We are reaching the end of the first quarter and so much has happened! It always amazes me the number of things that get done and happen each and every day here. The kids are working well and we are tackling our learning with gusto. The initial "Take Flight" project is hanging in the foyer, and we are on to so much more. As always, feel free to drop me a note if there is anything your child needs that I can help with. Here are some updates about current class projects: Grade 6: If your child flails their arms and recites a list of words beginning with "Point, Line, Shape..." please know it is not a Tik-Tok dance. This is how we learn the Art Elements, the basic building blocks of everything we see. By knowing this group of "ingredients" we can develop artwork to be more detailed and expressive. Our current project is one I've done for a long time (but still really like and think works well.) "It's Element-Tree" in which artists begin by using a two step brainstorming process to develop an idea, and then develop a more complex final composition through revision against the Elements list. As always, results will be on Artsonia! Grade 7: After the "Take Flight" project, artists were taught the grid drawing system to give them a concrete strategy for drawing in proportion. Most students were able to draw using this method, while some struggled with giving up their current (successful) drawing strategy of seeing the whole image at once. It is so interesting to see how the brain works while drawing in 7th grade. The ability to "see" reality and perspective varies a lot from artist to artist, and over the course of the year, will physically develop. Please encourage your kids to draw as much as possible - however they want to. This is students' last year of required art in Reading Public Schools and if they aren't seeing progress, they might just give up and become one of those adults that say "I can't draw a stick figure..." And we don't want that! In addition to grid drawing, we have completed a quick little "Element Fish" project in which students illustrated their understanding of each art element in the construction of a cut out and embellished fish. This project included locating and documenting internet resources, too. Art Studio 6: We began by stepping into the land of dreams and examining the art of Marc Chagall. We focused on creating compositions of personal dreams that have a "unreal" feel through the way the scene was organized and choices of representation. So many fun discussions happened through this project! Next we explored our physical environment through an abstract painting built from found shapes using a method pioneered by artist Ingrid Calame. We collected shapes that represented humans interacting with their environment on tracing paper, then painted, learning about color theory. Next, we are jumping into a fun project that uses our Cricut cutter to celebrate Halloween. Students are designing haunted houses using the Design Space software that we will cut out of a single sheet of paper. It is so fun watching the amazement of kids' faces as the machine creates their virtual image in paper. Coming soon to Artsonia! Art Studio 7: Moving right along through a series of projects during this course that will have students thinking about how they use imagination and observation. I base several projects in this class on the abstraction of Picasso, and how the technology of his time influenced the art he made. New technology is influencing the art made and appreciated now and I'm hoping kids will be able to make connections. We have just finished a drawing of where we live, learning colored pencil techniques along the way. They came out really well and are a beautiful example of how the 7th grade mind sees familiar spaces. Art Studio 8: A student approached me a month ago and showed me the art he has been making using A/I (artificial intelligence). I hadn't seen this technology in a long time, and couldn't believe how much it has developed and wanted to use it with the kids. We experimented with the Wombo Dream software to create a computer generated image from a word prompt. Then, students were challenged to create a physical art object based on their A/I image. They had to choose what to keep, what to not use, and what to change. Defending these creative choices results in interesting discussion about what originality is in art, and how A/I will effect our art world in coming years. Really interesting art! Digital Art: The digital artists have tried their hands at creating a few different ways already. First we used Piskel to make short animated gifs, learning about resolution and basic digital drawing tools. Next we played with Google Sketchbook to freehand draw and paint. We looked at the art of Abstract Expressionist painters of the 1950's and tried making our own abstract compositions. It is not as easy as it seems like it would be. Following this, we used the same program to create observational drawings of a small toy. This is extremely challenging to do with a mouse and trackpad, but kids did really well with it. Next up kids will explore digital photography for a couple classes and then render their favorite image using Google Drawings. This is a super skilled bunch of artists and I am always amazed - hope you will be too! Collage and Mixed Media: We began with a photomontage project in which artists created a new world using existing photos. Next we began Altered Books. These are discarded books that are painted and drawn in, transforming the book into an art object. After we complete a couple page spreads together, this book will be going home for kids to use as a journal / sketchbook and shared periodically in class. Next up will be a printmaking unit using our amazing gelli plates!
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AuthorHello All! I am Ms. Ropple, the full time art teacher at W.S. Parker Middle School in Reading, MA. I teach four sections each of Gr.6 & 7th General Art, Semester long Art Studio classes for 6th,7th,and 8th grades, and three semester long 8th grade art electives each year. I love every minute and especially love the most creative kids in the world - our students! Archives
October 2022
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