Studio 220

Moved!

2011-09-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

I have moved! And so has my blog!! If you are interested in keeping up with my new teaching adventure you can find me here: South School Art Studio . Thanks!
M

Fish Exploration Part 1

2011-05-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

rubber fish

First grade artists have begun a fish study. They recently went on a fishing trip and we are building off of that excitement! Today, we began drawing fish from observation. In lieu of real fish, we use the rubber fish set that I inherited when I came to PS 58. They are made for printmaking, but I like to utilize them in observational drawing units because of the details they include. We looked at fish created by Bruno Munari and Hokusai.

left: Hokusai print, right: Munari illustration

Students noticed that the Hokusai piece was more likely drawn from observation because the artist included so many details. Our goal was to include as many details as we could. Here are a few small drawings that will kick off our unit:

Check back to see where this will lead!

Kindergarten Ink Paintings

2011-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten artists have been working on drawing with a brush and ink. We have been practicing including details in our work. In one class, they created drawings of birds inspired by the book Feathers for Lunch. The following week, we looked at rubber fish and drew the details that we noticed. Then, we added chalk pastel. It was a new experience for a lot of students to work with the dusty material and the colors came out beautifully!

After School Food Collages

2011-05-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

In my third and fourth grade after school mixed media class, students studied the work of Wayne Thiebaud and created painted paper collages of food. They first created a number of colors and textures with paint and then used these to find the perfect papers to create their appetizing collages. Here are a few examples:

Then George used the extra paper to make a monster:

May Newsletter

2011-05-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

Happy May! Here is the newsletter for this month:

Studio 220 Newsletter: May 2011

I can hardly believe it is May! I hope everyone had a wonderful April vacation. We have a ton of exciting things going on in the art studio. Here is what each grade is working on:

Kindergarten artists are exploring looking and drawing, or observational drawing. We will explore the work of a number of artists who worked from observation including one of my personal favorites, Beatrix Potter. Students will work from a number of subjects and in many different media. We will explore how we can create texture and shape with drawing.

First grade artists are going to be starting a sculpture unit. We will do a study of fish, exploring artists who were inspired by fish such as Hokusai. Students will create drawings from observation, collages and a plaster wrap sculpture of their own fish. We will be exploring moving from 2D to 3D, how artists use drawings in the sculptural process and how you can create form from paper and cardboard. Check out the Studio 220 Blick Wishlist (http://www.dickblick.com/lists/artroomaid/3HP8PP4LU14Q3/publicview/) to help us get the rigid wrap for this project.

Second grade artists are working on a painted paper collage project. Inspired by their science and Earth Day studies of birds of prey (How amazing were those birds?!!), second graders will create their own birds of prey from painted paper. We will look at the work of illustrator Kim Scafuro, a Brooklyn artist who creates collages of painted paper. Students will explore the textures and patterns that are common on owls, hawks, eagles and other birds of prey. Next, students will explore creating a variety of values and textures using only black ink on paper. This paper will then be used for the students’ final birds of prey collages.

Fourth graders are studying the work of Wayne Thiebaud. We will explore how and why this artist chose food as one of his primary subjects. Students will rely on their recent study of form to create pastel drawings of food and cakes inspired by Thiebaud’s work. Students will learn about complimentary colors and use them in their final compositions. We will take what we have learned in painting about mixing colors and apply this to dry media.

Fifth graders are working on animal paintings inspired by Australian aboriginal paintings. Students are exploring painting with non-traditional materials and creating patterns using only dots. Students will explore symbolism and how this can be incorporated into their artwork.

The Gumplegutch!

2011-04-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

April is poetry month! Here is a poem by Shel Silverstein that has inspired a first grade art project:

The Gumplegutch

Go over and play with the Gumplegutch, Tommy,
The Gumplegutch loves to play.
You can bounce on his belly,
And call him Old Nellie,
And fill up his nostrils with clay.
Don't be 'fraid of his fangs,
Or his one yellow eye,
Or the scales on his tail, my dear.
Go over and play with the Gumplegutch, Tommy,
There's nothing at all to fear.
I will wait over here.

First graders searched for descriptive words to give us clues about the Gumplegutch's appearance. Once we had identified the descriptive words, each student imagined what the Gumplegutch looks like. Students each created a collagraph print of their creature.

First, we made a collage of our Gumplegutch using thick paper.

The following week, we used our collage as a printing plate. We inked the plate using a brayer, put a piece of paper on top of the plate and then burnished.

And VOILA! A Gumplegutch print:

The Amazing Melanie Hope Greenberg Visits Studio 220

2011-03-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

For the past 3 weeks, author/illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg has been working with us at PS 58. I have worked with Melanie before and it is such a pleasure to have a local illustrator share her knowledge and enthusiasm with our kids. She first shared her process with all second graders in the library. She read her book and everyone got a copy of Mermaids on Parade!

The following two visits were in Studio 220 with Melanie! She worked with all second grade classes. She shared her books and some relief paintings. Students were then inspired to create their own paper pop up relief collages. The students used foam tape in layers to create the relief effect. The students had a blast! Many were inspired by her city theme and the way that she layered buildings. Here are some photos from the residency. I can't wait to work with her again.

Melanie shares A City Is.

Students working.

Students share their work with partners.

Some finished pieces:

Thanks to Melanie and our visiting author program!

Catching Up---again!

2011-03-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

Things are so busy around here that this blog has been a bit neglected. I am going to do a one-post update of what all grades have been doing.

Kindergarten- cardboard relief animal sculptures!

First Grade- My block collages inspired by Romare Bearden and visiting artist Mari Takabayashi!

Second grade- Figures in action mosaics and drawings!

Fourth Grade- Imaginary settlement cartography!

Fifth Grade- Op Art!

Now that we are all caught up, I will let you know what we are doing now in the coming days!

Fifth Grade Tunnel Books

2011-03-04T06:00:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share the work that 5th graders did on their tunnel books. This was completed some time ago, but it is still on display in school.

Fifth grade artists each created their own illustrated character. They considered the character’s personality traits and physical features and how these would be shown. Here, students have created a tunnel book to capture their character in an environment. We studied the work of artist Andrea Deszo and noticed how she uses paper constructions to create a scene with depth. Students carefully considered what would be in their piece’s background, middle ground and foreground. Next, using colored pencil and colored pencil sticks, they created each layer. Finally, the scene was constructed in the box for support.

