Djembe Drum

Students are about halfway through creating their miniature Djembe drums! I'm excited to test them out tomorrow and get students started on learning drumming rhythms. I'll walk you through the process:

First students had to construct their armature by cutting out the bottom of two cups and taping it together. The armature is the base for their papier-mâché.

Then, students started the papier-mâché process by using strips of newspaper dipped in art paste. The goal was to apply several layers of the newspaper to the armature to create a hard cast.

In between two of the layers, students worked together with their groups to devise a plan for their drum decoration. I provided them with several ideas, including symbols, colors, and animals, and students collaborated on how to create a set of cohesive drums.

Once the drum was dried and sturdy (with about three days worth of papier-mâché), students are applying gesso to the drum. Gesso is a primer that covers the newspaper and provides a surface for painting their designs. 

In the upcoming classes, students will be painting their designs, with the exception of one class who are using colored pencils or markers to decorate a skirt that will be glued to their drums. I'm really liking the artwork these students are drawing; they are able to show more details with the dry materials than they would have with paint.

As tomorrow is Picture Day, students will not be painting because I do not want to risk anyone dirtying up their nice clothes before their pictures. Instead, students will be learning drum rhythms and then start creating the rhythm they plan to use for their performance. 

Greek Sculptures

Fifth grade artists have been showing great patience and working diligently the last two weeks while creating wire armatures for their Greek-inspired sculptures. First, they had to choose which Ancient Greek sculpture style they wanted to portray in their artwork: Archaic, Classical, or Hellenistic. Next, they had to draw a rough draft in their sketchbook of either a person they knew, a Greek god or goddess, or an animal that displayed qualities of their desired sculpture style. Once rough drafts were completed, students took to using a variety of wire, pliers, and wire cutters to twist, bend, cut, and shape the "skeleton" for the inside of their sculpture. Next step is to sculpt on clay!

Here are a few excellent examples of the wire armatures:

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

It is hard to believe that the school year is almost half way through! As the second term is coming to and end, all of the art classes will be starting new projects.

5A was introduced to Greek sculptures last week; 5B had a snow day on the day they were supposed to start the unit. This is yet another multi-step project. First, students will build an armature out of wire, and, then, they will mold clay around the frame to create a miniature sculpture depicting a human of their choice in one of the three iconic Greek sculpture styles: Archaic, Classical, or Hellenistic. For more information on the project and examples of the art styles, check out the slideshow on the 5th grade page.

Sixth grade students are wrapping up their weavings. Each weaving is extremely impressive! Each one is unique and demonstrate their themes beautifully. Next, students are going to start one of my favorite projects: papier-mâché African masks! This project is messy but always tons of fun. It is a slow, lengthy process, but the results are bound to be phenomenal. If you have any light cardboard (tissue, cereal, granola boxes) or newspaper lying around, please start gathering it and sending it in to school so students will have supplies to build the armature for their masks. 

Now that the stained glass windows are complete, 7th grade artists are going to learn about Johann Gutenberg and the printing press. I took a book arts class in college and fell in love with the art of bookmaking and I am so excited to finally be able to share this passion of mine with my students! Students are going to practice several bookbinding techniques and create their own short stories. An email was sent out over the weekend for donations for this project - if you have not yet responsed to the sign-up genius, please do so, so this group can make cool art! Thank you to those who have already signed up to donate supplies!

Eighth grade artists are almost finished with their Gustav Klimt scratch art drawings. Once this project is over, students will learn about Pablo Picasso and his influence to 20th-century art. I am piloting a new Cubism project this year, combining still life and collage. I am looking forward to seeing the masterpieces these students will create -- this group never fails to impress!

Fifth and seventh grade Virtural Art Shows have been recently updated. Please take a look at them to see the beautiful artwork the students have worked so hard on! Sixth and eighth grade VAS' will be updated by the end of the term.

Happy art making!

6th Grade African Masks

6th grade artists have been working on creating African-inspired masks. This multi-step project is going to be a lot of fun. First, students drew a rough draft in their sketchbooks of what they wanted their final mask to look like. Most students chose an African animal as inspiration for their design, but they could also create a human-like figure. Next, students had to use mathematics to measure the distance of their facial features, including the length of their forehead, the width of their eyes, and the distance of their eyes apart from one another. These measurements are very important to ensure that they will be able to see out of their masks.

The next step was for students to build an armature out of cardboard and newspaper. An armature is the framework in which a sculpture is built on top of; it is what students are using to transform their masks from flat drawings into three-dimensional forms. Below are a few pictures of armatures in the works:

We had a few students begin adding papier-mâché to their armatures. For our papier-mâché, we are dipping strips of newspaper into a mixture of water and glue and laying it over top of the armature in a few layers. Once the mixture dries, it will become hard and creates the form of the mask. 

This project is about to get very messy with all the glue, but papier-mâché is always a fan favorite!