It's been a fun and busy few months in the art room! Kindergarten, first, and second grade students took home their art portfolios. If you still have your child's portfolio at home, could you please send it back to their classroom teacher? I hope you enjoyed looking at their beautiful work! KindergartenKindergarten students are working on a Claude Monet inspired project. After viewing clips from Linnea in Monet's Garden and looking at images of his paintings, students used watercolor paint to make a picture of a pond with a water lily collaged on top. 1st GradeFirst grade students started the new year by completing a project connecting to the book Scaredy Squirrel. As February rolled around, we created a collage of a bonsai tree with paper, tissue paper, and paint. Students explored how using a fork scraped on painted paper can create a unique texture, and made a name tag to label their tree, just like the bonsai trees at the Chicago Botanic Gardens! Currently, students are making glazed teacups inspired by a Japanese tea ceremony. 2nd GradeTo celebrate author and illustrator Peter H. Reynold’s visit to Olive, students create collages inspired by his book Ish. Students reviewed their knowledge of primary and secondary colors and painted a piece of paper, which was cut in abstract shapes and designs and glued on a background. 3rd GradeAfter many weeks of hard work, 3rd grade students finished an architecture project where they combined an ink and paper drawing of an altered Chicago landmark with a digital background. Students used iPads to make the digital background. Can you recognize which buildings they were inspired by in the images below? Currently, students are working on paintings inspired by a style of painting that began with Australian Aborigines, called dot painting. The students in the photo below are starting with their first color of a two color pattern and applying their paint with a Q-Tip! Thanks for those who attended Clay Night, it was so fun! I still have two unclaimed pots in the kiln room so let me know if you haven't received yours. 4th GradeOlive's fourth grade students finished a Vincent van Gogh inspired project and are now exploring the Japanese artform of Sumi-e. Sumi-e uses ink, brushes and paper to create art inspired by nature. Once their pencil drawings are outlined with ink, students will paint them with watercolor paint. 5th Grade5th grade students are finishing up a Choice Based Learning assignment, during which they created a work of art based on one of their favorite things! In the middle of the project students worked with a partner to exchange peer feedback. Students tried to give one compliment to their partner, and if they had one, a suggestion for their work. They also had an opportunity to walk around the room and see what their classmates made. Below is an interview with 5th grade student Luke about his choice based learning project.
Note: Interview has been lightly edited Mr. DeMarco: Hi Luke. Describe your project for me! Luke: My project is a model of a Gulfstream G-280. I chose to make a model of a G-280 because my dad flies them and I like that type of plane. Mr. DeMarco: What materials did you use to make it? Luke: The materials I used were paper and tape. I made it by making a tube of paper and then added a tail, wings, and nose. Mr. DeMarco: What did you enjoy about the project? Luke: I enjoyed putting the project together. Mr. DeMarco: What was challenging? Luke: The most challenging part was attaching the model to the stand. Mr. DeMarco: Did you learn anything new? Luke: I learned that too much tape doesn't look good and I should use less. Olive-Mary Stitt’s 11th annual Clay Night is Wednesday, February 21st from 6:30-7:30 for 3rd grade students and a parent or guardian (please leave siblings at home)! It’s an opportunity for parents and students to work together on the creation of a clay piece. Your creation will be fired in our kiln and returned to you a few weeks after clay night. The cost is $2 per family, which you can bring that night. Below are some examples from last year. Thanks and I hope to see you there!
