The fifth graders are ending their school year creating vibrant and colorful still life pictures. They go through a step by step method of applying the oil pastel choosing colors for contrast, harmony, and to create a sense of dimension. When a creamy layer covers the entire page, finishing touches are added then acrylic varnish is applied. These make a great framable reminder of elementary school art.
Some classes get a little extra art based on the calendar and schedule. These fifth graders will get a mini drawing unit and cover shading and Zentangle art.
The fifth graders love the clay dragons. By now everyone should have made one. The last loads of dragons will be fired over the next few weeks. These are painted with watercolor and metallic paint for colorful finish. By then end of February the dragons will all be home.
In quarter two, fifth graders create a colorful self-portrait. This project begins with a look at Andy Warhol's life and art. Then we borrow Warhol's idea of making multiple images in one picture. The students then learn about Picasso and Matisse, two artists who experimented with color, patterns and styles. The children applied elements of the styles of these artists to their own work. The students also chose a color scheme and applied this to one of their portrait boxes.
Finally, one of the four boxes was a 'free choice' box to be done as the student chose.
As quarter two transitions to quarter three we will be creating small sculptures of a dragon in clay.
In quarter one, fifth grade artists were thinking about personal preferences for imagery, color, and symbol. The students create a personal symbol to represent their goals for their fifth grade year. We look at a slide show of circle design images from around the world. Many cultures make art in a circular design. These are sometimes called 'mandalas' - which means circle.
The students create their own circle design. First the images are sketched in pencil on black paper. Next, the images are colored with white colored pencil with varying degrees of pressure to obtain a variety of values. Finally, colored pencil is applied. The images begin to glow as white shines through different colors. Some students make a picture inside their circle. Others will create a symmetrical design. Or they may create a hybrid of symmetry and pictures. It is a personal choice. After they are finished they write a paragraph about their work explaining the meaning and their choices. These are mounted on colored paper for a beautiful display. Several of these will be kept for display at Comerica Bank or in our front office.