Insect Block Prints

The Fourth Grade students explored the art of printmaking by creating these incredible block prints. They began by designing interesting compositions of insects honing in on the Elements of Art and Design. In doing so they learned how scale, space and texture can be combined to make an eye catching drawing. Next, they transferred their drawings to soft rubber blocks using a graphite rubbing technique and carved out the negative space using linoleum cutting tools. Lastly, they learned how to pull a successful print by coating the block in ink using a brayer (ink roller), and ultimately cropped and mounted them on colored paper. Most students were able to pull two successful prints which they mounted as a diptych work of art.

The first graders put a tremendous amount of energy into their drawing and coloring skills when they created these abstract works of art in chalk pastel. They gained inspiration by looking at the Aboriginal people's "X-Ray" paintings, a traditional style of painting in which the indigenous Australians create highly detailed images of animals, using light paint on a dark surfaces. Their backgrounds oftentimes include repeated geometric shapes which the first graders emulated in bright, contemporary colors.

Jim Dine Valentine!

 Jim Dine's Merry Snow

In celebration of Valentines Day, the second and fourth graders created stylized mixed media paintings of hearts, which were inspired by Pop Artist Jim Dine's incredibly diverse renderings of the same subject. Like Dine, the students explored the Elements of Art and Design, including Texture, Space, Shape, Value, Color, Form and Line to create the fabulous masterpieces!

Fifth Grade Mandalas

The fifth graders did an outstanding job creating these gorgeous drawings of mandalas using silver colored pencils on black paper. They began this drawing unit by refining their pencil technique when they learned how to draw 3D shapes, in which they practiced shading and blending. Following this, they designed the complex radial images that would later become stunning mandalas. To complete the drawings, they applied a range of value in which they focused on creating the most emphasis possible.