Henri Matisse, Goldfish

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was a famous artist. But did you know that his first career was in the Law? He studied hard and did very well until he got appendicitis in 1890. It was then, while recovering from surgery, that his mother tried to amuse him with a gift of a box of paints, a set of brushes, and a do-it-yourself book on painting. Matisse felt for the first time, in his own words, "free, quiet and alone." He would later be known as the artist that was "born to simplify painting." (The World of Matisse, John Russell, Time-Life  Books, NY, (c)1960)

Our Kindergarteners have been studying Matisse's painting, "Goldfish". Their collages represent some pretty serious planning, cutting, and gluing. Great work!

Johnathan L. and Elizabeth C.

                                        

Kara M., Trey W. and Alana R.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shea M. in Mrs. Vigue's class

Cody B. in Mrs. Minke's class

Kaja D. in Ms. Conroy's class

Third Graders Study Cave Art

Did you know that relief sculptures covering the huge wall surfaces of caves were among the first pieces of art created in what is now the United States. Native American cave paintings have recently been found dating over 1000 years old. Like every artist in every age in every medium, the artists had to answer two questions before starting: (1) What will be the subject? and (2) How should I represent it? We have discovered that the answer to the first question was almost always animals, and the answer to the second question was that the animals were presented in strict profile. (Gardner's Art Through the Ages, Twelfth edition, Volume 1)

Lilianna B. - Mr. Wolfrath's class

Oliver H. - Ms. LaDuke's class

Carson Q. - Mrs. Hensler's class

Jordan S. - Ms. Mitchell's class

Our imitation of Native American cave paintings (pictographs) were made with paint, crayon, and oil pastels. Aren't they authentic?!

Kindergarten Talent!

Here's a sampling of the work the Kindergartners completed
today. All we need is a few good imaginations to put this
rock community into action.

Welcome Back Students and Parents!

I'm so happy to have the students back in the art room! As I write this, I have met with Kindergarten and First and Second Grades. I'll see Third and Fourth Grades tomorrow and Thursday. Although we have been busy taking care of "housekeeping" details like fire drill and foul weather practices, and going over the Rules of the Art Room, we have managed to squeeze in a little time for art! Our Kindergarteners are creating a community out of rocks that I found at Honeymoon Island last weekend. They'll be able to play all sorts of imagination games with them this year when they have "free choice" time.

All grade levels, including Kindergarten, will be working on a project for International Day of Peace on September 21, 2011. Each student will add his or her artwork to a peace sign. First grade students started today. They looked at Vincent VanGogh prints and selected "shapes" from the prints to include in their peace signs.

Don't miss Back to School Night on Thursday. The "Specials" are going to make the rounds to all of the classrooms to introduce ourselves. We thought it might be helpful for you to see our class rules, so we are posting them on our blogs. (See below.) Please follow our blogs...we'll be keeping you posted on everything "special".

Once again, Welcome Back!

Rules of the Art Room

Be Honest.

Be Courteous.

Respect Others.

Never Throw Anything!

Third Grade Pastel Self-Portraits

These self-portraits have become sort of a tradition in the Lower Division at Shorecrest. The children trace a black and white photograph, being very careful to leave themselves clues as to where the value changes occur. Then, using mirrors for color clues, they add color to their drawings with chalk pastels. With careful blending and attention to detail, the portraits are bound to be successful.

Kindergarten Program Set

My son, Tyler, helped me create the set for Kindergarten this year. His dog, Seymour, was also a big help :) This photo shows us getting started on the set for "Goldie and the Three Bears". The program was a hit!

Third Grade Punctuated Pottery

Third graders studied Native American pottery by imitating the style of the pottery discovered at our own Wheedon Island. Follow this link to learn more: http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/weedonisland.html