art style came about after Picasso had traveled to northern Africa. There he saw masks that depicted the face as planes of geometric shapes. Our fifth graders have created portraits that depict both a side view and a front view at the same time. They are now painting them using their knowledge of secondary and tertiary colors as well as tints and shades. They are doing a terrific job and I can’t wait to have them finished so everyone can enjoy them.

WANTED From time to time we will be requesting a variety of recyclable materials to use in the Art Room. Right now we could use Cool Whip containers and egg cartons. Also, does anyone have the old type of computer paper where the sheets just run together? We use it as sketch paper and our supply is almost out. If you have any of these items, we would be happy to take them. Just send them in with your child.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!

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