Congrats!Hello dear readers! Congratulations to nine Olive Owls whose artwork I featured at the Dunton Administration Building. Their talent and creativity is truly impressive, and their art will be on display for the rest of the school year. Featured Artists: Emma Jones (4th grade) Aarna Banerjee (4th grade) Natalie Rich (6th grade) Philip Malloy (4th grade) Nora Camp (3rd grade) Marcella Krause (3rd grade) Ella Tiegelmann (3rd grade) Madelyn Searle (5th grade) Miller McLaughlin (2nd grade) KindergartenMuch of my kindergarten curriculum is focused on skill building and learning the essentials of being an artist. Miss. Vega's class began the year with developing their color mixing skills. After reading the story Mouse Paint, they mixed primary colors together to make secondary colors. They also developed their cutting skills, first by practicing on a worksheet, then by cutting a cool border on their paintings. Currently, kindergarten students are learning about all sorts of different lines: thin, thick, curvey, jagged, and more. When a line bends a shape begins, and shapes form the building blocks of pictures. Below are their work-in-progress abstract line watercolor resists. First GradeFirst grade students started the year by making coral reef collages! Currently, they're learning about the 93 year old Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Kusama is famous for her colorful, dotted artworks. She's especially fond of pumpkins, which is perfect for this time of year. Students are using a combination of construction paper, permanent marker, and Dot Markers to make their artworks! Second GradeGeorgia O'Keeffe inspired second graders' first big project of the year. Students used soft pastels to make close-up illustrations of their choice of flower, just like Georgia did. They also learned about her fascinating life. Currently, they're making painted leaf collages inspired by Lois Ehlert's book Leaf Man. Third GradeThird graders completed and took home paper woven baskets! Each basket contained an assortment of cute, personalized accessories. Presently, students are making symmetrical alien masks! Students watched a BrainPOP video about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. They reviewed the concept of symmetry as well. Next, they created a sketch for what they wanted their alien to look like. Following that, they explored color mixing as they create the perfect shade for their alien's skin. Fourth GradeOur fabulous fourth grade students recently completed their exploration of renowned Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. After learning about his life and art, students created spoofs of one of ten of Vincent's most famous pieces. Spoofs are tricky: they have to reference the original artwork closely enough that viewers know what the source material was, yet they also need to demonstrate creativity and imagination. Students used oil pastels and colored pencil to color their pieces. Lastly, they mounted them on brown construction paper to mimic a frame. Our 4th graders and I are super excited for our field trip to The Art Institute of Chicago this spring! While there they'll see REAL van Gogh paintings! Stay tuned for details. Fifth GradeOur 5th grade students created silhouette collages using only cut paper, glue, and their imaginations! Originally, silhouettes were a way for people have their portraits created. Students learned about positive and negative space. They also learned that the outline of a form is called its contour. Currently, our 5th graders are making space illustrations with soft pastels on black paper. One technique they're using to make their planets and moons look more realistic it to add a shadow and a highlight. Art BuffetBelow are pictures from our classroom reward day, which I call an Art Buffet!
KindergartenOur littlest owls have been busy at the nest since I last wrote! Kindergarten students made abstract oil pastel and watercolor resists; a house collage made up of a variety of different shapes; and a self-portrait! Below is a picture of our shape collage. Students applied their knowledge of color mixing and combined red and yellow to make orange for the background. We discussed how a horizon line separates the sky from the ground, and learned how shapes provide the foundation for artworks. First GradeAs fall turned into winter, OMS 1st graders made a painting that showed the changing of seasons. They added warm-colored tissue paper bunches to represent leaves and added a variety of cute, personalized touches. They also made a clay tea cup that connected to the famous Japanese Tea Ceremony. Second GradeSecond grade owls just finished their annual self-portrait project using a combination of crayon and oil pastel. They gathered inspiration from Frida Kahlo's animal-filled self-portraits. Here's my sample with my beloved dog Ralphie on my shoulder! Prior to that project, student painted paper in warm colors and cut out leaves from it. These leaves were collaged together to make a leaf creature with googly eyes, similar to how Lois Ehlert made her illustrations in Leaf Man. Third GradeStudents in 3rd grade finished an intensive study on Dot Painting, which is an artform originating with Australian Aborigines. Our young artists were instructed to add an object in the center of their paintings that represents their interests or personality. I'm super excited for our most recent project. Students are making a self-portrait inspired by the celebrated African American artist Kehinde Wiley. Wiley is most famous for painting Barack Obama's official presidential portrait in 2017. We're less than halfway done with the project, but here are some work in progress pictures. Students are using the technique of printmaking to make their backgrounds. Note the floral motif, which is similar to Kehinde's portraits. Fourth Grade4th graders look home their amazing nutrition-inspired projects a month or two ago. Now, they're finishing up watercolor paintings inspired by the Japanese art of Sumi-e. Sumi-e uses ink and brushes on paper to make beautiful images of nature. Below are a few finished paintings. Fifth GradeRecently, 5th graders took home Dream Bedroom Dioramas. I hadn't taught this project in about five years, so seeing the incredible creativity and craftsmanship of our students was a blast. Students learned about the role of an interior designer and how they convey mood or a theme through their color palette and other design decisions. Students also got to use 3Doodlers to create 3D printed designs. Thank you to ABC/25 for donating some to my room this year so I could have a class set! Art BuffetHere are a variety of images from our reward day in Art, called an Art Buffet!