Welcome to another exciting year in the OMS art classroom! All students, with the exception of kindergarten, started the year by looking at work from Nathan Sawaya's The Art of the Brick. Next, students used Legos to create a "work of art," whatever they thought that could be... KindergartenKindergarten students began the year by learning all about color: primary colors, secondary colors, and what primary colors mix to create secondary colors. We also did an oil pastel resist of different kinds of lines. Currently students are finishing a collage made entirely of different types of shapes! 1st GradeFirst grade students started the year by making fish bowls with fish created with oil pastels. Students learned about overlapping and how to draw and color from a reference photograph. They also learned a bit about fish. Currently they are finishing up making nests with Model Magic bird sculptures nestled inside. Students learned about different kinds of nests, made a nest sculpture with burlap and watered down glue, and created their first 3D work of first grade, the bird. Below is an interview with 1st grade student Uma about the project. Note: Interview has been lightly edited Mr. DeMarco: Hi Uma. Describe your project for me! Uma: This is a bird's nest. It is light brown. The bird is dark brown with a yellow beak and toes. Mr. DeMarco: What materials did you use to make it? Uma: I used clay, burlap, permanent marker, and watery glue. Mr. DeMarco: What did you enjoy about the project? Uma: Making the eyes. Mr. DeMarco: What was challenging? Uma: Nothing. Mr. DeMarco: Did you learn anything new? Uma: I learned how to make a bird using Model Magic. 2nd GradeSecond grade students are creating Audubon inspired bird illustrations. After choosing their favorite American bird, they drew them with pencil and permanent marker, with special attention given to the contour and texture of each bird. Next, they colored the illustrations with colored pencil. Students also learned how Audubon created his work by etching onto a copper plate. Previously, they made flower soft-pastel drawings influenced by Georgia O'Keeffe. 3rd GradeOlive's 3rd graders began the year by making pop-up frogs! Students enjoyed the freedom of designing their own frog, and learned about how to draw space to create depth. They are currently working on a paper baskets inspired by A Nest for Celeste. 4th GradeOur 4th grade students began the year with a clay project, as they made a gargoyle (open mouth) or a grotesque (closed mouth). After their creations were fired in the kiln, they painted them with tempera paint. Currently they are nearing completion on a needlepoint project that will be turned into a miniature basket! Below is my sample. 5th Grade5th grade students are in the early stages of creating miniature houses out of paper. Students began the lesson by learning about dollhouse miniatures throughout history, including the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago, which we visited last year. They also learned about the role of an interior designer and about the different types of color schemes they could incorporate into their project. Before this project, they learned about stained glass as an art form and made a symmetrical "stained glass" window. Below is an interview with 5th grade student Brody about the stained glass project. Note: Interview has been lightly edited. Mr. DeMarco: Hi Brody. Describe your project for me! Brody: My project is really colorful and has a lot of red and blue. I used many designs like a sun and a shield with a moon on it. Mr. DeMarco: What materials did you use to make it? Brody: I used colored Sharpies, clear plastic, tape and a pencil. Mr. DeMarco: What did you enjoy about the project? Brody: Getting to color the project with colored Sharpies. Mr. DeMarco: What was challenging? Brody: Thinking of cool designs to use was challenging. Mr. DeMarco: Did you learn anything new? Brody: I learned where stained class windows are usually found. Lots of students also earned their first Art Buffet, a portion of the period dedicated to creative play and exploration. Below are some highlights! KindergartenAs we wrapped up the year, kindergarten students made a Model Magic water lily flower, inspired from a Claude Monet project we completed the other month. They also made a textured elephant collage. First GradeIn first grade, students created a self-portrait, featuring Olive-Mary Stitt Elementary illustrated behind them. We also made a symmetrical tissue paper butterfly with a landscape background. Second GradeOur annual self-portrait was inspired by the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo, as students drew their portrait with a jungle background. Our annual clay project is an Olive 2nd grade tradition: clay penguins! What is it about little clay animals that delight kids? Regardless, these critters were fun to make. Students learned the importance of smoothing two pieces of clay together when joining to ensure a strong bond. We also covered a bit of information about these interesting creatures. Third GradeOlive's 3rd graders explored ancient Egypt and made a collage with an object like a pyramid or a camel. The object had to repeat three times and become smaller as it was placed farther into the background, which allowed students to demonstrate their understanding of foreground, middle ground, and background. Students were free to