March Newsletter!

2011-03-02T15:18:00.002-08:00

Studio 220 Newsletter: March 2011

Here is what is happening this month in the art studio:

Kindergarten artists continue to work on sculpture. We will begin by exploring how a sculpture is different from a drawing. We will then experiment with how a 2D material can be used for 3D work. Students will bend, fold, crumple and twist paper to create three-dimensional work.

First grade artists are finishing up their block collages inspired by Romare Bearden and Mari Takabayashi. Next, we will continue to explore how the city can inspire art making through printing. Students will use etching and collograph printing to create a cityscape. We will focus on how from a distance, buildings overlap and layer. Students will explore foreground, middle ground and background in their printmaking. We will look closely at Georgia O’Keeffe’s The Radiator Building to see how light and dark shapes create depth in a cityscape.

Second grade artists are working with clay! This is a favorite material for so many students. We will explore how artists create vessels with ceramics. Students will each create their own vessel using the coil method. We will learn about the very important method of attaching clay called scratching and scoring. Students will become familiar with the geometric period of ancient Greek ceramics when we begin to paint our own work. We will explore using different lines, shapes and patterns to make our work more interesting and add movement.

Second graders are also working with illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg this month! She will be doing an author visit and will then spend two Mondays working with all second graders in the art studio. She will be sharing how her own neighborhood and city inspire her work and will collaborate with students to create a piece about Brooklyn.

Fourth graders are working with charcoal. We are exploring how we can use this drawing media to create a variety of values and textures, as well as create form. We have linked our unit with the fourth graders’ studies of colonial America. Students have been learning about what life was like for colonists and what they needed to survive. Taking these ideas, students will imagine that they have created their own new settlement in a realistic or fantasy place. We will look at the work of colonial cartographer John White and at the work of mapmakers who depict imaginary places. Students will each create a map of their own settlement. Each one will include the sources of food, water and shelter. They have begun sketching out their ideas and will soon create a large map with charcoal.

Fifth graders are finishing up their Op Art pieces and will begin working on one-point perspective. Students will take what they have learned about creating the illusion of space and begin to explore how artists create depth and realistic special relationships. We will look at a number of artists whose work illustrates this idea. Relying on what we have learned about foreground, middle ground and background, we will add one-point perspective to our drawing to create landscapes that show depth.

March Newsletter

2011-03-02T15:18:00.001-08:00

Fourth Grade Portraits

2011-02-15T07:21:00.000-08:00

Fourth graders have been creating portraits of people who are important to them. We started by looking at work by Hans Holbein, Alex Katz and Dana Schutz:

We noticed how each portrait tells something about the subject. We looked closely at costume, gaze and the way that paint and color were applied.

Next, we created sketches of our own portraits. We tried to decide how we could tell something about our subjects personality using detail and color choices. From our sketch, we created an under-painting. This is a value painting that we later cover. It is like a painted sketch.

Finally, we used the primary colors and black, white and brown to mix and add colors to our work. They all came out AMAZING! Here are a few examples:

First Grade Updates

2011-02-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

First graders finished their clay pots ages ago, but I have not posted about them! Here are tons of photos of their finished pieces.

Now, we are working on mixed media pieces. We have studied artists who were inspired by their neighborhoods. We looked at The Block by Romare Bearden and I Live in Brooklyn by Mari Takabayashi. Mari even came and told us about how she makes her art! Now, we are working on pieces about our own neighborhoods. Here is a sneak peak of the studio in action:

Sweet Gift

2011-01-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

Got this great drawing today from a second grader:

Thanks Saomi!

New Drawings

2011-01-26T12:51:00.001-08:00

We have been getting A LOT of snow here, so second graders did some quick self-portraits of what they look like in a blizzard. Here are some super examples:

Happy New Year!

2011-01-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I am going to start this year of posting with an awesome drawing that first grader Emelia made for me. Here it is:
This has so many details that you have to look at it up close, but I love the sea monster, pirate ships, shark fins and underground tunnel! Thanks Emelia!

I have so much to share this month. Check back for the fifth grade tunnel book projects, fourth grade portraits, second grade figures in action, first grade pinch pots and kindergarten paintings. I have also begun working with the 3/4 class in the studio. We started sketchbooks. Here are a few examples of ideas beginning to sprout:

I think we are in for a great year!

Kindergarten Painting Beginnings

2010-12-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

Kindergarten artists have been working on mixing the three PRIMARY colors--red, yellow and blue. We began by monoprinting with primary colors and now we have begun working with a brush. We learned about the parts of a paint brush and the way that we use them in Studio 220. Next, we experimented with painting. Here are some images from Ms. Ramsey's class:

Pinch Pot How To by Class 1-213

2010-12-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

We are learning how to make pinch pots. Here are the steps:

1. Roll the clay into a ball. Make sure that there are no cracks.

2. Push your thumb into the clay in the middle. Don't make your hole all the way through.

3. Pinch the sides of your clay to make the hole bigger. Make sure you don't make the sides too skinny.

4. Smooth out the cracks with water using two fingers.

5. Put it on a piece of paper with your name on it and put it near the heater to dry.

Class 1-213

AMAZING!

2010-12-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

DO YOU KNOW THIS GUY?

You should! Go here to learn about the newest comic hero and how to get your own copy of Darth Pineapple Comics.

First Grade Clay Explorations

2010-11-30T06:24:00.000-08:00

When we begin a clay unit, I give the students a full class period to simply play with and explore the material. We discuss that clay comes from the earth and has been used for many years. One of the big parts of this lesson is naming ways that you can change the shape of clay. Here is what first graders came up with:
smoosh
pinch
roll
build
sculpt
flatten
bend
twist
break
squeeze
coil/snake
press

Can you think of any others?

December Newsletter!

2010-11-30T06:20:00.000-08:00

Can you believe December is almost here?! Here is our newsletter for the month!

November flew by! It was great to speak to so many of you at conferences. Thanks so much to everyone for donating materials to the studio! Your contributions from the Dick Blick Wish List and of recycled materials have been much appreciated by the students. As always, we are still collecting materials and baby wipes.

