Second and Third Graders Paint Dutch Doorways

                         Ada working on her doorway painting

                        Veda and Clare working on their paintings 

An introduction to the Dutch master Jan Vermeer  linked to classroom studies of the early settlers in New York. Noticing that Vermeer often viewed his subjects through a window or doorway and working with accuracy and detail, the students created doorways and scenes beyond or within them. Using watercolors and Sharpies they painted compositions that were careful in execution and often fanciful in inspiration. 

Fourth and Fifth Graders Drawing a Bicycle

                     Students drawing the road bike

The fourth and fifth grade students spent several classes closely observing a bicycle, carefully drawing it, adding a background and then adding a rider!

Fourth and Fifth Grade Historical Puppets

                     Harvey Milk, Gandhi, MLK, Helen Keller, and more

                       Lincoln, Louis Armstrong, Crazy Horse and more

The fourth and fifth graders spent the last few months creating extraordinary hand puppets of specific  historical characters they had studied in class. They made the heads from paper mache, painted them, added yarn hair, sewed their clothes and finally added an artifact to help the viewer accurately identify their character. They are amazing!

Middle School Students Drawing a Bicycle

                         Zara, Kiki, and Nora drawing the Bianchi

                       Zali and Zara looking at the bike

As an exercise in observational drawing, the middle school students closely observed Jack's Bianchi road bike, and discovered many intricate shapes and forms that presented fine drawing challenges. The results of their efforts were impressive.