First graders continued with the cityscape theme and learned a relief printing technique using styrofoam sheets (a relief print is a print from raised images). We reviewed shapes and lines we would see in a cityscape such as rectangles, squares, triangles, straight lines, horizontal, diagonal, and vertical. Then, students planned their drawings on 6"x9" copy paper (same size paper as styrofoam sheets). Once competed with their cityscape plan, students then taped the drawing to the top of the styrofoam sheet and began tracing their pencils lines with an incredibly sharp pencil. The difficulty with this part of the assignment was making sure students applied enough pressure with the pencil to transfer an indentation into the styrofoam sheet. Sometimes, the planned drawing would tear as students transferred their lines. This was perfectly normal.
After all pencil lines were transferred to the styrofoam sheet, students then inked their styrofoam sheets with black water based block printing ink using a brayer, printing the image three times, and re-inking after each print for good contrast.
As a class, we discussed how artists sign and number prints. Artists use numbers very similar to fractions when signing. Most students signed their print with a 1/3. The bottom number represents the total number of prints created. The top number represents one number within the series of prints.
Continuing with our geometric shapes unit, kindergarten and first grade students cut circles from square pieces of paper. To introduce this lesson, we read the books "Lots of Dots" by Craig Frazier and "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds.
After reading these two books, we were inspired to create our own dots. Students first cut their dots from square pieces of paper. It was difficult for my kindergarteners to draw their own curved lines in the corners of the square paper, so a circle template was created so students could trace. This was even difficult for some students, because they have never traced before, so it was important to make sure students understood that when tracing a shape, we draw beside the shape we are tracing and not on top of it.
After cutting out our circles, we then discussed ABAB patterns and how to create a radial design on our circles using an ABAB pattern. This sounds incredibly challenging for kindergarten, but this group of students has already been introduced to ABAB patterns in their general classroom. We first made a small dot in the middle of our circle and added rings of circles around the center dot. Students could then decide what kind of pattern they wanted to use and draw with oil pastels. Some even wanted to try more challenging patterns like ABC or ABCD!
Each child will create two circles and glue back to back with a string sandwiched in the middle to create a mobile of hanging circles for our hallway.
SD Visual Art Standards:
Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
1.VA.Cr.1.1 Engage in creative art making using observation and
investigation. 2.VA.Cr.1.1. Brainstorm and implement multiple
approaches, materials, and tools to solve an art design problem driven
by personal interests and curiosity or to re-purpose objects to make
something new.
Anchor Standard 2 (K-2): Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
1.VA.Cr.2.1. Explore safe uses of materials, tools, and procedures to
create works of art or design. 2.VA.Cr.2.1 Experiment with various
materials and tools while demonstrating safe use of materials, tools,
and procedures to create works of art or design.
Goal: 3D/2D shapes, Geometric/Organic Shapes, drawing geometric shapes, creating reflections, art of Henri Matisse
This week's lesson allows first and second grade students
to examine Henri Matisse's “Goldfish” painted in 1912 using Visual Thinking Strategies. One of my goals as an art
educator is to get students talking about art and drawing their own
conclusions from art finding visual evidence within the work. Visual
Thinking Strategies (VTS) allows each child to share what they see or
find in a piece of art and connect their findings to visual evidence
within the painting. Through VTS' rigorous group 'problem-solving'
process, students
cultivate a willingness and ability to present their own ideas, while
respecting and learning from the perspectives of their peers. Common
questions asked during a VTS discussion include:
What's going on in this picture?
What do you see that makes you say that?
What more can we find?
Henri Matisse "Goldfish" Painted 1912
While examining Henri Matisse's art and life, students learned the difference between geometric and organic shapes, bright colors and dull colors, and reflections created in art. We also practiced drawing various geometric shapes. In first and second grade, we will practice drawing cones, cylinders and cubes, all three dimensional shapes.
Students drew hearts on the shapes best drawn!
After examining his art and life and drawing 3D shapes, students will have the opportunity to create their own Henri Matisse inspired cylinder and add background and foreground patterns to create their own environment for their cylinder based on personal preference.
Here are a few videos we watched to give us more information about Henri Matisse's life and art, all available on You Tube. We especially focused on how others were creating art during his life and how he chose to use bright colors rather than dull colors to express himself which labeled him as a "wild beast" by the art community.
SD Visual Art Standards:
Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. 1.VA.Cr.1.1 Engage in creative art making using observation and investigation. 2.VA.Cr.1.1. Brainstorm and implement multiple approaches, materials, and tools to solve an art design problem driven by personal interests and curiosity or to re-purpose objects to make something new.
Anchor Standard 2 (K-2): Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. 1.VA.Cr.2.1. Explore safe uses of materials, tools, and procedures to create works of art or design. 2.VA.Cr.2.1 Experiment with various materials and tools while demonstrating safe use of materials, tools, and procedures to create works of art or design.
Anchor Standard 7 (K-2): Perceive and analyze artistic work. (examining Matisse's use of geometric and organic shapes as well as bright colors)
Anchor Standard 11 (K-2): Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