Many of the grades are still working on the explorations begun in November. This is what we have been working on:

Kindergarten artists have explored creating their own stamps using etching. Each student created a tree using their handmade bark and leaf stamps. In December we will continue to explore stamping. Instead of using Styrofoam, students will explore how found objects can be used to create prints. Here, we will be using many of the recycled materials that have been rolling in!

First grade artists are working on a ceramics unit! We are studying clay and exploring how it can be used. Students will learn about where clay comes from and how people have used it for thousands of years to create vessels. Each student will create a pinch pot with a detachable lid. Students will be learning about scratching and scoring to attach one piece of clay to another as they transform their lid into an animal.

Second grade artists are going to be working on a unit inspired by the later work of Henri Matisse. We will be studying how later in his life he began “painting with paper.” Students will be working independently and collaboratively to create a number of cut paper collage pieces. We will explore how compositions can be played with and changed. We will explore ideas of organic/geometric shape, positive/negative space and symmetry/asymmetry. Students will also play with scale, making tiny collages and gigantic collages. It is sure to be a ton of fun.

Fourth graders are working on a painting unit. In November, we explored color mixing and application. This month, students will be creating portraits of a family member. For inspiration and to see the different ways a portrait can be painted, students will study pieces by Dana Schutz, Alex Katz and Kim Scafuro. We will look at how artists use color and paint application to express personality.

Fifth graders are continuing to create their tunnel book showing their characters’ environments. They are studying Andrea Dezso’s tunnel books to see how paper can be layered to create depth. Students will create their environment using a number of pop-up paper engineering techniques and will include a foreground, middle ground and background. They are busy working on each layer of their piece and are eager to put it all together.

5^th Grade Note: Many middle schools require students to audition for art or to submit a portfolio. Each school is different, but the general process and what they are looking for is the same. On Thursdays during 5^th period recess, students applying for art as their talent in middle school are welcome to come to the studio to practice for auditions.

Kindergarten Tree Prints

2010-11-29T06:17:00.000-08:00

Kindergarten artists were studying trees with Miss Marsh in science. We decided to connect with this unit in the art studio and began to play with printmaking. Kindergarten artists learned about stamping and how stamps can be used to make the same mark over and over. Students first looked at tree bark and created a stamp to mimic this texture using etching in styrofoam. We then took these stamps and "built" a tree. Next, we studied leaves. We used our science observation skills to notice everything about a leaf. Then we drew what we saw. After we were comfortable drawing a leaf, we used the same etching technique to create a leaf stamp. Once this was finished, we used our stamp to add leaves to the trees. The work came out great! I will post more finished pictures, but here is a taste of what the process looked like:

Update: Here are more leaf observational drawings. So beautiful!

Great Job 5th Graders

2010-11-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Fifth grade artists have been working hard on their character development. Here are three excellent examples of work (by Safia, Momoko and Maximo) that were colored with traditional materials.

Students are also working on coloring their work with digital media in Photoshop. Next, we will create 3D environments for our characters inspired by Andrea Dezso. Awesome!

November Newsletter!

2010-11-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Studio 220 Newsletter: November 2010

November is a busy month in the art studio! Students are getting started on their second units. Make sure to check out all of the exhibits in the halls during open school week. I hope to see many of you at conferences. I will be holding an open house in Studio 220 on the second floor. Please stop in and have a look around!

Here is a preview of what will be going on this month:

Kindergarten artists have explored how shapes can be used to “build” pictures with collage. In November, we will be moving with this idea into the medium of printmaking! Students will be creating their own stamps by etching into styrofoam. They will use these stamps to create images. The theme for this unit links what they are doing in science with Miss Marsh—a study of trees. In the studio, we will be taking the knowledge they have gained about the parts of trees and how they change and exploring this through art making. We will focus our art explorations on texture and shape.

First grade artists have become collage experts! They will continue to work with paper, but will be exploring how the material can move from two dimensions to three. We will be creating a number of paper sculptures that hang and stand on a base. Students will be encouraged to explore ideas of balance and structure while using the materials. We will experiment with how different types of actions (twist, bend, fold…) change the way that the material looks.

Fourth graders are working on a painting unit. During the month, students will really play with the medium to see what it can do. We will be using acrylic paint to explore thick and thin application and strokes, as well as to reinforce what we know about color mixing. Students will be creating portraits of a family member. For inspiration and to see the different ways a portrait can be painted, students will study pieces by Dana Schutz, Alex Katz and Kim Scafuro.

Fifth graders have worked hard to create an illustrated character. In November, students will take their character and create a pop-up paper environment for it. They will study Andrea Dezso’s tunnel books to see how paper can be layered to create depth. Students will create their environment using a number of pop-up paper engineering techniques and will include a foreground, middle ground and background. I am really excited to see where they will take this!

Lastly, I want to sincerely thank everyone who donated materials to the studio through the Dick Blick Art Room Aid and materials and wipes donations. I am overwhelmed by your generosity! Thank you so much for all you do for our artists!

Amazing Jellyfish!

2010-11-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

There were tons of amazing costumes at the character parade, but I have to post this amazing jellyfish costume that a second grade artist came up with. What a great idea!

Character Parade

2010-10-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

Update!

I love the storybook character parade tradition at PS 58, but this year, I had the hardest time thinking of an idea for a costume. Finally, today, I came up with something I LOVE:

The hermit crab from Eric Carle's book! This was a childhood favorite of mine, as I grew up near the water. I will post a picture Friday of my costume and other amazing ones! What are you going as?

Fourth Grade Fantasy Creatures

2010-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Fourth graders have been creating fantasy characters. We looked at how Edward Gorey used line to create texture on his own characters. Students used pencil to create their creatures and then used hatching, cross-hatching and created textures to enhance their characters. FInally, we explored watercolor washes. Using watercolor, students tinted their work. Check them out!

Character Development

2010-10-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Fifth graders have been working on creating an illustrated character. We studied artists Tim Burton and Sac Magique to explore how their characters have distinct personality traits that are shown through their physical features. Students brainstormed to create their own character. Next, they sketched and created a final contour drawing. Students will ink their work and color it using both traditional and digital media. Great work artists!