add other details to personalize their art! Below is an interview with 3rd grade student Ellie about the project. Note: Interview has been edited for clarity Mr. DeMarco: Hi Ellie. Describe your project for me! Ellie: I made an Egyptian Landscape with pyramids, an oasis, and palm trees. Mr. DeMarco: What materials did you use to make it? Ellie: Paint, paper, Twistable colored pencil, and markers. Mr. DeMarco: What did you enjoy about the project? Ellie: Painting it. Mr. DeMarco: What was challenging? Ellie: Coloring the pyramids. Mr. DeMarco: Did you learn anything new? Ellie: I learned how mummies were made and about background, middle ground, and foreground. Fourth GradeDuring the last 1/3 of the year, 4th grade students made a clay gargoyle. Students learned how gargoyles (and grotesques, which are the closed-mouth versions of gargoyles) decorate cathedrals to, as people of the time thought, ward away evil spirits. Moving our attention from Europe to Asia, students next explore Sumi-e, which is the Japanese form of ink and brush painting. Students learned how to create bamboo, a plant that along with three other plants are part of the four gentleman, which are four differents plants one should master creating to become skilled at Sumi-e. Fourth grade students also visited the Art Institute of Chicago for our annual visit. Fifth GradeOlive's 5th grade students have been heavily involved with a choice-based learning project. During this project, students were given a broad theme, in this case "What I Love." After brainstorming a list of the things they hold dear, they created two sketches. From these, they created a work of art using their choice of medium or media. I enjoyed this project because it gave students greater autonomy in making creative decisions, and hopefully helped strengthen their studio habits of mind, in particular engaging and persisting in the creation of new work. Students had to figure out how to manage time, materials, and ideas, skills that will serve them well in Mr. Damico (or Mr. Gnutek's) art room at Thomas (or South). Below is an interview with 5th grade student Abby about the project. Note: Interview has been edited for clarity Mr. DeMarco: Hi Abby. Describe your project for me! Abby: It was a night sky with the Chinese character for "family" on it. The night sky has stars in the background. Mr. DeMarco: What materials did you use to make it? Abby: I used oil pastel for the background and marker for the Chinese character. Mr. DeMarco: What did you enjoy about the project? Abby: I enjoyed that it wasn't as structured as the other projects. It was very free. Mr. DeMarco: What was challenging? Abby: Having to figure out what to do on my own. Mr. DeMarco: Did you learn anything new? Abby: I learned how to set better goals and how to smudge and mix oil pastels. 5th grade students also made clay dogs or cats that were finished with glaze. Woof! Lastly, congratulations to all the students who have work at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library! Your work looks great.
KindergartenKindergarten students finished two projects over the past several weeks. First, we learned about patterns and made patterned winter hats. Next, students learned about self-portraits and added their hat to their portrait. Recently, we finished our Claude Monet inspired water lily collages! First GradeFirst grade students began our 2nd trimester by studying Japan, which connects to students’ classroom curriculum. Students made a glazed clay teacup inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony. Next, we continued the Japanese theme and created a picture of a bonsai tree with paper, tissue paper, and paint. Students explored how using a fork scraped on painted paper can create a unique texture, and made a name tag to label their tree, just like the bonsai trees at the Chicago Botanic Gardens! Students also did a mini-project about architecture as they worked with a partner to design a structure with modeling clay and wood sticks! Second GradeOlive's 2nd grade students created a massive castle out of paper! This project incorporated several techniques and media, including printmaking, as they made a pattern of blocks with paint and a sponge. Below is an interview with 2nd grade student Sianna about the project! Note: Interview has been edited for clarity Mr. DeMarco: Hi Sianna. Describe your project for me! Sianna: It looks like a real castle, made of stone. It's very big and well made. Mr. DeMarco: What materials did you use to make it? Sianna: I used Twistable colored pencils, paint and sponges, sharpie, scissors, and paper. Mr. DeMarco: What did you enjoy about the project? Sianna: The character inside. Mr. DeMarco: What was challenging? Sianna: The rooftops and the windows. Mr. DeMarco: Did you learn anything new? Sianna: I learned that castles weren't perfect and the first castles were made of wood. I also learned lords and ladies weren't the same as kings and queens. Currently, students are drawing a portrait of the president they're researching in their classroom! Third GradeOlive's 3rd grade students finished a clay flower bowl project and are currently working on a creating a self-portrait with a twist: they must draw themself as a Lego Minifigure! Below you can see students examining real Minifigures while making observations about their appearance compared to a human. Many 3rd grade students attended Clay Night in