 3rd & 4th graders have the future in their hands! Students learned about printmaking, and creating a plate to print from. Studying their own individual fingerprints and palms, we discussed how each of our prints would be unique, and our hands could be a symbol of our identity.  
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 Kindergarten, first, and second graders learned about printmaking this week! Upon reading The Big Orange Spot, a book about being different, and discussion the role of kindness and love in our school to show appreciation for our peers around us, we began our heart printmaking project to show love. Carving relief plates, students then made prints of their hearts using acrylic paints. They ooh'ed and ahh'ed constantly as the print separated from the plate! Students were so excited to learn a new medium in art!   "Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all." -Emily Dickinson  One of my all-time favorite lessons to teach, these clay birds are filled with magic! 3rd and 4th graders studied Emily Dickinson's poem on hope, and we discussed how metaphor is prevalent in art and writing. Students then created their own birds and stamped into them a hope or dream for the future. Upon firing in the kiln, students learn the technique of mishima, where underglaze gets painted on the clay, then scrubbed off, leaving only traces in the designs and stamped words--highlighting the beauty of the texture and their hope/dream! Aren't these a dream?     5th graders learned about contemporary artist Robert Indiana, known best for his grid-like LOVE sculpture in Philadelphia and New York City. Students could recall seeing other designs inspired by the iconic LOVE piece. Upon learning that Indiana was a writer and believed the word was a powerful work of art, students set out to create their own powerful pieces. Students were instructed to brainstorm on a four letter word that said something you want everyone in the world to have. From the conventional love also came hope, cash, food, beds, pets, safe (for safety), kind (for kindness), life, and more. Students worked individually, and some classes worked on a larger scale to display at the Spring Art Show. Some fifth graders stated this was their favorite project of the year! I HOPE these pieces make you feel as much LOVE as they did for me!     Multiple grade levels studied Kirra Jamison, a contemporary abstract painter who works large, colorfully, and with many lines and shapes--perfect for elementary students! This project was particularly interesting for students as they discovered how to draw and paint overlapping shapes and lines. 3rd graders in particular worked with a partner to create a large-scale loop design. See more at the Art Show on April 11th!    I was just as excited as our 5th graders to see what our fancy new crystal gem glazes looked like...and they are AMAZING! Check out those melty, iridescent, gold and multi-colored speckles. So interesting!  Upon review of the contents and origin of clay and the kiln process, 5th graders created a variety of coils to design their pots. Using scoring and slipping methods, students adhered coils together to create unique pottery. Upon firing, students glazed their pieces with either a normal glaze (glaze is liquid glass!), or a speckled gem glaze, which added even more variety, a principle of design!    First graders are studying CONTINENTS in their EXSTREAM courses! After discussing the continent of Asia, we discuss India and their celebratory tradition for henna, or mehndi. Many students have had henna or seen it in person and are excited to share their experiences! Upon looking at several examples of henna, a discussion on how it is applied and when/why, students trace around their hand, cut, and add henna-specific designs. Their immaculate drawings are incredible!      "Only in the darkness can we see the stars." -MLK Jr. Martin Luther King's quote was inspiration for this clay project. We discussed positivity and looking at the bright side of things even when things are hard. We used oil pastels and a black paint resist to decorate our gorgeous stars!     Kindergarten, First, and Second graders studied the origin of clay and explored the medium by making coils, pinch pots, spoons, hearts, and stars. Our first and second graders created hearts inspired by "something I love," which was stamped into the coil heart with letter stamps.   Our beautiful Kindness Rock Garden was installed in November on Heathrow's campus! Inspired by the Kindness Rocks Project, anyone is free to contribute to our garden or be inspired to make their own at home or in a public place! Have a peek whenever you are walking through campus.     |