Kindergarten

2010-10-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten artists have been learning about abstract compositions. Now, we have begun to explore "realistic" art. We read the book Mouse Shapes and explored how shapes can build pictures of real things. Here are some collages made by kindergarten artists:

Next, kindergarten artists looked at the work of Eric Carle. We noticed how he used shapes to create bugs. Artists used tearing to create shapes and used them to make their own collaged bugs. The work is up outside kindergarten classrooms.

This week, we will begin a printmaking unit. We will work with stamping and texture. Our theme will link with what they have been learning about with Miss Marsh in science: trees!!

Animal Collage Update

2010-10-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

After completing their animal collages, first grade artists created a habitat for their creature. I will write more about the objectives, etc for the display. Here are some awesome results:

Did you notice??

2010-10-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Did you notice the new blog header? It was drawn by my husband, Tad Kimball.
Thanks Tad!

Animal Collages

2010-10-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

First grade artists are studying Charley Harper and thinking about how he uses simple shapes to "build" animals. He called his style "minimal realism." Students will soon be using the monoprints they created to make animal collages, but we are now practicing using construction paper. The students love Harper's work, because it is simple and surprising. Here are some examples of the first step of our animal collages. Next, we will create a habitat for the animal. We will then follow these same steps to create collages using our prints.

Designing with Shapes

2010-10-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten artists have been designing with shapes. After doing a circle design with drawing, we began our collage study. Students created ABSTRACT collages using squares and rectangles. Here are some examples of the work. The rest should be up on the walls outside kindergarten classrooms by the end of the week. Next, we will build pictures of things with shapes.

The kindergarten classes are off to a great start this year. Parents, I am in need of baby wipes. We use these as a part of our clean up routine. You can send donations up to my class with your child. Thanks!!

2nd Grade Moving Sketches

2010-10-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

In the studio, students in second grade are learning about sketching and how it is an important part of the artistic process. Even though we have begun a painting unit, we are starting out by sketching to help us work out our ideas. Second graders looked at the work of Keith Haring and discovered that he uses movement lines and body position to show movement in a painting. Here are some sketches that we made to try out this technique:

Check out more sketches in the lobby and coming soon outside second grade classrooms!

October Newsletter!

2010-09-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Studio 220 Newsletter: October 2010

September has been a great month for getting to know the art studio and the new routines and procedures. Every class has been working on what it means to be an artist and to work in the studio. This includes thinking like an artist, talking about art and exploring materials.

In October, we will begin bigger units of study. Here is what we will be working on:

Kindergarten artists are exploring shape, line and composition. We are experimenting with how to design with shapes and create abstract work with shapes. We will then begin building creatures, buildings and other things with shape. This unit will incorporate collage, printmaking, drawing and color mixing. Students will look at the work of painter Vasily Kandinsky, textile artist Denyse Schmidt and illustrator Eric Carle to explore how shapes come together to make art.

First grade artists are exploring the possibilities of line. They will be experimenting with creating line with a variety of manipulative materials. Next, we will use monoprinting to make prints of different types of lines. These will then be the collage material for building animals with shapes. This unit will be inspired by the illustrations of Charley Harper.

Second grade artists will explore how to create movement in a two dimensional picture. We will look at the work of Keith Haring to see how the addition of movement lines and the position of a figure can show movement. This unit will include collage and painting. We will reinforce knowledge of color mixing and composition.

Fourth graders will be playing with the idea of surprise in art making. We will be exploring how surrealist artists played the exquisite corpse game to come up with interesting drawings. Students will practice working collaboratively and independently. We will then look at the work of Edward Gorey to explore fantastical creatures and how they can be developed. This unit will include drawing and painting.

Fifth graders will be working on a character development project. We will look at the work of a number of contemporary illustrators, including Tim Burton and Sac Magique, whose work is driven by characters. We will explore the features that an artist includes in their character, be it an imaginary creature or a human. Once we have our characters, we will explore where we can go next. This unit will focus on drawing and pen and ink.

here's a look at the last few weeks

2010-09-29T04:48:00.000-07:00

Artists in each grade have been getting to know the studio procedures and routines and have started to make work. Here is a look at what we are exploring:

Kindergarten artists have been designing with shapes.

First grade artists have been exploring line to get ready for printmaking.

Second graders designed a mascot to cheer them on in art.

And fourth and fifth grade artists are designing logos to represent themselves as artists.

We are off to a good start!

September Newsletter!

2010-09-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back!
I am really excited about this year! I will be at the parent orientations to discuss what we will be working on this year and I hope to see you there. Here is my September Newsletter:

Welcome Back! I am so excited to be here again and working with your children!

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Megan Kimball. This year I will be working with students in kindergarten, first, second, fourth and fifth grades. Students will see me once a week in the art studio, room 220.

In Studio 220, we will work on a variety of art and design projects. All of the children will work with a variety of media as mandated by the Blueprint for the Arts: drawing, painting, printmaking, arts in technology, design, collage and sculpture. These units, spread throughout the year, will cover a number of topics, often linked to the learning that is happening in their classroom. Students will also be experimenting with digital arts using the computer, scanner and digital cameras. In my class, students will explore materials, learn about artists and create their own work. This year, I am putting an emphasis on what it means to think like an artist. Depending on the grade level, we will explore this question in different ways—how can we: use a familiar material in a new way, make a mistake into something new, take risks in our work and not be afraid of “messing up.” We will explore how artists share their individual point of view and students will hear from working artists who can show their own creative process. I am thrilled to be working with so many students this year, and I cannot wait to see what amazing ideas they come up with!

Here is a glimpse of what we are doing in September:

September in Studio 220 is all about setting up routines in the studio and allowing students to take ownership over their creative space. Each class period, students will work on a small project that will reinforce the routines and what is expected of them. I like start off the year by surprising the students with new ways to use materials they may already be familiar with. This sets up the arena of surprise and exploration that is such a large part of our studio work.

In September, students will begin experimenting with materials and creating art about what they hope to accomplish this year. Students will create a portfolio to hold their sketches, ideas and anything else that they find inspiring. We will explore how an artist gets ideas and the importance of keeping these organized. By then end of this first month, students will be ready to jump into our first unit.

