Leslie Abbott

Our Art Studio

Our art studio is a bright, colorful space, ready for students’ creativity to soar!

In Art, our areas of learning include:

• Encouraging creative expression through observation, perception, and development of technical skills.

• Exploring a variety of art movements and artists as we connect the historical and cultural relevance of art to our everyday lives.

• Developing critical thinking and social-emotional learning skills as we evaluate and respond to artworks.

Students are encouraged to explore, experiment, make “beautiful oopses,” play, work through frustrations, giggle, and get messy as we create, observe, and respond to art.

Students in Kindergarten through 5th grades come to Music, Art, and PE on a 3-day Specials rotation.

Dress for a Mess

The art studio is an organized place to encourage routines and our creativity. We will start and end each class with a clean art studio. But in between, we will get messy. While many of our supplies are washable, we also regularly use permanent supplies. Smocks are available. However, accidents still happen and sometimes even a "washable" medium on a fabric may stain. Please take this into consideration when your child is choosing what to wear to school on Art days. Dress for a mess!

Projects

I am thrilled to collaborate with Ms. Jerome on our projects this year! Our focus is process over product to encourage students to take artistic risks and broaden their learning. Each of our process projects is based on the elements of art and principles of design. Throughout the year, projects include drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpting, collage, fiber art, and digital art. Projects are often theme-based, drawing inspiration from nature, historical and contemporary artworks and artists, and our personal stories. Within each theme, students enjoy choice and creative freedom for their unique creative expression.

Throughout the year, student artwork will be on exhibit in the main hallway of BCE.

Each student will save their work in their portfolio over the school year. This gives students an opportunity to reflect on their progress and inspire future projects. It also saves their masterpieces from being crumpled into their backpacks when coming home. Portfolios for the year will be sent home in mid-May.

Talk About It

The seven elements of art — line, shape, color, texture, form, space, and value — are our tools and art language. We will begin learning about the elements of art the first week of school and weave the vocabulary into all projects throughout the year. Asking your child how they used different elements of art in their projects is a great conversation starter and bridges the home-school connection for their learning. In addition to the elements of art, the principles of design — emphasis, pattern, movement, contrast, balance, proportion, and unity — are the ways we organize the elements of art in each project.