by Lori Meusch

September 18, 2008

            Art is off to a very colorful and creative beginning this year.  We have reviewed the color wheel in Kindergarten including the primary and secondary colors.  They are also exploring pattern and texture with our version of creative caterpillars.  First grade completed painted color wheels and are also discovering texture.  We read Maurice Sendak’s book, Where The Wild Things Are.  This award winning book has amazing illustrations of the use of line and simulated textures.  The students create their own Wild Things, with the techniques they have learned.  The second grade class is working on a Navajo weaving in coordination with their Social Studies unit on Native American cultures, and are also exploring texture and completing a landscape or oceanscape using shape and texture rubbing.  The third grade class will be completing color wheels in the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. 

Fourth grade explored warm and cool colors, neutrals, and monochromatics and have now moved on to a study of feature placement.  They are working on partner portraits, and building on skills they have used in previous years.  The fifth grade has moved from a study of color schemes, and will be studying the work of Henri Matisse.  They will incorporate a study of the proportion of the body with Matisse’s use of color.  Sixth grade will soon look into the work of Pablo Picasso and discover that the use of color can be very subjective.  Many artists like Picasso used color to express a variety of emotions, and responses from the viewer.  The class has experimented with several watercolor techniques that they will use to complete a non-objective colored resist.  They will be using to materials to paint the objects in colors other than as they naturally may appear.