Welcome! This is my first significant blog post since December 2019. COVID-19 radically changed all facets of our lives, including how young artists learn about and create art. This year, I'm grateful to have all my students back in person full time. There's a TON of learning, exploring, creating, growing, and laughing going on in room 184. All students began the year by making an art portfolio. This folder is designed to store student artwork, especially when students take their work home. Generally speaking, 3D projects go home shortly after they're finished. 2D projects go home on the last day of Art Class for grades 3-5. However, grades K-2 take their artwork home twice a year: once in February and again in June. KindergartenKindergarten students were welcomed to the Art Room with paint! Students made abstract paintings by mixing primary colors to make secondary colors. Students made purple the traditional way, by mixing together red and blue. However, they also experimented with an alternative method, which is to mix blue and magenta together. Lastly, students learned about the artists Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso. First GradeFirst grade artists had a blast making these coral reef collages. Students used a variety of materials (oil pastel, watercolor paint, construction paper) and techniques (drawing, cutting, tearing, gluing, painting). They also learned about some of the dangers coral reefs face from rising ocean temperatures, overfishing, and pollution. My favorite part is all the personalized details they added! Second GradeGeorgia O'Keeffe inspired second graders' first big project of the year. Students used soft pastels to make close up illustrations of flowers, just like Georgia did. They also learned about her fascinating life. Soft pastels blend beautifully, which students explore as they lightened colors with white, and darkened colors with black. Third GradeThird grade students wove paper baskets after watching a clip of the basket weaver Mary Jackson at work. Mary is an internationally recognized basket weaver. For her, basketry is an art form that connects her to her past and her community. This year, students personalized their projects by adding a few items of their choice. These items were made with construction paper and markers. Fourth GradeIt's Vincent van Gogh time! Our fourth graders selected one of van Gogh's famous paintings and made a spoof of it. Students used oil pastel and colored pencil for this project. They mounted their artwork on brown paper and tried to make it look like a real, framed masterpiece. Students enjoyed learning some biographical information on Vincent, as well the impact he has on our culture today. Fifth GradeFifth grade students recently finished a faux stained glass window project. The project combined plastic transparencies and colored Sharpie to stunning effect. Students learned about how real stained glass windows are made and the function they service in art and culture. In the image below, the entire 5th grade classes' work is displayed. Art BuffetA good deal of school is learning appropriate student expectations. Here in the Art Room, we have three main rules: listen, be respectful, and clean up. As students demonstrate their grasp of these expectations, I like to celebrate their success with something called an Art Buffet. Like a buffet of food, an Art Buffet offers students an array of choice, except in this case they explore a variety of engaging and creative media. Check out some pictures below!