I am so looking forward to this year and we will get off to an amazing start in September!

Getting Back into the Groove

2010-08-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Loving this:

Fall After School Opportunity

2010-08-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer. I just got an email from the amazing Textile Arts Center regarding their fall after school programs. It sounds awesome!! Here is the copy:

We agree: the Summer is too short. But we're winding down from a great season of Summer Camp and gearing up for the Fall's AfterSchool Textiles program:

On Mondays and Thursdays from 3-6PM, your child can spend the afternoon with us!

The year will be broken down to two semesters: September - December, and January - June.

Children will be broken into two groups, alternating between Weaving and Surface Design, with aach semester culminating in a large, group public art project!

3PM Pick up from PS 321, PS 372, and PS 58

3-4PM: Snack & homework

4-6PM: Textile Projects

6PM: Pick up

This past school year was a success, and we look to have a fantastic year ahead!

To kick off the year, we're having an end-of-summer promo:

Sign up for the full year of afterschool from between 8/16-8/20, one or two days per week, and receive 15% off!

If you are not convinced, join us for an AfterSchool Open House on Sunday August 29, 2-4PM

You can also check out all the fun from Summer Camp on our facebook or flickr account!

We hope you enjoy the rest of Summer!

505 Carroll Street, 11215 | (718) 369-0222 | info@textileartscenter.com

oh my goodnesss, oh my goodness!

2010-07-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

Can you believe the year has ended!? I surely slacked on the blog in all of the end of the year mayhem and excitement, but I plan on putting up some photos in the next week or so. Thanks to everyone for all of your support and enjoy your summer!
xo
MK

Observational Drawing

2010-05-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

First and second graders are practicing observational drawing. We talked about how observation means to look at something closely, so observational drawing is to look at something closely and draw what you see. We also talked about how artists can get frustrated by trying to make their drawing look exactly like what they observing, but it is more important to try your best and include as many details as you can. Sometimes it looks more interesting as a drawing if it doesn't look exactly like real life. Lukas in 2nd grade said that it is more important that you put your artistic spirit into it. I like that.

So first graders looked at drawings of fish by Hokusai and Munari. We tried to guess which artist worked from observation and guessed that it was Hokusai because he included more details. Students then used sharpie to draw a fish from observation. We worked from rubber reproductions of fish that show tons of detail.
Next, they incorporated details from their imagination about where the fish would live. Most artists made under the sea scenes:

But some artists had other ideas:

See the final results on display next week on the second floor. Great work!

Second graders have begun practicing drawing bugs from observation of photos. We will be taking these skills to a whole new level to create drawings inspired by one of my favorite movies:

Get excited!

Here are some photos of second graders working on practice sketches:

Weaving

2010-05-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

Fourth graders are almost done with weaving! Look for their pieces on display in the lobby in June. Here is an example of how one student turned her woven fabric into a fashion accessory!

Kid With A Camera!

2010-05-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to participate in the annual Kid With a Camera exhibition! There is still time to submit photos, just remember that you must submit a printed photo, not just a jpeg. Click the poster to enlarge and see all the info.

May Newsletter

2010-05-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is May! Here is what's happening:

Studio 220 Newsletter: May 2010

First Grade: First graders are continuing on their sculpture unit and have moved on to creating sculptures with found materials and assemblage. Students are looking at the work of Louise Nevelson. We are exploring how sculptures can have a limited amount of colors so the focus is on form. We are also figuring out how you can transform 3D sculpture into 2D. Check out the blog for our explorations.

Second Grade: Second graders are working on an observational and imaginative drawing unit. We are exploring the different ways that an artist can make drawings and trying to see what happens when they are combined. We will be looking at the work of a number of contemporary artists who focus on drawing and experiment with a number of media. Students will work with pencil, charcoal and ink.

Third Grade: Third graders are creating collages of landscapes and dreamscapes. We are looking at what makes a piece of art a landscape. We are looking at the work of artists including Esther Pearl Watson and David Hockney to see how artists draw inspiration from a place and also add elements of their imagination.

Fourth Grade: Fourth graders are finishing up their weaving unit. We have been considering how color choices are as important in weaving as they are in painting. Students are considering what colors contrast and what colors blend together. Next, we will be moving onto a clay unit.

Fifth Grade: Fifth graders are working on collograph self-portrait prints. We have been studying portraiture and students are experimenting with how collograph painting is different than drawing.

Don’t forget to visit the art blog: www.megankimball.blogspot.com for photos and up to the minute details of what we are working on!

As always, I am in need of baby wipes! Any donations are much appreciated!

Megan Kimball

From 3D to 2D

2010-04-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago when Anna, our student teacher from NYU, was teaching sculpture, a first grader said that you could make a 3D sculpture 2D again by taking a picture of it. Brilliant! We have been playing with this idea a lot in 1-211 and 1-215. Students took their relief sculptures and made 2D representations of them with observational drawing. They then took those drawings and transformed them into something from their imagination.

Yesterday, students used LEGOs to create a collaborative sculpture. We made sure to turn the base half way through so that all artists could work on each side. They then used the same technique as with their relief to create drawings of their work. We realized that even though four people were drawing the same sculpture, each drawing would be different because they are looking at a different side of the piece.

Great work!

Painted Paper Projects

2010-04-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Spring is the time for painted paper collage in Studio 220!

There are a few different projects happening, but here is a look at what Ms. Rippe's 2/3 class and third graders are working on!

Ms. Rippe's class has been thinking about texture and how you can create texture with color and shape on paper. They have been looking at the work of Brooklyn artist Kim Scafuro for inspiration and noticed that she uses painted paper to collage animals. Students created a ton of painted textures and colors and then used them to begin to make an animal. In the next few weeks, we will be creating a background for our creatures.

work by Kim Scafuro

collage beginnings!

I will post the final projects when they are finished.

Third graders are also working on painted paper collage. We are learned about color families and used brushes to create pieces of paper with various textures with colors from our chosen color family. The following week, we had some fun using bubbles to paint on paper. Next, we will take the paper we have created and create imaginary landscape collages!

bubble painting result and process

We got a ton of interesting textures to use in our collages. Check back for the results!

