September 2024

Kindergarten/1st grade students are learning about drawing a variety of lines, the first basic Element of Art. Some are creating an oil-pastel turtle inspired by the character Tartuga in the Book, Mañana Iguana by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by Ethan Long (see top right). This re-telling of The Little Red Hen story features Spanish-speaking desert animals. The students are learning a few Spanish words because of the Spanish words sprinkled in the text of the book, which we are reading in class. They will paint their turtles with watercolors which will create some wax resistance, and create a collage that centers the turtle in a desert, learning about the habitat where some turtles live. This exercise will also give students practice using a pait of scissors and glue. Other kindergarten students are practing drawing a variety of lines with pencils and crayons. They will create a work of art that suggests a bright sun radiating sun rays in a Mexican folk-art style.These will be painted with watercolors too. 

Second graders are practicing line making via a Huichol-inspired cat. The Huichol people live in Mexico and are descendants of the ancient Aztecs. Huichol artists use the resin from trees to glue brightly colored yarns on wood. These images are inspired by of their dreams, stories and legends honoring the Huichol culture. Images of nature including local animals, the sun, rain, wind, earth, plant life, fire and more are central to their works (see middle right). Our students' cats will be drawn as stiches as if the students are using yarn. The cats will be adorned with patterns of nature the students will invent and collage onto a colorful background layered with Mexican folk-art plant life. 

Fourth/Fifth graders, are creating sketchbooks that will contain a variety of prompts and exercises that reinforce knowlege and practice of all fourteen Elements of Art and Principles of Design. They will also create a work of art inspired by contemporary Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel who began his career as a street artist in Santander, Spain. Today his outside murals can be found in the United States, Mexico, Japan, Chile, Norway, and  India, while other works can be found in museums in Spain, Portugal and Brazil. He mixes geometric patterns with organic shapes that make a striking contrast (see bottom right). Our students will study color theory and create a work of art that also combines geometric patterns with organic shapes in a color combination of their choosing.

Stay tuned. Student works will be posted as soon as they are completed.