KindergartenOlive's kindergarten students started the school year learning about color mixing and made abstract paintings. Students also learned about the artists Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso, whose abstract artworks made them famous. Our most recently completed project continued the theme of abstract art. Students learned about a variety of different kinds of lines. After practicing drawing them, they used oil pastel to make more lines on watercolor paper. These lines were painted over with watercolor paint, which resisted the oil pastel since water and oil don't mix. Lastly, we made a decorative border of shapes! First GradeFirst grade students' first project was to make a fish bowl collage. The project used a variety of different materials, like paint and oil pastel. Students learned about the art concepts of overlapping and texture, and learned about a few of the ways that fish are threatened across the globe. We also explored Legos! Students were prompted to work with a partner to design a house after we read Chris Van Dusen's If I Built a House. The project was designed to strengthen students' collaborative skills and introduce them to the role of an architect. Second GradelIn second grade, students started the year by learning about Georgia O'Keeffe's life and paintings, which contain images of landscapes, flowers, animal bones, and cities. Their project was to make a close up drawing of a flower using soft pastel. Students learned about how to lighten and darken their colors as well (known as making a tint and a shade, respectively). Our next project also explored how nature inspires art. Students made an autumn leaf collage using a foam printmaking technique. We discussed the difference between warm and cool colors and how printmaking allows artists to make many copies of one image fairly quickly. Lastly, we were happy to have former Olive principal Dr. Becky FitzPatrick visit Mrs. Wilhelm's class to learn about our printmaking project. Dr. FitzPatrick is currently our Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning! Third GradeIn third grade, we started the year by weaving patterned paper baskets. Our next project was to create a pop-up animal. The projects emphasized the concepts of foreground, middle ground, and background while giving students a lot of choice in the project's subject matter. Fourth GradeA study of Vincent van Gogh kicked off our year in fourth grade art. There are so many great resources related to van Gogh but one of my favorites is Don McLean's 1971 musical ode to him. Check it out below. Currently, we are working on one of my favorite projects, which is a paper sculpture project centered on learning to eat healthy. Students are designing two meals, one with healthy foods and the other representing sometimes foods, also known as junk food. Fifth GradeBelow are images from fifth grade students' projects inspired by the theme what I love. During this project, they tried to represent their favorite things using their choice of media. Currently, we're making pretend stained glass windows using permanent marker and plastic transparency. Let's Hear it From the Students!Olivia is a 5th grade student at Olive. Here's what she had to say about a recently completed project. The following has been lightly edited. Describe your project for me. What is it? Why did you choose to make this? I drew my scene outside because I love nature and a cicada is making music because I also like music. Then, I made a colorful recycling can because I love art. I also love my dog so I added my dog in the can. What materials did you use? How did you make it? I used colored pencil to color it and Sharpie too. But I used some markers to color the lake. What did you enjoy about the project? I enjoyed coloring this project and coming up with the idea of what to draw. What was challenging? Sharpie-ing the dog's nose was a challenge because the Sharpie spread and made a heart shape. What did you discover about yourself or about art while making this project? I discovered that I am better at drawing cartoony things and that I like making an ombre effect. Art Buffet!By this point in the year, most classes have earned enough points to have what I call an Art Buffet, which is a reward day. Points are tallied at the end of every class for kindergarten through fifth graders and are based on how well students did following our student expectations: listen, be respectful, and clean up. Beyond being a reward for students, Art Buffet is supposed to foster creativity, collaboration, and playful exploration.
AHML Art ShowCongrats to all the student artists whose work I selected for the annual Arlington Heights Memorial Library art show! You did a fantastic job making your pieces and should be proud. The AHML art show has occurred every May for the past 26 years. It's a great venue to connect with our community and to showcase the commitment district 25 has to the arts. KindergartenOlive's littlest owls looked at a variety of famous portraits and self-portraits, then created their own! Students learned about how to draw the human face in a realistic way, with some features simplified for a kindergarten skill level. Once drawn, they colored their self-portraits with crayon and selected construction paper to match their hair color. This paper was cut and torn and glued on to make "hair" for their portrait. First GradeFirst grade students finished their bonsai trees and ended their unit on Japanese art and culture. This year, they added a unique background with a repeating design or shape. This was a great way for kids to personalize their project while reinforcing their knowledge of shape and design. Below is a video that I shared part of with our first graders as an example of J-Pop music. They loved it (and dancing ensued). Our last project of the year was to make a self-portrait! Students enjoyed creating a background depicting their favorite place. Second GradeSecond grade kiddos made a portrait of the president they researched in their classrooms. These portraits were added to a paper body that features a report about their president, both of which were made in their home classrooms. Third GradeIn third grade, students learned about a form of art called Dot Painting which originated with Australian Aborigines. Because dot painting is often deeply personal and spiritual, I had students make a picture of something that's special or significant to them in the center of their work. Around it, they used a Q-Tip to make a pattern of dots. Forth GradeFourth graders created a food sculpture that depicted two meals. The first was one of healthy foods that met the requirements of the USDA's My Plate (see below). The second meal was supposed to represent sometimes foods, which are foods that are only supposed to be enjoyed occasionally. Students made their projects with a variety of materials, like construction paper, markers, colored pencil, and real plates and cutlery! We also had our annual field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago! Fifth Grade5th graders worked on two main projects this trimester. The first was a 2-point perspective drawing. Perspective is a system for drawing the world in a way that it looks 3 dimensional. Students explored different kinds of mood in their drawing of a museum or gallery. One artwork expressed happiness of peace. The other was supposed to show anger or frustration. Our second project is an Olive art class tradition. Students sculpted a clay dog or cat, then painted it with glaze. I love ending the year with this project because students always enjoy working with clay, and many are animal lovers. I'll miss our 5th graders, most of whom I've known and taught for six years! SummerI hope everyone has a fantastic summer! Below are some random photos for your viewing pleasure.
