Patterned Printmaking

Like the 5th grade girls' class before them, the third quarter 5th graders created artwork inspired by their recent study of Islam in History/Geography. The boys began this project by creating a radially symmetrical design on graph paper. Instead of using clay to make tiles, they transferred their designs onto a small rubber block, carefully carved the negative space using a special tool called a gouge, and then printed them repeatedly on paper of their choosing. Almost all Islamic art is made up of complex abstract patterns that create a sense of unending repetition, and these prints surely do as well!