First ever podcast!

I had an assignment to create a podcast (a digital audio file made available on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically) for the Grad Class I am currently enrolled in. I thought: what better information to put in a podcast than a discussion about our current artist! Please enjoy the podcast I created about Michelangelo:

www.spreaker.com/user/msstrasserart/michelangelo

P.S. There will not be a podcast where I present the objectives. Those can actually be found on the 7/8 Art page on the ASL Hand Drawing slideshow! 

Contour Line Drawing

7th and 8th grade artists have been learning about contour lines in the last two weeks. Contour lines are solid outlines of an object. Drawings using contour lines do not include any actual shading, so they generally look unrealistic. Students engaged in a fun activity where they took turns drawing blind contour line drawings of one another, meaning that they looked solely at their subject while drawing and not the paper. The goal is to focus on every outline, every curve in the face to try to include as much detail as possible. The drawings are very goofy, but the artists learned a lot about attention to detail.

 During the next class, students tried contour line drawing of their hands in order to practice for the upcoming project. I gave students permanent markers to draw with so that they were forced to draw without erasing. Drawing hands is a difficult task, but the more attempts that were made, the better the contour drawings were looking. Students had to pay attention to the wrinkles of the hands, the curves of the fingers, and the spaces between each knuckle in order to maintain proper proportion.

Next up: charcoal demo!

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!

5th/K Collaboration!

Ms. Beverage and I were so truly pleased to have Mr. Kenny's 5th grade and Mrs. Tintle-Cook's Kindergarten working together in class yesterday. Kindergarten just learned about the Element line and are going to start a lesson on shape later this week. Yesterday, 5th grade students were paired with a kindergartner and showed them the difference between organic and geometric shapes in a fun tracing/coloring activity. I am so proud of my 5th grade artists for being such wonderful teachers, displaying acts of love and patience!

Mona Lisa Collaboration

I am very excited about the 7th and 8th grade project: Mona Lisa Collaboration. As the title suggests, this entire project has been a group project between all of my 7th and 8th grade artists. Mona Lisa is one of the most iconic works of art from Italian Renaissance created by artist Leonardo da Vinci (not DiCaprio or the ninja turtle). Before creating any artwork, students used Chromebooks to research a different art -ism: Realism, Fauvism, Pointillism, Impressionism. These -isms are all styles of art in the modern period, and after learning how to create each technique associated with the style, students were able to choose which technique they enjoyed the most in order to recreate one small section of Mona Lisa. The modern art techniques creates such an interesting contrast against the Renaissance subject! The classic artwork was divided into 60 squares, each student receiving one or two squares to draw. I will be assembling the artwork at the end of next week. I am so excited to share this abstract work of art! Below is a sneak peak of some of the tiles.

Fauvism, colored pencil

Realism, pencil

Impressionism, oil pastel

Pointillism, marker 

Realism, pencil

Realism, layering, colored pencil

Term III Update

Fifth grade artists have been studying Ancient Greece and have just begun their second art project involving Greek gods and goddesses. If you are volunteering at FCCS in the near future, check out the awesome vases hanging in the Art hallway!

Sixth grade artists are finishing up weaving, a cross-culture art form. They completed readings on textiles used in Asian and African cultures. As the weaving project wraps up, students will then begin papier-mâché African masks. This is a multi-step project, and will most likely take the entire Term III to complete.

I am really excited about the current seventh and eighth grade project, since it is a large collaborative artwork! Previously, students research a modern art style (either Impressionism, Pointillism, Fauvism, or Realism) using a Symbaloo set up on my website, and will now be using their medium of choice to recreate a small portion of The Mona Lisa. Once all the tiles are assembled, they will create an abstract recreation of the iconic Renaissance artwork using a variety of art techniques and media.

As always, students are assigned homework weekly, having a full seven days to complete it. If you have not already signed up for the Remind classes, please do so in order to receive updates and reminders on homework.

Thank you,

Ms. Strasser

Term II Update

Hello 5-8 Art families!

The start of Term II brings great things for all artists, especially the beginning of new projects.

5th grade artists are working on a cuneiform mini-project before heading into Ancient Greece, where artists will focus on learning about Greek gods and goddesses with an emphasis on face proportions and figure drawing.
6th grade artists are finishing up a project titled Islamic Tiles, where they created a mixed media project to simulate radially balanced Islamic artwork. Once this project is complete, students will start looking at textiles and the the influence that trading goods had on the art world. Artists will work on a dynamic weaving project for the remainder of Term II.
7th/8th grade artists just began looking at Lorenzo Ghiberti’s famous artwork Gates of Paradise and are using it as inspiration to create a metal embossed artwork of their choosing that demonstrates the use of space: foreground, middle ground, and background.

 A few reminders for the Art Room: 

• I want to bring to your attention that as every project comes to an end, I upload pictures to the Virtual Art Shows that are located on my website. These slideshows are comprised of exemplary artwork that meets all of the objectives of the project. It is a great tool for students to share their artwork with their family and friends at home since all artwork remains at school until the end of the school year. 
•  There is also a contest page on my website that students can reference to find out information about art contests around the community. We do not always have time in class to create artwork for these contests, which is why I encourage you to work with your child(ren) to make art at home to submit to these contests. They are great opportunities to get artwork shown in the community, and students could also win prizes for their school and/or themselves! I am available to assist with ideas for entries, so if your child is interested, please do not hesitate to send me an email. 
• A sketchbook is a required material for Art! It must come to class with students every time they attend Art. It may be left in the classroom, but must go home on days students have sketchbook homework. Failure to bring their sketchbook to class is failed classroom preparedness, which will result in disciplinary actions for repeat offenders. 
•  I update my Twitter and Instagram more frequently of happenings in the Art Room, including in-progress student artwork, finished artwork, and resources for students. Both you and your child(ren) can follow my accounts to get a digital look into the Art Room. 
• Toward the end of Term I I sent an email home as well as a handout about each Remind class. Please be sure to download the app and enter the class to receive reminder messages about homework - This is a great resource for those students who often forget Art homework assignments, so students are welcomed to join the class as well. 

I look forward to working with your child(ren) throughout Term II on the great art projects ahead of us!

Ms. Strasser