Welcome to 1st Grade art 2015-16!
Japan Studies
First grade learned a lot about Japan this Spring and discovered many works of art and cultural art that are connected with that culture. One of the things they learned is that the Japanese Tea Ceremony is an important part of the Japanese culture. The children each made their own tea bowl out of clay that they were able drink out of at their tea ceremony. Another is that tradition of celebrating children on May 5 which is Children's Day in Japan. They fly wind socks or flags that are the shape of Koi fish. Our first graders created their own wind socks out of tissue paper in the shape of a Koi fish.
First grade learned a lot about Japan this Spring and discovered many works of art and cultural art that are connected with that culture. One of the things they learned is that the Japanese Tea Ceremony is an important part of the Japanese culture. The children each made their own tea bowl out of clay that they were able drink out of at their tea ceremony. Another is that tradition of celebrating children on May 5 which is Children's Day in Japan. They fly wind socks or flags that are the shape of Koi fish. Our first graders created their own wind socks out of tissue paper in the shape of a Koi fish.
Monet and Impressionism
As first graders a lot of the lessons have been around basic Art Elements and how they are used to create art. We use the Art Elements of line, shape, and color without really thinking much about it because we usually just do it. So we have slowed that down a bit and are looking for these things in works of art as well as our own. In the previous lesson about Matisse, the students learned how he used line patterns and color to fill in space-another Art Element-to complete a picture and make it interesting. In this lesson about Claude Monet's waterlily paintings, they observed how he used short choppy lines, or "blobs and smears" of paint to represent what he saw of sunlight reflecting off of various surfaces around our outdoor world.
They learned that he was one of the first painters to work outside instead of in a studio, and that he really "looked" at how things showed these reflections and painted them while outside to capture the mood of the moment just right. We looked at quite a few of his works and then created our own lily pond with a Japanese bridge over it. They were to use short choppy lines to fill in the spaces in the pictures. They also were guided to use more than one value of a color to show the lights and shadows that played in the light of various times of a day. This was a quick lesson into really looking at something.
As first graders a lot of the lessons have been around basic Art Elements and how they are used to create art. We use the Art Elements of line, shape, and color without really thinking much about it because we usually just do it. So we have slowed that down a bit and are looking for these things in works of art as well as our own. In the previous lesson about Matisse, the students learned how he used line patterns and color to fill in space-another Art Element-to complete a picture and make it interesting. In this lesson about Claude Monet's waterlily paintings, they observed how he used short choppy lines, or "blobs and smears" of paint to represent what he saw of sunlight reflecting off of various surfaces around our outdoor world.
They learned that he was one of the first painters to work outside instead of in a studio, and that he really "looked" at how things showed these reflections and painted them while outside to capture the mood of the moment just right. We looked at quite a few of his works and then created our own lily pond with a Japanese bridge over it. They were to use short choppy lines to fill in the spaces in the pictures. They also were guided to use more than one value of a color to show the lights and shadows that played in the light of various times of a day. This was a quick lesson into really looking at something.
Matisse Portraits...drawing people that don't look like stick figures
After looking at pictures of people that famous artists have done, 1st graders wanted to learn how to draw people (figures). So we did some quick stick figure drawings and then learned how to draw figures "from stick to thick".
We also noticed how they weren't all just standing doing nothing. Some showed movement, some showed people sitting all stiff and serious. Then we learned about the artist Henri Matisse. We learned that Matisse enjoyed color line and shape and that he didn't care if his paintings looked photographic. They still looked like people enjoying life. After a step by step lesson of how to draw a person sitting down with a little bit of perspective thrown in, they came up with these amazing drawings. I think you will agree. Each made artistic choices about what they would add to make it a connection to what they like-color, items in their drawings, etc.
After looking at pictures of people that famous artists have done, 1st graders wanted to learn how to draw people (figures). So we did some quick stick figure drawings and then learned how to draw figures "from stick to thick".
We also noticed how they weren't all just standing doing nothing. Some showed movement, some showed people sitting all stiff and serious. Then we learned about the artist Henri Matisse. We learned that Matisse enjoyed color line and shape and that he didn't care if his paintings looked photographic. They still looked like people enjoying life. After a step by step lesson of how to draw a person sitting down with a little bit of perspective thrown in, they came up with these amazing drawings. I think you will agree. Each made artistic choices about what they would add to make it a connection to what they like-color, items in their drawings, etc.
Mexican Amate' Bark Paintings
One of the Social Studies units in first grade is learning about the culture and people of Mexico. There are so many cultural arts of Mexico to learn about. We chose the art of Mexican Amate' Bark Painting. Long before there was accessibility to paper the peoples around the world had to be resourceful and find things to communicate and create art upon. The bark from the Amate' tree in Mexico provided the perfect surface on which to paint. After stripping the bark and softening it into a paper like surface the painting began. Using the "fruit of the land" so to speak paints were created to do this painting. The scenes were usually of nature or celebrations. Each child chose what meant the most to them. To some is was animals or birds. After making their choices, the children set to work preparing their "bark" to draw and paint their pictures on. They first took a piece of brown butcher paper, wadded it up to create a bark like texture, ironed it so they could draw and paint on it, and then began the painting process.