First Grade Sculpture

2010-04-26T12:33:00.001-07:00

First graders began a paper sculpture unit by using strips of paper to create 3D pieces of art. We explored how 2D and 3D art pieces are alike and different. Students were challenged to create a sculpture using a material we usually use for 2D art. Each student was given a number of paper strips and a base. They then used a glue stick and simple techniques like bending, folding and twisting to create their sculpture. While they worked, students were instructed to turn their base so that they would always be looking at their sculpture from all sides. Check out what they came up with:

First graders are now working with cardboard and recycled materials to create sculptures inspired by Lee Bontecou and Louise Nevelson. Here is a sneak peak:

Let's Play Catch-Up!

2010-04-26T12:10:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe it has been so long since I put work on the blog! The kids have been so busy working and I have been taking tons of photos, but there is never enough time! Today I am going to get it together and put up a few posts. Get ready!!!

First, here are the finished animal heads. I wrote about the process here and here, so this is what the kids came up with:

They all came out amazing. Great work 4th graders!

A Trip to the Textile Arts Center

2010-04-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Last week, fourth graders took a trip to the Textile Arts Center to weave on floor looms. It was AWESOME! The studio was great and Visjna, co-owner and teacher, taught us some amazing things. Here is a post that 4Five artist Ray wrote about the trip. Enjoy!

The 4Fives at the Textile Art Center!!!!!! :)

April 13, 2010 by the4fives

Hey everyone guess what we did last week?

We went with Bee and Ms. Kimball to her friend Visjna’s art studio, the Textile Arts Center. When we got there, Ms. Kimball kept knocking on the door but her friend didn’t answer because her back was turned to us. Finally, Visjna opened the door then we entered and sat on the floor and she started started to talk to us about weaving. Then she said “have you kids been doing weaving at your school?”, and we said “yes.” Then she said “ok this will be easy for you guys and girls”.

Visjna teaches us how to weave.

Then she said “we will be doing weaving today”, then we said “cool!”

A loom at Visjna's studio.

Then she said “look at the yarn and choose which one you want to use.” We started looking at the yarn then she said to pick one then everybody picked one. I picked one and it was red.

Adrian and I choose our yarn.

Ms.Kimball started calling us for groups and I was in group 5 and I went to my loom.

My group at our loom.

Then all we had to do was put the string on the loom, put our feet on the pedals, put our yarn through the other strings and pull back the beater to push our yarn together. Then you keep repeating it.

Another group on a loom.

I finished and then all we had time for was to make one more. Then Ms. Kimball said “you guys know you can make one for me.”

Ms. Kimball helps Deven with weaving.

Then I thought about making one for Bee then I started weaving one for her. Then the class finished. Then I finished making my weaving project for Bee.

My present for Bee.

Now I am going to tell you the steps of weaving on a weaving machine:

Step 1- First you pick a yarn.

Step 2- Then you wait for your group be called.

Step 3- Then you go to your machine.

Step 4- Then you tie your yarn to the warp.

Step 5- Then you step on the pedals.

Step 6- Then you pass the yarn through the warp threads.

Step 7- Then you let go of the pedals.

Step 8- Then you push the beater down.

Step 9- Then you push down the other pedals that you didn’t push in Step 5.

Step 10- Then you keep repeating steps 5-9 and finish the rest of your weaving.

Step 11- Then you are all done.

I hope that you liked my blog post.

Love,

Ray

Next, we are creating our own looms in class and working on small compositions.

I will be posting more soon. WE HAVE BEEN SO BUSY!

2nd Grade Neighborhoods

2010-03-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

Second graders have been working on a neighborhood scene collaboration. We started by talking about the colors and textures we saw on buildings. We wanted to mimic these textures and colors with paint, so we used unconventional materials to apply paint to paper. We explored how sponges, combs and brushes created different painted effects. Next, we created one piece of paper with the color and texture we wanted for our building.

The following week, we looked at the work of Melanie Hope Greenberg and Red Grooms to see what kinds of art people have made about neighborhoods. We then took the paper we had painted and began collaging it to create a building for our neighborhood. Over the next few weeks, we added details, people, trees, cars and other things that we would see in the neighborhood. Each building was added to the cityscape and then the details were added to bring our neighborhood to life. Here are a few photos and there will be more to come:

5th Grade Food Sculpture

2010-03-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

Fifth graders are working on creating clay sculptures of food. We looked at the work of many artists who use food as their subject throughout art history. Some favorites included Cotan and Raul Guerrero . We are now working on creating our own sculptures of food out of clay. Each student is creating a plate, dish, cup, tray or other "holder" of their food and the food. Here are some beginings:

Third Grade Gargoyle Relief Sculptures

2010-03-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

In Studio 220, we are constantly struggling with the fragile nature of air dry clay. It is great to model with and create our projects, but once it dries, it seems to crumble, crack and break so easily! No matter how much we "scratch to attach" (scratching and scoring) or smooth out any cracks, we always find ourselves in line at the hot glue station for repairs.*** I find that the projects that work best are basic ceramics (pinch pots, coil pots, etc) and relief sculptures. I also find that the quicker these projects are taken home, the better chance for survival. Because of this, you won't see these 3rd grade clay projects on display, but you can see them here.

Third graders worked on relief sculptures of gargoyles. We learned about how the word gargoyle comes from "gargle" because they were often included on buildings to serve as rain water spouts to protect the buildings. We also learned that they were included as an architectural decoration to scare away negativity. Students invented a protective character that would serve the same purpose. We used clay to create a relief sculpture of our creature and then painted it using different gray scale values to highlight depth.

***If any artists or art educators out there have any tips, please share!

Can't Believe I Never Posted These!

2010-03-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

First graders worked hard on creating pinch pots with animal lids. We completed these some time ago, and they have since gone home. But for those of you who missed the exhibits in the lobby, here are some photos!

March Newsletter

2010-03-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

Studio 220 Newsletter: March 2010

Happy March! This is an exciting month in the studio and spring is almost here! I hope to meet you all during conference night. I will be in the art room, 220, for the entire afternoon and evening sessions. Feel free to stop by and see what is happening. Here is a glimpse at the month:

First Grade: First graders are finishing a printmaking unit. We are exploring different types of stamping and how we can create our own stamps. We are making a cityscape out of different stamped shapes and working on collaboration! Next, students will help each other to make large portraits of what they will be in 30 years. We will be working on the floor in the classroom to explore scale and the use of different materials together.

