Exploration 1

Whistle glazing

Clay work is not a fast process! Before break we created clay whistles. The whistles have gone through their first firing and are in the process of being glazed. Once glazed, they will be put back into the klin to fire a second time then they will be ready to take home!

Exploration 4

Chalk Pastel Space

Fourth-grade artists participated in an art challenge sponsored by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope #UnfoldTheUniverse Art Challenge. The challenge was to create what you think the telescope will find once it is in space. Artists got to explore chalk pastels. We experimented with some different techniques and then topped off our galaxies with stars using a toothbrush and paint! We had so much fun completing this challenge and are excited to see if our display will be chosen to be included on NASA's James Webb Space telescope website.

Exploration 3

Coming to a house near you after the break: CLAY WHISTLES!!!

Covid put a cramp in our clay-making the last couple of years so our fourth-grade artists were MORE than ready to get their hands on some clay! Fourth-grade artists learned about how different cultures use clay to create various musical instruments which play an integral role in their cultural identity. Making whistles is not easy business and these fourth-graders showed so much grit and resilience as we struggled through the learning pit together to create instruments that actually make noise! Every artist started with the same basic form and then have been turning their whistles into unique creations using various clay-making techniques. After break, we will fire the whistles, glaze them, and then they will get to take them home!!!

Exploration 2

Tessellations

Fourth-grade artists have begun a Math/ Art remix! Art can truly be found in everything and we relish in providing opportunities in the art studio to amplify those connections! Artists began with the basic translation style tessellation. Translation style is where the tessellation form is repeated in a sliding motion, keeping the same orientation as the original tessellation. There are also more complex forms of tessellations that get into mirroring and rotation. Building foundations in order to later provide opportunities for further development is so important in the creative process. Artists began by creating their tessellation form. Once created, the tessellation form will be repeated to fill the paper! After the tessellation is traced, students begin to customize their creativity to bring the tessellations to life!

Exploration 1

Unidentified art exercise

Fourth-grade artists participated in a fun drawing exercise that builds skills for describing art. One person is the artist/describer while the other artists participate as the identifiers. The artist/describer draws a basic image without letting the identifiers see. The artist/describer then explains step by step how to draw the image. As the identifiers begin to follow the drawing steps, they may begin to gather guesses as to what they are drawing! At the end of the steps, everyone shares their drawing to discover what the image was. Sometimes identifiers follow the exact instructions and their drawing still turns out differently! This is a great visual reminder of how important describing art can be and how everyone interprets information differently! Maybe you can have your artist lead this exercise at home!

Exploration 1

Fourth-grade artists were introduced to the Japanese concept of Notan. This concept is based on the balance of light and dark. Using these concepts as a jumping point, we explored contrast, positive and negative space. Artists created shapes and then cut the shapes in order to reassemble a high-contrast work of art. This was a great way to further develop our cutting skills as well as understanding mirroring images.

Exploration 2

Dream art based on depth concepts

Fourth-grade artists are exploring physical depth in artwork. Artists were introduced to three contemporary artists. Jordan Casteel, Jesse T Hummingbird, and Gulsun Karamustafa all show examples of depth in their work. The main concepts that help define depth are foreground, mid-ground, and background. Artists can identify these concepts within art and will be creating artwork based on these concepts with the topic of dreams and goals they have for themselves.