February. Students are in the process of taking those creations home. Fourth Grade4th grade students finished a "food in art project" by creating a two pretend meals, one with healthy foods and one with "sometimes foods." Read the interview below with 4th grade student Emily to find out more! Note: Interview has been edited for clarity Mr. DeMarco: Hi Emily. Describe your project for me! Emily: On my nutritious side I have watermelon, popcorn, baby carrots, blueberries, and some grapes. On my sometimes foods side I have a lollipop, a chocolate chip cookie, a slice of pepperoni pizza, and a Kit-Kat. Mr. DeMarco: What materials did you use to make it? Emily: I used paper plates, colored paper, markers, and colored pencils. Mr. DeMarco: What did you enjoy about the project? Emily: I enjoyed using our creativity to make realistic foods. Mr. DeMarco: What was challenging? Emily: I was challenged by making foods without using a photo to help me. Mr. DeMarco: Did you learn anything new? Emily: I learned that junk food is also known as "sometimes foods." I also learned about which foods are considered sometimes foods and which are healthy foods. In our most recent project, students wove a circle. Upon finishing, the weaving was mounted on a background with a border made with colored permanent markers. Oooohlala! Fifth GradeOlive's 5th grade students just finished a unit on one-point perspective. One-point perspective is a system of drawing that allows a drawing to look 3-dimensional. After two days of practice, students were tasked with create their dream bedroom! The project was challenging but rewarding. One of the biggest challenges for artists of all ages is drawing lightly to make erasing easier, hence our motto of "draw light until you get it right!" Below is an interview with 5th grade student Andrew about the project! Note: Interview has been edited for clarity Mr. DeMarco: Hi Andrew. Describe your project for me!
Andrew: My project has an Xbox and a computer. It has a big TV and a framed "W" flag. It has a large dresser and a desk with a V.R. headset, and an iPhone. Mr. DeMarco: What materials did you use to make it? Andrew: I used a no.2 pencil and paper. Mr. DeMarco: What did you enjoy about the project? Andrew: I enjoyed being creative and getting to put whatever I wanted in it. Mr. DeMarco: What was challenging? Andrew: It was challenging to make the "W" in one-point perspective Mr. DeMarco: Did you learn anything new? Andrew: I learned how to draw in one-point perspective correctly. Kindergarten Our youngest “owls” began the year by learning about color mixing. After reading the book Mouse Paint as a class, students created an abstract art inspired painting. Within each painting you will find our three secondary colors: green, orange, and purple. First Grade The first project of 1st grade was all about lines. Students used oil pastels to draw different kinds of lines on watercolor paper. Next, they had to choose two primary colors to mix and make a secondary color to paint over the lines. Since water and oil don't mix, it creates a neat effect! To finish the project students mounted their art on black paper and created a patterned border. During the project students looked at famous abstract artworks, as well. Our second project was to create a paper fishbowl. Students learned how combining different materials can make a work of art (collage), and a little about fish! We also learned about some of the dangers fish face, from overfishing to pollution. Second Grade Our 2nd grade students began the year learning about the life and work of Georgia O'Keeffe and created soft pastel flower drawings. Students created their flowers the way Georgia did, as though they were magnified. Currently, students are exploring printmaking by creating leaf prints! Using a new technique (new to Olive at least), students drew a leaf onto a thin piece of foam. Next, they used marker to color the surface with warm colors (red, orange, and yellow). This foam piece was then pressed firmly onto a piece of moist paper and voila, a print was made. We also discussed why leaves change colors during autumn. Third Grade Olive’s 3rd graders began the year by weaving patterned paper baskets! Segments from the PBS series Craft in America showed us basket weavers in America and students learned that basket weaving is not only a useful skill but an art form. Currently, 3rd graders are making outer space scenes with oil and soft pastels on black paper. We love connecting to students’ classroom curriculum to create “out of this world” works of art! Fourth Grade Olive's 4th grade students learned about the life and work of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. Using oil pastels, they selected their favorite painting to recreate, then mounted it on brown construction paper. Using Google Cultural Institute’s amazing website, which allowed us to look very closely at his paintings, students discovered how van Gogh applied his paint: in thick, overlapping dashes. They tried to use the same technique in their own work. Fifth Grade Our 5th grade students are completing a drawing project in which they invented a superhero! One requirement was the superhero must fight a world problem, such as natural disasters, lack of access to safe drinking water, war, etc. In class, we discussed what it means to be a hero and how we can use Character Counts as a model for our own behavior.