Second Grade: Second grade artists are starting a ceramics unit. We will explore the origins of clay vessels and their uses. Each student will create a pot using the coil method. We will also be learning about warm and cool colors. Students will be mixing these, as well as creating tints.

Third Grade: Third graders are working on a painting unit. We are focusing on how colors can express a mood or a memory of a mood. Students will be looking at the work of a variety of contemporary landscape artists including Ornulf Opdahl, David Hockney and Peter Doig. We will be experimenting with how different colors can remind us of certain experiences.

Fourth Grade: Fourth graders are working on a weaving unit. We will be studying traditional weaving, as well as weaving in the fine arts. We will look at the work of Sheila Hicks to inspire small weavings. We will also be taking a field trip to the Textile Arts Center to work on their floor looms. Can’t wait!

Fifth Grade: Fifth graders are working on clay sculptures of food. We are looking at all types of artwork to try and figure out why food is such a popular subject in art. Students will also look at the work of Claes Oldenburg to explore art of food in three dimensions. We will each make a “dish” that will include the ceramic serving piece and the food.

Eco-Tech School!

2010-03-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

What are these kids so psyched about?

Eco-Tech! If you haven't checked out the Eco-Tech School website yet, do it! These PS 58 4th graders are working on something really cool with me and Bee.

First Grade Accordion Books

2010-02-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

First graders in classes 1-211 and 1-215 have been working on using pictures to tell a story. They are creating accordion books that follow one character though out their day. They started by creating a drawing of a character. Next, we scanned the images into the computer and used Photoshop to duplicate the images. Each student got a page with 4 copies of their character, one to go on each page. We used collage to show where they live, how they travel, where they go and the end of their day. The books look great and the students had a lot of fun learning about the scanner. They will be displayed as soon as they are put together.

4th Grade Papier Mache Update

2010-02-22T13:09:00.001-08:00

WE ARE SO CLOSE TO BEING FINISHED! I cannot wait to share these!!

Maira Kalman

2010-02-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited that the amazing Maira Kalman is visiting PS 58 tomorrow!! She is one of my favorite illustrators. Check out her work here!

Image VIA NY Times

February Newsletter

2010-02-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

Studio 220 Newsletter: February 2010

Here is what is happening this month in ART:

First Grade: First graders are working on a printmaking unit. We are exploring different types of stamping and how we can create our own stamps. We will be making a cityscape out of different stamped shapes and begin to work on collaboration!

Second Grade: Second graders are creating a neighborhood scene with cut paper collage. Artists used paint to resemble the color and texture of buildings. Next, we will use collage to create large buildings and a busy neighborhood scene. We will be exploring the work of Melanie Hope Greenberg and Red Grooms. Second graders will also participate in a special bookmaking project inspired my visiting illustrator/author Maira Kalman.

Third Grade: Third graders are creating relief sculptures of gargoyles. We are exploring what gargoyles were used for historically and are creating our own protection creature. Students will also work on exploring additive and subtractive sculpting processes and creating value with paint. We will look at gargoyles of all types, as well as sculptures by contemporary artist Elliot Earls.

Fourth Grade: (After months of being covered in glue,) Fourth graders ~~continue to work on~~ are finishing their sculpture project!!! This has been a long process, but the results are amazing! We are looking at the work of AJ Fosik and creating large animal heads out of papier mache and cut paper. We are thinking about how Native Americans believed that animals represented and had personality traits. Each student will choose an animal whose “personality” is similar to his or her own. They will then create a relief sculpture to represent their animal.

Fifth Grade: Fifth graders are completing their tunnel books inspired by the work of Tim Burton. Next, we will move on to clay to create sculptures of our favorite foods. We will look at artists whose subject is food such as Claes Oldenburg to explore the vast possibilities of the subject.

Have a great break!

Loving This Drawing

2010-02-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

Here is a great drawing made today by a second grader. Have a good weekend!

The Scroll-A-Thon!

2010-02-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Wow! The Scroll-A-Thon was a big success! Students in grades 1 through 5 worked with visiting artists Steven and William Ladd and their assistant Jill. The final installations: suede boxes that are filled with embellished scrolls; were a collaboration between everyone! Each part of the project depended upon the work another grade had done previously. Let me explain:

Everyone learned about how a scroll is really a tight spiral. We used upcycled belt materials to create scrolls that we got to take home. William and Jill took portraits of every artist and their scroll to put in a big, beautiful book. This was good practice for what each grade's role was in the Heart Scroll-A-Thon.

Making a Spiral

scrolling

William taking portraits

Here is what each grade did for the final project:

First graders drew beautiful scrolls with pencil. They invented their own scroll on paper, using the mark to make the spiral.

Second graders put a piece of tracing paper over the first graders drawing and inked it using reds, pinks and purples.

Third graders took the drawings and tissue paper and interpreted them into the cut pieces of belt, which would later be made into scrolls.

Fourth graders took the knots that the third graders tied and used those pieces and the drawings to inspire a scroll.

And Fifth graders used the drawings to inspire beadwork on the scrolls that the fourth graders had rolled.

WHEW! It was AWESOME!

Thanks Steven, William, Jill, Bee and the 4Fives for all your hard work!

BUY A PIECE OF THE SCROLL-A-THON AT THE SILENT AUCTION!

Visiting Artist Colette Taber

2010-02-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, painter Colette Taber worked with the fifth graders on some drawing exercises. She taught them about how color is tricky and can look different depending on what other colors are nearby. She also taught the students about working with a viewfinder. She explained that sometimes it is overwhelming to see everything around you and try to draw it, but if you isolate your composition, it becomes easier. We used old toilet paper rolls that had been folded into squares and rectangles to decide upon our still life composition. Thanks for visiting us Colette!!!!

Scroll-A-Thon!

2010-01-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

The Scroll-A-Thon is here!!! More to come...

Fourth Grade Animal Heads

2010-01-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Fourth graders are working on a papier mache sculpture project. We were inspired by the work of artist AJ Fosik. He uses wood to create really interesting relief pieces.

