Welcome to

Mrs. Gorruso's Art Class

Thanks for stopping by! This site is your go-to place for all things art at Jennings Elementary. Click on any photo to explore more about each project, or use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate. If you ever have questions or just want to connect, feel free to reach out — I’d love to hear from you! Contact: agorruso@fairfieldschools.org

Enjoy exploring!

Jennings’ 2025 Dot Day Mural

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)

Concentric Circles (1913)

Circles in Circle (1923)

Kindergarten

Kindergarten artists were introduced to the work of abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky and explored how simple shapes can create exciting works of art. Students practiced tracing circles of many different sizes and experimented with oil pastels for the first time, filling their papers with colorful circular designs. We then learned how to use tempera paint cakes to carefully paint inside the shapes, turning our drawings into vibrant abstract paintings. Through this project, students strengthened their ability to recognize and create basic lines and shapes, practiced using tracing tools effectively, and built early drawing skills that help them represent objects from their environment. This lesson also supported fine motor control, creative decision-making, and confidence in using new art materials.

Texture Rubbings

Claude Monet (1840-1926)

Monet's Bridge watercolor painting

First Grade

First Grade has been busy exploring both texture and color! To begin, students went on a texture scavenger hunt around our art room. Using crayons with the wrappers removed, they created crayon rubbings of different surfaces like the wall, floor, and other exciting textures they found. This activity helped them recognize a variety of textures and experiment with creating texture through rubbing techniques—building important observational and motor skills.

Next, we dove into a lesson inspired by Claude Monet’s garden and bridge. First graders learned about warm and cool colors and where those colors exist in the world around them. They practiced mixing and applying warm and cool colors to create their own vibrant interpretations of Monet’s bridge. Through this project, students increased their understanding of color relationships while practicing careful application and thoughtful color choices.

Through both experiences, students worked on important visual art objectives like identifying and creating texture, recognizing color in their environment, and exploring how colors can express mood and space.

Second Grade

Second Grade artists combined drawing, pattern, and painting in a detailed sea turtle project inspired by Zentangle designs. Students followed a guided drawing to create a turtle, then selected pattern designs at their own skill level to fill the sections of the shell and body. This allowed each child to work at an appropriate challenge level while exploring creative pattern choices. We discussed how artists use repeating patterns and how patterns appear in both artwork and the natural world. Students practiced identifying and creating “ABC” and “ABCD” pattern sequences as they designed their turtles.

To complete the piece, students painted their turtles using tempera paint and created a cool-colored watercolor background. A sprinkle of salt added a special textured water effect, encouraging experimentation with painting techniques and materials. Through this project, students strengthened their understanding of pattern, improved their paint handling skills, and practiced using art tools thoughtfully and effectively while making individual creative decisions.

Teacher example of the turtle guided drawing

Zentangles

Salt & watercolor technique / effects

Mexican Alebrijes

Fine detail work of Oaxacan artisans

Giant alebrije artwork on dispaly in San Fransisco

Third Grade

Third Grade artists explored the colorful world of Mexican folk art by creating their own clay animals inspired by alebrijes. Alebrijes (pronounced ah-leh-BREE-hehs ) are bright, imaginative sculptures that originated in Oaxaca, Mexico and often combine features from different animals to create fantastical creatures. Students chose two animals and designed a brand-new hybrid animal, beginning with a planning sketch to think through structure, balance, and details before building.

Using earthen clay, students carefully constructed their sculptures, learning how to join pieces using the score, slip, and smooth technique to create a stable and balanced structure. After firing, they glazed their animals with vibrant solid colors and added detailed patterns using ceramic markers. Throughout this month-long project, students strengthened their understanding of the difference between shapes and three-dimensional forms, explored how sculptures are built and balanced, and practiced selecting and using a variety of tools and materials. They also expanded their color knowledge by applying color in thoughtful, layered ways to bring their fantasy creatures to life.

Fourth Grade

Fourth Grade artists explored the exciting technique of sgraffito with oil pastels. Sgraffito, which means “to scratch,” allows artists to create detailed designs by scratching away layers of color to reveal the colors underneath. Students first practiced six different oil pastel techniques during our “Oil Pastel Boot Camp” to build confidence with the medium. For this project, they worked with warm colors on the inside of their designs and cool colors on the outside, using tools like popsicle sticks and wooden stylus tools to carefully scratch and reveal patterns.

As they created their pieces, students practiced important design principles such as unity, repetition, balance, and symmetry. They learned how to use the elements of design intentionally in a two-dimensional composition and explored how balance and asymmetry can make a work of art more dynamic. This project encouraged precision, thoughtful planning, and creativity, while reinforcing foundational art concepts that will support all future 2D design work.

Oil Pastel Boot Camp Challenges

Teacher example of Sgraffiti Heart

Different types of Balance

Glaze colors

Pinch pot monsters

Bobble heads

Fifth Grade
Fifth Grade artists are making great progress on their clay projects! After weeks of planning, building, and decorating their sculptures—ranging from relief slabs to fully three-dimensional forms—students are now in the glazing phase, adding vibrant colors to complete their work.

Throughout this project, students have been meeting key art objectives: they have created three-dimensional forms using additive and subtractive methods, explored different techniques for constructing sculptures, and used a variety of tools to add textures and surface details. They’ve also discussed various forms of sculpture and gained a deeper understanding of the process for creating stable 3D structures, while selecting and applying materials thoughtfully to bring their artistic visions to life. The glazing stage allows students to continue refining their skills in careful application, color choice, and finishing techniques, resulting in dynamic, personal artworks.

Chia Pets

Relief African Masks

Slab Fish

Photos from the Art Room

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