Advanced Art students created puppets using sewing materials and a sock. For many of my students, it is their first time working with fabric, needles, and thread—an exciting, hands-on experience they’ll always remember. Students learned basic stitching techniques while exploring character design.

This is one of my favorite lessons to do each year with sixth grade! Students created self-portraits in the style of Tim Burton. Students learned about shading and how to use light and dark values on toned paper.

Students started with a famous work of art then made changes to it. Students completed their drawings by adding value and texture. Many students decided to make their artworks spooky!

Seventh and eighth grade students set up a still life and completed a variety of drawing exercises. Students completed a continuous contour drawing (where they could not pick up their pencil) and a blind contour drawing (where they could not look at their paper). Students also drew the same still life drawing in 10 minutes, 1 minute, and 10 seconds! 

The advanced art class went outside and created artworks out of sidewalk chalk inspired by fall! 

Eighth grade students in advanced art always look forward to the opportunity to paint a block on the wall in the art classroom. These are permanent additions to the classroom and have been a tradition for over 20 years!

Advanced Art students created animal paintings using acrylic paint. Students first cropped a photo of an animal of their choice. They were then given a canvas where they sketched their animal and then painted, making sure to blend paint smoothly and match the colors of their animal.

Advanced art created sculptures out of cardboard after learning about mandalas. A mandala is a geometric design. In their most basic form, mandalas are circles contained within a square and arranged into sections that are all organized around a single, central point. Mandalas hold a great deal of symbolism in a variety of cultures. Students also learned about balance, symmetry, asymmetry, and radial symmetry.

Students in the eighth grade art class created abstract paintings using a paint pouring technique. 

We have a variety of artworks in the display case at school! Advanced Art students created puppets using sewing materials and a sock. Students also created abstract mixed media paintings which can be seen in the background.

Advanced Art students were given a book at the beginning of the year to repurpose and create into an art journal.  Check out their progress so far!

Seventh and eighth grade students were given a ball of clay and created their own unique tic-tac-toe boards and game pieces! Many students decided to create a theme for their ceramic game boards.