Over the past several weeks, we've worked together to explore still life art, practiced line-drawing techniques, created our own Mini-Museums (a collection objects from our homes representing who we are) and drawn our own still life drawings from them. We're currently in the process of using art to describe "what makes home, home." We hope that you enjoy visiting our webpage!

CAPE - LMS Parent Art Class

Teacher Names: Chela Moreno, Lindy Ayala & Lori Koch

Artist Name: Jessica Mueller

Big Idea: Self Portraiture

Inquiry Question: How can we show who we are as unique individuals through artistic expression?

As Guidance Counselors at Leman Middle School, our passion is working with our students to best support their social-emotional needs during the middle school years. We also share a strong interest in collaborating with Leman families, and the West Chicago community as a whole, to provide family engagement opportunities. When we were approached to co-lead a Parent Art Class through CAPE, we jumped at the chance, and have spent the last several months meeting (virtually) several times a week with our fabulous parent participants!

Our project theme was conceived from a desire to learn more about how West Chicago fits into every parent participant’s life journey. Inquiry has been introduced and integrated through the questions: “What items in your home represent you (Mini Museum)?” and “What household items can you bring together to represent what home means to you (Still Life)?” Through our discussions, we have explored how these items, which we use to create art, make us each unique, as well as connect us to each other.

Our art work has evolved as we have learned how to use the variety of drawing supplies and mediums that CAPE has made available to our parent participants. We began learning and practicing a variety of line drawing techniques using charcoal and graphite. We then used our charcoal and graphite supplies to create still life images. Recently, we’ve begun exploring how to use color with oil pastels and various additives. We will soon continue the exploration of color with watercolor paint.

Our parent participants attended our art class with excitement, enthusiasm, and eagerness to learn. Each participant came with different levels of artistic ability--and each has had an open mind and heart while practicing a variety of drawing techniques and exploring several mediums. As each participant has advanced in her drawing abilities; she has discovered her hidden talents; and, in turn, has become empowered. We’ve learned that this experience has validated the importance of modeling: Our CAPE teaching artist, Jessica, always incorporates modeling/demonstration into the lessons, thus leading to learning, growth, and FUN for our parent participants.

Do you enjoy art, too? Check out these links for terrific guided practice:

Testing Crazy Ways to Blend Colored Pencils: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9wyjILzya0

How to Blend With Oil Pastels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ws6eLe_KLs

6 Very Useful Oil Pastels Techniques (en español): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4gJouhZs2A

Shading--3 Tips on How to Shade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmsSbpsB5Vs

Oil Pastels--Drawing for Beginners With Baby Oil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N10e7UBPC0

Watercolors Dos and Don'ts https://youtu.be/xmcYBdBVDNU

Gretchen's beautiful watercolor paintings! We love to explore with different medium!