As the school year winds down, here's a summary of the final adventures we had in the art room. I hope everyone has a safe and fun summer filled with sun (don't forget sunscreen!), sports, drawing, singing, dancing, reading, playing, learning, and Legos. KindergartenFor our final project, kindergarten students created a self-portrait. Students looked at a variety of paintings to prepare, like American Gothic, the Mona Lisa, and Picasso’s The Weeping Woman. Students also prepared by making a variety of sketches. First GradeFirst grade students also ended the year with a self-portrait. After that they made symmetrical butterflies. Second GradeSecond grade students made a self-portrait inspired by artist Frida Kahlo, then after reading the book Ish by Peter Reynold, they got to cut loose as they mixed primary colors together to make secondary colors. They then cut this abstract painting into interesting pieces that they collaged onto a background. Third GradeThird grade students made a self-portrait with collaged hair and a collaged background and shirt. Fourth GradeOur forth grade students enjoyed our trip to the Art Institute! Some were even lucky enough to get into the Van Gogh Bedrooms exhibit. Their clay project this year was to make a clay gargoyle or grotesque. The difference between the two? Gargoyles have open mouths (to drain water off of buildings), while grotesques don't. Fifth Grade5th grade students finished up the year sculpting clay dogs and cats. The fired sculptures were glazed. Don't they look great? Prior to that they made "stained glass windows" with permanent marker and transparency.
Check out the fantastic art on display this month at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library! Click here to read an article from the Chicago Tribune. Also, Olive was proud to be featured on the COVER of the library's May newsletter promoting the show!
Hi! As spring break approaches here's an update on the happenings of the art room. Kindergarten, first, and second grade students all took home their portfolios filled with artwork. If you still have it at home please bring it back. Third grade students attended the 9th annual Clay Night in February. During Clay Night kids work on a clay piece with a parent! Fourth graders have their Art Institute field trip to look forward to this May, with more information coming soon. They also sent postcards in the mail that we created in class and will be taking home a food related project (read description below). Happy spring! KindergartenOlive's kindergarten students ended 2015 by learning about patterns and texture. To demonstrate their understanding, they practiced their own patterns on a worksheet, then created a patterned mitten with oil pastels and a soft textured fluff on the bottom. Next, we were inspired by artist Claude Monet. Students learned about the life and work of this French Impressionist artist and created a lily flower on a watercolor background. Currently we are working on an adorable (if I may say so) elephant collage. Students enjoyed making texture for the elephant's body by crinkling paper! First GradeConnecting to their classroom curriculum, Olive's 1st graders made two projects related to Japan. The first was a glazed teacup, which we gathered inspiration from by watching a video of a Japanese Tea Ceremony. The second project was inspired by Kimonos, traditional Japanese outfits worn on special occasions. Students decorated their kimono with a drawing of artist Hokusai's Red Fuji. Hokusai was a printmaker who used woodblock prints to make art. Students painted the kimono with watercolor paint and mounted it on black paper. Second GradeOlive's second grade students just finished a presidential portrait project, in which they had to create a portrait of the president they are researching in their classrooms. Prior to that they made a clay penguin, which was brought home last month. Third GradeThird grade students wove baskets out of paper after learning about basket weaving as an artform. These projects were brought home in the beginning of 2016. They also worked on a joint project with Mrs. Brown from the LMC. The project was to create a morphed animal from two different biomes. Students focused on adding visual texture to their animal. They also tried to make the environment in which their animal lives have a clear foreground, middle ground, and background. Below are some pictures from Clay Night! Fourth GradeBelow, you'll see examples of the postcard project 4th grade students completed (read my previous blog post for more information). Upon finishing the postcard project, students began their next endeavor, which was to create two meals: one healthy, made up of foods recommended by the USDA's "My Plate," and the other filled with "sometimes foods," which are foods that shouldn't be consumed regularly. We also looked at examples of how artists have created connected food in art throughout art history. Fifth Grade5th grade students created a one-point perspective city (or town) drawing, first in pencil, then in permanent marker. They worked really hard! Following this project we turned our attention to shades and tints to make a tree silhouetted against a moonlit sky. Have a great spring break parents and young artists. Put those Legos to good use!
