Come One, Come All... 2nd Annual MS Fine Arts Night!

Our 2nd Annual Middle School Fine Arts Night will be held on January 11, 2012 in the Black Box Theatre from 7:00-8:30pm. It was such a success and so much fun last year, that we couldn't wait to host another! The night will feature performances by the 5^th and 7^th grade drama classes, 8^th grade band, 6^th grade musicians, 8^th grade dance company, 8^th grade programming class, readings by 7^th grade digital publications students and 5-6^th grade artwork will be on display. Refreshments will follow! 

Gingerbread House!

Well, after four days of hard work, my advisory finished their gingerbread house (more on the previous years here), and I must admit that I think it's the best one yet! The girls and I decided to do Santa's Workshop, complete with a little stable for "reindeer parking." We'll find out the winners of the contest after break, but I am feeling pretty good about our chances! Here are some photos of the house in progress and the end result- enjoy! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aztec Sun Stone Prints

          The Aztec Sun Stone is a revered Mexican artifact that is said to be perhaps the most famous symbol of Mexico besides its flag. The Sun Stone was discovered and excavated in 1970. The original basalt version measures 12 feet by 4 feet thick, weighs 24 tons, and is on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Because of the carved hieroglyphs, with the names of the days and the cosmogonic suns, the Aztec Sun Stone was first incorrectly identified as a calendar stone. Actually it has been a "temalacatl“, a round stone used to tie captive warriors in gladiatorial sacrifices. Only recently deciphered, it actually tells the history of the four great disasters which caused the migrations of the Native Americans who would ultimately build the great TENOCHTITLAN (Mexico City, today).
Fifth graders used the Sun Stone as inspiration to create their own sun designs for printmaking. They used graph paper to create designs that were stylized, simplified and symmetrical which they transferred to a rubber-like printing plate. Using a tool called a gouge, students focused on balancing the positive and negative space in their carving. Finished plates were printed with colorful inks and papers to create a series of prints for display!

 

Projects in Progress

Here are some recent pics of what's going on in the art room right this minute!
 
Sixth graders are working on their Warm and Cool Portrait/Tessellation paintings. Students start by painting the tessellation backgrounds in either a warm or cool color scheme. Meanwhile, one by one, they come up to the board to trace light and dark shapes from a projected digital image of their face which they will paint in the opposite scheme:

Art History students spent today painting under the tables while lying on the floor, attempting to see what it felt like for Michelango as he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel from high up on a scaffolding. Students agreed that it was definitely uncomfortable to paint this way, as well as more difficult to do it well. Several of them ended up with paint splatters on their faces- EXACTLY what I hoped would happen!

Seventh graders worked for the past three weeks or so on coiled pots with red clay after learning about the pottery of ancient Greece. Here is a photo of the pots drying on the shelves in the kiln room. While we wait for them to dry, students have started their next project- a shaded portrait drawing.

Eighth graders are working on acrylic paintings of sweet treats based on the artwork of my favorite painter, Wayne Thiebaud. We hope to finish them by winter break and they are really coming along!

My Advisory eagerly started working on a giant gingerbread house today- a collaboration between us and the kitchen staff. This is the third year we are participating, and last year we won second place! We are creating "Santa's Workshop," complete with stable for reindeer:

A 5th grade finished project post coming soon!!!

Sixth Grade & Sixth Age Buddies

Last month my Advisory girls mentioned that they would love to do something with "little kids" at Calvert, so I emailed the 6th Age team to see if anyone was interested in partnering up to do an activity together. Mrs. Clark eagerly agreed and we arranged for her class to come over during our Advisory period today to make a Thanksgiving craft and share some sweets.

After getting matched with a new friend or two, the "big kids" helped the "little kids" write down things that they are thankful for on small foam leaf shapes with permanent markers. They then hot glued the leaves to tree branches to create "Trees of Thanks" that they can use for a Thanksgiving centerpiece next week! Both classes really enjoyed getting to know one another and we look forward to doing a winter activity together in January!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faculty Art Class!

Do you remember the faculty drawing class that I offered last year? It was so fun and rewarding for me to do that I decided to offer another one this winter! Every Tuesday from last week until winter break (so six weeks),  I am teaching a group of eleven Calvert faculty members, but this time it is ceramics! I happen to have all women this time around and it has already proven to be a fabulous experience after only two weeks. It's super casual and relaxing as we all chit chat and make pottery together. I taught the "class" about the kind of stoneware clay that we are using and about some basic properties of clay and glazes, and then showed them how to create coiled vessels, which is what they are all working on now. Here is a photo from yesterday, and I will be sure to share some finished products with you as they develop!

Birds of a Feather

This afternoon I attended a "Birds of a Feather" meeting with other area independent Middle School Art Teachers at Gilman School. Nine teachers were present and it was a great opportunity for us to network, ask each other for advice or tips about issues that arise in our own art rooms, and to share successful lesson plans. I shared my two recent 7th grade lessons, Multimedia Still Life and Andy Goldsworthy Earth Art, which of course impressed everybody :)