Middle School Students Paint with Acrylics on Canvasboards

Working on the clouds

Trying out the table easels

After learning about Impressionism and Surrealism, the 6/7/8th grade students took a trip to Williamstown, Ma. to view paintings at the Clark Art Institute and the Williams College Museum. They returned to school and began trying their hands at acrylic on canvasboard with either the Impressionists or Surrealists in mind.

K/1s Painting Bird Nests and Eggs

Painting the Pileated Woodpecker's home

Adding final touches to the Blue Jay's tree

After the K/1s constructed three-dimensional models of the birds they studied in the classroom, they painted a picture of their bird's nest and eggs. The pictures and birds were then assembled into a Classroom Native Bird Pop-Up Book.

2/3 Painting Wood Sculptures

Painting sculptures

Working together

Concentrating on the details

After completing construction of their wood sculptures, the 2/3s looked at pictures of Mexican Oaxacan carved animals and began painting their work using bright colors and lots of beautiful lines, dots and swirls.

2/3s Making Wood Sculptures

Gluing pieces together

Assembling the sculpture

The 2/3s built wood sculptures that turned into creatures or creations. Students glued together scraps of wood and then painted them to make sculptures that looked interesting (or fierce, or friendly) from all angles.

K/1s Making Birds Native to the Northeast

Piecing the blue bird together

Cutting out the song sparrow

In conjunction with the classroom study of native birds the K/1s each worked on making the bird they studied. After accurately painting their bird's nest with eggs, a class pop-up bird book was crafted with the birds flying out of their nests. Each student made an additional bird so that they’d have one that they could take home.

Middle School Self-Portrait Collage

Finding the right hair papers

Working on the face

Middle School students drew their self-portraits in pencil and then added a touch of color of their choosing. They copied the self-portrait and began making a collage of their likeness using different colors, patterns and textures, from torn colored paper and magazines.

4/5 Self Portraits

Coordinating the background

Adding pattern and color to the background

The 4/5s work with colored pencils as they study their image in the mirror and try to capture the proper placement and proportions of their features.