Happy spring! Just a note: portfolios for kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students went home and should be returned to school free of their artwork. 3rd-5th grade students take home their portfolios at the end of the year due to the fewer number of projects we do each year. While we do fewer projects, they're more in depth! I hope you enjoy your child's artwork. Drop Off Your Used Markers!In honor of Earth Day, Olive is collecting used markers! Crayola's ColorCycle program takes used markers, dry erase markers, and highlighters and recycles them. The end product is used to make wax compounds for asphalt and roofing shingles, and to create electricity to heat homes, cook food, and power vehicles. There's a collection box outside of the art room and on the right side of the stage. Thanks for donating! KindergartenKindergarten students finished two projects on Claude Monet. The first was a water lily collage created on top of a watercolor background. The second project transitioned our water lilies from 2D forms to 3D forms. Students mixed and molded Model Magic to make sculptures! First GradeFirst grade students created tea cups inspired by a Japanese Tea Ceremony. After sculpting, they glazed them a variety of colors. Unfortunately, our kiln broke, but it's expected to be repaired soon. Our next project was to make a bonsai tree collage! In the picture below, you can see students painting the paper that will become the branches of their bonsai tree. Students used forks to scrape texture onto the painted paper. Second Grade2nd graders have been working hard on making a caterpillar collage inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Students learned about the role of an author and illustrator, how Eric Carle makes his collages, and the purpose of a horizon line. They loved adding a food item for their caterpillar to munch on! Third Grade3rd graders finished a unit on Chicago architecture and made landmarks as though they were the architect, using a combination of organic and geometric shapes. Can you recognize which landmark they redesigned? We also used Google Street View to get an idea of the surroundings one would see when in downtown Chicago. Fourth Grade4th graders annual clay project was to make wide mouthed fish. Once sculpted and fired in our kiln, they glazed their creations. Aren't the colors vibrant? Our most recent project was to create a Japanese-inspired landscape painting. The paintings incorporated Sumi-e, which is a Japanese form of ink painting. Fifth GradeFifth grade students completed two projects since my last update. The first was a stained glass window project. Students used permanent marker to create a symmetrical design on plastic transparency that they mounted on black paper to present. We also learned how stained glass works are made. Students also did a new project this year based on Op-Art. Op-Art (Optical Art) is a style of art that incorporates optical illusions, which are meant to trick the eye. Students used complimentary colors, which are colors that are across from each other on the color wheel. When placed next to each other, they brighten each other up!
