CLAY on Words!

This is one of my favorite projects and they are hot out of the kiln this morning! A few weeks ago, 8th graders learned about idioms in class (we even read children's books by Fred Gwynn like "A Chocolate Mousse for Dinner"). By definition, an idiom is "an expression, term or phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions and arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use." Students were given the challenge to sculpt an idiom of their choice and here are the results:

Crocodile Tears; Live in the Present:












Pigeon-Toed (toad); Naval Orange:












Jay-walking; Caught Red-handed:












Davey Jones' Locker; In a Pickle:












Bull-headed; Cut the Cheese:












Long in the Tooth; Old Money:












Butter Fingers; Zip Your Lip:

Drawing from Observation, Round 2

Sixth graders this trimester have been busy drawing shoes from observation in their art class (just like their classmates drew pumpkins in the fall). They are doing a GREAT job, and after their critique last Friday, they made a lot progress today incorporating the suggestions given by their peers. Here a some shots of them working with the lamps on, creating shadows and highlights...

Winter Wonderland Paintings- LS Art Club

Lower School art club members recently completed these whimsical winter scenes using acrylic paint on canvas boards. First, they blended shades of blue paint in the background and used rubber "special effects tools" to pull the paint off, revealing the white canvas below in the shape of snowflakes. Then, we learned how to paint realistic trees and piled them with fallen snow. Lastly, we painted a layer of Epsom Salts dissolved in water on top and when dry, we were were left with a crystalized, snowy surface! Here's a selection of them:

Gargoyles and Grotesques, oh my!

Winter ceramics club members have been sculpting gargoyles and grotesques for the past 3 meetings. Gargoyles are elaborate downspouts found on the churches of Western Europe from the Middle Ages and grotesques look like gargoyles but are only decorative, not functional... Here are some pictures of the potters working yesterday, as well as some of the drying scultpures:

(Madame Havard, the MS French teacher, has joined this session of club and she's a great addition to the group!)

6th & 7th Grade Critques

Friday was a critique day for my 6th and 7th grade classes. Both classes made really great observations and productive comments that I hope will help them as they continue to develop their drawings next week. (Click here to read an older post about the critique process). **Note to readers: Friday was a dress down day, hence the 'festive' outfits many of them are wearing in these pictures... This is not the Calvert uniform!

7th graders discuss their charcoal still life drawings of glass/metallic objects:

6th graders discuss their shoe drawings from observation:

Printmaking by 5th Grade

For this project, 5th grade girls drew stylized animal designs that they carved into a rubber-like printing plate. In addition to creating the plate, they also created handmade papers to print on, including marbled paper and dyed paper made by wetting and blending bleeding tissue paper in warm or cool color schemes. The girls also carved out of the back of their plates to create a 2-step reduction print. Here are the results!

Artists at Work...

Here are a few pics of my 7th and 8th graders working on their current projects. 7th graders are creating still life drawings of reflective and glass objects using charcoal. The pictures are dark since the lights are out in the room and lamps are shining on the still lifes to create dramatic highlights and shadows: Eighth graders are creating warm glass bowls. In these photos, students are creating interesting compositions on colored glass squares using broken glass pieces, glass shapes, glass "noodles and stringers", and powdered glass frit. After completing their designs, the glass will be fused in the kiln using an 18-hour firing process. Later, we will fire them again for 18-hours to 'slump' them into a mold to create a dish/bowl shape:

Alliance Team meeting

My advisory got together in the art room this afternoon with Ms. Spadone's 9th age class! 9A is our "alliance team" partner this year and this was the first of several times we will get together this year to share ideas and stories, have snack, play games, etc. Today, the 9th agers told us all about the field trip they took to the Walters yesterday and my 6th graders shared some of their knowledge of the ancient civilizations as well! Thanks for braving the rain and coming over 9A!