4/5 Wycinanki Cut Outs

Wycinanki is a Polish word for paper-cut designs. These beautiful paper cut-outs have been used to decorate the interior of Polish homes since the early 19th century! The 4/5s tried their hand at their own Wycinanki designs. They drew out their idea, copied it onto colored paper, carefully cut away the negative areas, and then glued it to a contrasting backing paper.

Completed

Unfolding the cut design

Checking the cuts

Another finished work

Middle School Students Sculpt Food

An introduction to Pop Art and the large food sculptures of Claes Oldenburg, were the jumping off point for the middle school students to begin a unit on sculpting food. After a demonstration of the sculptural possibilities of working with water and strong toilet paper, the students sketched out a couple of ideas and began building their creations. Realizing that one key to success is using as little water as possible, the forms of bagels, pizza, fish fries and bowls of ice cream began to take shape. Once the proper form is achieved, the items will be painted and arranged on plates to look like the real meal!

Getting the feel for this unusual medium

Building an Oreo

Painting a muffin top

Adding the final glaze coat

A dish of pasta and meatballs

Yummy ice cream sandwich

Cherry pie a al mode

Donuts!

4/5s Learn About Ted Harrison

In keeping with our wintery theme for this chilly January, the 4/5 students looked at the colorful and somewhat stylized landscape paintings of the Canadian artist Ted Harrison. They noticed Harrison's way of breaking up areas into horizontal bands of color, separated by distinct lines. They sketched out ideas based on his work, made final drawings, went over pencil lines with white crayon to retain the separate areas, and painted with liquid watercolors that have the capacity to be quite intense. 

After all the lines are drawn, adding color

Beginning to paint

Different areas of blues

An atmospheric sky

A finished landscape showing distinct separation of color areas

One more

K/1s Make Paper Mache Owls

After a rather extensive two-dimensional owl exploration, the K/1s are building small paper mache owls. Beginning with a cardboard tube, they added newspaper layers to plump out the body, then worked in wings and feet and will end with paint in owl colors and textures. Getting used to the paper mache glue was a new sensation for many of the students!

First coat of paper mache

Squeezing back the excess glue

Covering the head

Some wing cutting advice

Gluing the wings on the owls

A solid coat of paint for a snowy owl

Focused on the right colors

With eyes and a beak

Complete!

2/3s Draw Dinosaur Skeletons

A dinosaur study is beginning in the 2/3 class. Investigations are happening in science and the classroom, while in art class renderings of the dinosaur each student is studying are underway. Each child  drew the skeleton of their dinosaur, just like you see in the museums. When the drawing is finished, the students will build a paper mache model.

Discovering the ins and outs of the dinosaur's spine

Increasing the intensity with Sharpie

Working on the vertebrae

Building the armature for the paper mache dinosaur

Attaching legs with masking tape

Getting the right body shape

Beginning paper mache

Smoothing the head

Adding plates down the back

Finishing touches to the paper mache

Painting in all the small spots

A new angle

First pass at painting

A herd of dinos!

Polar bears in Winter for 4/5s

With watery blue and purple paint the 4/5s created polar landscapes. They salted the watery sky to look starry and placed plastic wrap over the bottom to look icy. Polar bear stencils were drawn and cut and thick white paint was dabbed on the background using the bear stencil to finish the scene. There were numerous steps to this little project, but everyone helped each other and the pictures are beautifully atmospheric and wintery.

The watery purple sky

Adding a moon

Two finished pictures

K/1s and 2/3s Look Closely at Owls

Two borrowed rather realistic looking stuffed owls have taken up temporary residence in the art room tying in nicely to the K/1 owl study unit. The 2/3s are taking advantage of the owls to also get a close look and try their hand at drawing them with charcoal and pastel. Basic shapes and textures have been noted and the sides and ends of the chalks have been used to get the fluffy feeling of these birds feathers as well as their sharp beaks and claws.

The great horned owl's horns

Feather texture

Gaining control of the charcoal

Forming a beak

Pastels on black paper

Blending colors

Noticing lots of details on the feathered chest

One section of the finished owl wall