Thanks for reading about our adventures in the Olive art room! For parents who are new to Olive, students generally take home their artwork once or twice a year, in the winter and summer. Please remember to send your child to school in art-friendly clothing on art days. Read below to find out about what we're making in class! KindergartenOur littlest learners began the year by making a portfolio to keep their art safe, especially when they take it home. Next, we did an in-depth study of color mixing. Students mixed primary colors together to make secondary colors. Their paintings are non-representational (abstract). We looked at work from artists like Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso for inspiration. Students finished the projects with a triangular border, which strengthened their cutting skills. As a break from painting, kindergarten students mixed yellow and red Model Magic together to make purple. They were able to make an independent sculpture and take their clay home. Students also created oil pastel and watercolor resists that showed different kinds of lines. First GradeIn first grade, we started the year by making a fish bowl collage. The project involved painting paper and layering on a fish, seaweed, and gravel. Students learned how to add texture to their project by crumpling tissue paper and how overlapping objects can create a sense of depth Students also did a one day mini-project where they worked with a partner to build a house out of Legos! We read If I Built a House by Chris van Dusen for inspiration. Currently they're finishing up colleges that show the changing of seasons from autumn to winter. Students added personal touches to make their work more interesting. This young man added Superman to his picture! Second GradeSecond grade students started the year learning about the famous American artist Georgia O'Keeffe. Taking inspiration from her close-up paintings of flowers, students created their own versions using soft pastels. They experimented with adding white and black to a color, which lightened and darkened that color, alternatively. After this project, we did an abstract art inspired collage. Students mixed colors together on paper, then cut out scraps from those paintings to assemble interesting collages. This project was inspired by the book Ish by Peter Reynolds. Below are images of students having a turn and talk, where they discussed elements of their work with a partner. Third GradeThird grade students started the year by making paper baskets by weaving strips of construction paper together in a pattern. These projects were taken home in September. Currently, they are finishing up a pop-up project. Traditionally I've taught this project using a frog as the subject matter but this year I opened it up to any creature. As you can see, the results are really fun and creative! Fourth GradeFourth grade students' first project was based upon the work of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. Students used oil pastel on top of a pencil drawing to copy a van Gogh work of their choice. They tried to apply their colors just as van Gogh applied his oil paint: thickly, with a sense of movement. They also used black oil pastel to create contrast on the contour of their forms. Fifth GradeFifth grade students started the year with a choice-based learning project. They created an original artwork using their choice of media. The work was based on the question "what do I love?" You can see the various passions and interests our Olive owls have! Art BuffetMany classes have earned their reward day for good behavior. It's called Art Buffet and I offer a wide variety of art related toys, games, and materials. Here are some pictures of Miss. Pietrzak's class's creations.
Art ShowIt was a pleasure to show off all the artistic talent here at OMS during the month of May for the 26th annual Arlington Heights Memorial Library art show. Congrats to our exhibited students! KindergartenKindergarten students closed the school year by making an elephant collage. They crumpled construction paper in order to give their art that classic elephant feel! Please note these images were taken on crazy hair day. Before that, they made Model Magic water lily flowers inspired by Claude Monet. 1st Grade First grade students made a self-portrait that showed them in their favorite place! It was fun seeing them visually represent the places and things that are special to them. 2nd GradeOlive's second grade students made clay penguins and 3D environments for their penguins to "live" in. After the penguins were fired in the kiln, students painted them with tempera paint. Students also made a self-portrait inspired by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's lush, jungle backgrounds. We used crayon for the portrait and oil pastel for the background. 3rd GradeThird grade students created beautiful flower bowls out of clay, then glazed their creations. We discussed how our flowers have symmetry and learned how to work with glaze properly. We also worked on a self-portrait project inspired by Lego Minifigures! Did you know the minifigure is celebrating its 40th birthday this year? We tried to honor Lego's iconic design while giving our figures the characteristics the student artist has. 4th GradeIn April, fourth grade students had their annual field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. I hope you get a chance to return with your child by using the free family pass that they brought home. While there, students completed a scavenger hunt and searched for eight works of art from different places and times. Students also finished their Sumi-e landscape paintings. Aren't they amazing? They ended the year by making a mirrored self-portrait. These were colored with colored pencil. 5th GradeOlive's fifth graders are about to take flight and leave the nest, but not before doing some fun projects in art! Students completed a two-point perspective project. Drawing in perspective helps artists create work that looks 3-dimensional. Students were instructed to create a museum wall. On the wall are two works of art, one showing happiness, joy, or peace. The other was supposed to show anger, sadness, or frustration. We discussed how an artist can express mood in their work and examined Edward Hopper's masterpiece Nighthawks. Students also created a clay dog are cat. Their sculptures were painted with glaze. Thanks for reading and have a great summer!
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AuthorI'm Mr. DeMarco, Art Teacher here at Olive-Mary Stitt. Please use this blog to read about our adventures! Archives
November 2022
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