One of the Social Studies units in first grade is learning about the culture and people of Mexico. There are so many cultural arts of Mexico to learn about. We chose the art of Mexican Amate' Bark Painting. Long before there was accessibility to paper the peoples around the world had to be resourceful and find things to communicate and create art upon. The bark from the Amate' tree in Mexico provided the perfect surface on which to paint. After stripping the bark and softening it into a paper like surface the painting began. Using the "fruit of the land" so to speak paints were created to do this painting. The scenes were usually of nature or celebrations. Each child chose what meant the most to them. To some is was animals or birds. After making their choices, the children set to work preparing their "bark" to draw and paint their pictures on. They first took a piece of brown butcher paper, wadded it up to create a bark like texture, ironed it so they could draw and paint on it, and then began the painting process.
We are still under construction in 1st grade art. We have had a very busy year so far continuing our learning about the art elements. The first graders are learning how to recognize and use the art elements of line, shape, and color in art. One of the first things they made was a "wild and crazy looking bird". They learned how to make a bird bodu by using the various shapes. Then they had fun with color and pattern to complete their very unique birds.
1st Grade Art 2014-15
What's The Latest That First Grade Has Been Doing?!
After learning about Realistic art work like Hokusai's "Great Wave", first graders learned about a completely different type of art called Abstract art. The artist Joan Miro, artist from Spain, loved to explore line, shape, and color to create his paintings and art. He loved the simple. The Denver Art Museum's current special exhibition is Joan Miro's "Instinct and Imagination". If you can get down to see it, children 18 and under are free to get into the museum and this exhibit is included in the museum's entrance fee. The show is on now through June 28. Below is the process the first graders did to create their Abstract paintings.
First Graders have continued working with the Art Element Line in art. They are now learning about the artists and their art from Japan. They just learned about the artist Hokusai and his beautiful painting called "The Great Wave". We learned that Hokusai created over 30,000 works of art in his life time. We also learned that he loved his native land of Japan, and in particular Edo, which is now called Tokyo, where he lived. He was somewhat tricky in pointing out Mt. Fuji in many of his paintings. In "The Great Wave" we learned that he had many things drawing our attention to this famous volcanic mountain. One of the things is painting it in the middle of the painting, and then having a fishing boat pointing at it as well as the "Great Wave" curling above it and it's almost as though it is pointing at it too. He used what is called a "monochromatic" color scheme in this painting using mostly values of blue. Below are some of the 1st graders versions of this famous paintings.
1st Grade "Cave Painters" of LES
First graders learned about the famous cave art of France's Lascaux Caves. They learned that this is the one of the first recorded forms of art and communication through art in the world. They also learned that there were animals then that we know now and that it was pretty cool that we know that through these drawings. After viewing the posters of these ancient pieces of art, the students tried their hand at cave drawing by crinkling up brown butcher paper, taping it to the wall in the hallway, and drawing animals with charcoal. They had a great time and have some pretty nice drawings to show.
First graders learned about the famous cave art of France's Lascaux Caves. They learned that this is the one of the first recorded forms of art and communication through art in the world. They also learned that there were animals then that we know now and that it was pretty cool that we know that through these drawings. After viewing the posters of these ancient pieces of art, the students tried their hand at cave drawing by crinkling up brown butcher paper, taping it to the wall in the hallway, and drawing animals with charcoal. They had a great time and have some pretty nice drawings to show.
First Grade artists have been getting ready for this year's KidzArt. They learned how lines become shapes and shapes became recognizable (sometimes) things. They created these wild and wacky birds for our project for this year. Here are just a few.
1st Grade Art 2013-14
First grade art is the continued exploration of art through exposure to art history, cultural art traditions, and use of the various materials, tools and processes of art.
So far the young artists have explored color, shape, line in famous works of art and applied them in their own art. One such project was through the study of the French Fauve artist Henri Matisse. His use of bright colors, line, and shape took the world by surprise. The students also learned how to draw people-portraits-through looking at a variety of portrait art, as well as by taking turns, voluntarily, posing and having their classmates draw them. Then they used the information they learned about Matisse's work to create their own portraits, using bright colors, lines, and shapes to make interestingly patterned backgrounds.
So far the young artists have explored color, shape, line in famous works of art and applied them in their own art. One such project was through the study of the French Fauve artist Henri Matisse. His use of bright colors, line, and shape took the world by surprise. The students also learned how to draw people-portraits-through looking at a variety of portrait art, as well as by taking turns, voluntarily, posing and having their classmates draw them. Then they used the information they learned about Matisse's work to create their own portraits, using bright colors, lines, and shapes to make interestingly patterned backgrounds.
Louisville Elementary students were treated to a visit from Author/Illustrator Dorothy Donahue. She inspired them to make their own illustrations for a pretend book. These pages from their "book" were supposed to be about an animal on an adventure...can you guess what these adventures may be?
Students are admiring the work of their classmates displayed in hallway showcases. They are looking at one of the cultural art projects that 1st graders created while they were learning about art of Mexico. These were decorative suns made out of clay which symbolized good fortune and happiness for all who enter a home that has one. During this lesson, not only did the students learn about a cultural art of Mexico, but the also learned the pottery technique of slab pottery. That is a process where clay is rolled out in a "slab" and then shapes are cut out. Later, after the clay has been fired, they applied colorful glazes to finish their project.
Mexican Amate' bark paintings or our "Birds in Paradise" paintings were another fun way to explore cultural art of Mexico. Paper was wrinkled and ironed, drawn on and painted to represent this style of painting. Before people had paper readily available for painting, they used to use the bark from trees. After processing it so it could be used, colorful paintings of nature were painted on it.
Monet lesson where students learned about Impressionism and painting like Monet with "blobs and smears" to create their own lily pond that shows the reflections of color and light in their work. They LOVED the freedom of painting in this important art style.
Playing with coffee filters, folding, markers, and water produced these amazing Radial Symmetry designs.