Welcome readers! We've been busy cooking up some interesting projects in the Olive art room. Some projects are returning favorites and others are brand new. All grades began the year by creating a portfolio to keep their art safe. To help decorate it students traced the outline of their hand and colored the interior in interesting ways. Let's learn what each grade has been up to! KindergartenOur youngest owls began the year by learning about color mixing. After reading the book Mouse Paint as a class, students created an abstract art inspired painting. Within each you will find our three secondary colors: green, orange, and purple. Our most recent project was to create a collage made entirely of shapes. Students learned, with the help of the book Museum Shapes, how shapes form the basis of most artworks. Building on their knowledge of color mixing, students mixed primary colors to create their background. First GradeOlive's 1st grade students have completed three projects during this first section of our school year. They began the year by looking at an ocean habitat: coral reefs. Students learned that coral is a living thing, one that is fragile and like the rest of our oceans at risk from human caused threats like overfishing and pollution. Students created fish tank collages with construction paper, paint, and oil pastels. The next project we did was all about lines. Students used oil pastels to draw different kind of lines on watercolor paper. Next, they had to choose two primary colors to mix and make a secondary color to paint over the lines. Since water and oil don't mix, it creates a neat effect! To finish the project students mounted their art on black paper and created a patterned border. During the project we looked at famous abstract artworks, as well. Our most recent project was to create a painting that demonstrated the changing of our seasons from fall into winter. Students used tempera paint and tissue paper and learned about warm colors (red, yellow, and orange). Second GradeIn second grade, students began the year with an OMS classic: an Eric Carle inspired caterpillar collage! The project had many components, from drawing, to painting, to collaging. Students read some of Carle's most treasured books and even made their own story with a caterpillar as the main character. As Thanksgiving break arrives students are finishing up their second project of the year. Using soft pastels (for the first time in art!) students created warm colored leaves on a cool color background. Each leaf was outlined with white glue, which gives them an interesting texture while providing a border for the pastel. Lastly, second graders (like all 1st-5th grade students) earned their first Art Buffet this October & November. Art Buffet is a reward day where students have a choice of several materials to encourage creative play and expression. Below are some students proudly showing their creations! Third GradeAs they were learning about our solar system with their classroom teacher, students created alien masks with one major requirement: they had to be symmetrical. To create these masks they used construction paper, paint, colored pencils, and markers. Students enjoyed learning about the search for extraterrestrials, our solar system, and our vast galaxy! Our current project, which is unfinished, took students imaginations to ancient Egypt. Students are learning about why and how the pyramids were built, the role of pharaohs, and about mummification. In terms of art concepts explored, students will learn about foreground, middle ground, and background as they organize their pyramids to show depth. Fourth GradeOlive's 4th grade students learned about the life and work of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. Using oil pastels, they selected their favorite painting to copy, then mounted it on brown construction paper. Currently, fourth graders are tying into their classroom explorations of geography by making a postcard from the country of their choice. Students learned about the job of a graphic designer and considered the font and composition of their postcards. Each postcard has to include 3-5 images that represent life in their country. The best part of the project is the ending, as students mail their postcards to themselves, a friend, or family member! Fifth GradeEnding with our biggest owls, who will soon outgrow their nest, is 5th grade. Students began the year by creating a silhouette collage with black and white paper. The collage could depict any subject matter as long as it was recognizable by its contour. Fifth graders' current project is to create a city in one point perspective, which is a system for representing 3 dimensional space on a flat surface. I hope you enjoyed reading about our adventures! Have a great Thanksgiving break.
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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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