We are making animal heads out of recycled materials.

Students chose an animal whose character traits resemble their own.

First, we sketched out a plan from the front and the side.

Then we created a structure of recycled materials and masking tape.

Next, we are covering them with papier mache.

Keep checking here for the next stage of this project!

Kandinsky Trip!

2010-01-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

The last part of our second grade music and art Kandinsky study was a trip to the Guggenheim to see his work. The students did a spectacular job at the museum. Here are some examples of their work from the trip. It was a blast. Thanks to Brogan Ganley, our visiting artist for this unit!

click on the image to see it larger

Here are some additional drawings done in the rotunda gallery:

Thanks to the Arts and Multicultural Committee for setting up this trip for us!

4Fives Transformative Upcycling Installation!

2010-01-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

The 4Fives are working on an installation for their classroom. We wanted to transform something into art, so we looked at the work of Tara Donovan. She uses simple materials to make extraordinary work. If you don't know her, check out her website. She is one of my favorite sculptors. For our installation, we are using toilet paper rolls. Here is what one 4Five artist wrote about the project:

The 4Fives are learning all about upcycling. Upcycle means that you can’t throw away like boxes or paper towel rolls because you should make them into something better that you can use.

So we went to the art room to make an upcycling project with Bee and Ms.Kimball. We went inside the art room and Ms.Kimball showed us what were going to do. We used toilet paper rolls. We cut them into small circles. Then we painted the circles in different colors. We painted a million circles and this month we are going to put them together and make an art installation in our classroom.

Oh and while we were painting we put music on. After we finished, we washed our hands, because our hands had a lot of paint on them. So we washed with soap and we washed with water. It was a lot of fun.

John

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I have so many things to update on the blog! I promise to post this week about the 2nd grade Kandinsky trip, 4th grade sculpture projects, 5th grade characters and more!! Until then, here is the newsletter for the month of January. I am very excited about the visiting artist project that we have going this month. Thanks to Bee Ladd and the 4Fives for getting it going!

Studio 220 Newsletter: January 2010

Happy New Year! We have a lot going on in the studio this month in addition to our regular curriculum. One very exciting project is called the Scroll-A-Thon. I am super excited about this collaborative project because it involves all students in grades 1 to 5. Two Brooklyn artists, Steven and William Ladd (brothers of Bee) will be coming in throughout the next three weeks to work with every class. The Scroll-A-Thon will incorporate drawings, text, photographs and sculpture. Steven and William will be working with the students to think about how one artist can influence and collaborate with another. The finished project will include a multi-media installation and an artist book. I am thrilled to be working with all of the students on this! Check out Steven and William’s website to see some of their work. Or, if you want to see it in person, take a walk down to The Invisible Dog gallery on Bergen Street and check out the chandelier that they created as a permanent installation in the space. It will be great!

In addition to the Scroll-A-Thon, here is what we are also working on:

First Grade: First graders are finishing up their clay pots. They created pinch pots with animal-head lids. We have sculpted them, and just need to complete painting. Keep your eyes out for an exhibition in the lobby at the end of the month.

Second Grade: Second graders are continuing to build 3D forms from paper. They are using paper to create a three dimensional sculpture of their own play-space. For inspiration, check out one of my favorite blogs: playgrounddesigns.blogspot.com.

Third Grade: Third graders will begin a painting unit. We will work on experimenting with watercolor paints and watercolor resist. Students will then create work from their imagination and from life.

Fourth Grade: Fourth graders continue to work on their sculpture project. We are looking at the work of AJ Fosik and creating large animal heads out of papier mache and cut paper. We are thinking about how Native Americans believed that animals represented and had personality traits. Each student will choose an animal whose “personality” is similar to his or her own. They will then create a relief sculpture to represent their animal.

Fifth Grade: Fifth graders will be visited by another artist this month in addition to Steven and William. We will work on an abstraction project with painter Collette Taber. Fifth graders also continue to develop their imaginary characters and are working on creating Tunnel Books.

More on the Scroll-A-Thon as it develops!

Open Studio

2009-12-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

Open Studio is a reward for getting ten challenge points. Challenge points are awarded when an entire class works as a team to complete a challenge. A challenge could be organizing a silent clean up or having every artist follow all directions during studio time. Once they reach ten points, the following class they have a choice of what materials to work with and get to bring home all of their creations that same day. I like Open Studio because it gives me an idea of where the students interests lie and what they are most excited about working on. Recently, Ms. Patterson's class was given Open Studio. Here are some of their creations:

First Grade Clay Experiments

2009-12-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

Whenever I begin clay with a class, I always give them an entire period to manipulate the clay in any way they like. They truly get to play with it and figure out its qualities. The students need this time for experimentation before we begin the assignment. The classroom explodes with ideas and the students are often creating figures, hiding spots and characters that come to life when they interact with each other. I love this opening to clay. Here are some photos of what happens:

Once the period is over, we all SQUISH what we have made and return it to the clay bin. Students then work together to make a list of all the things you can do with clay. Here is what we have come up with:
Squish
Roll
Flatten
Mold
Model
Break
Twist
Pinch
Form
Squeeze
Scrunch
Push
Pull
Scratch
Indent

Next, we will begin to learn about ceramics and will create pinch pots with lids that will be painted.

Third Grade Shadow Play In Progress

2009-12-13T10:34:00.001-08:00

Third graders are studying China in social studies. To link up with their work, we are looking at a traditional Chinese form of puppetry- Shadow Play. Legend has it that it was invented in China two thousand years ago. In this unit, we are focusing on how negative and positive space can be used to create detail in shadow puppetry. Using black construction paper, students have been experimenting with how they can create animals and imaginary creatures that will come to life when used with a light. Now that we know how it works, we will begin to create large shadow puppets operated by rods. Here are some in-class shots:

2nd Grade: Kandinsky

2009-12-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

Wow! Our second grade Kandinsky study has come to a close (almost) and it has been great! Here are the parts that I have yet to update you on:

Part 2: Music as Inspiration
We learned that Kandinsky was very inspired by music. He felt that it was an example of a purely abstract expression of emotion. We talked about how Kandinsky was inspired by musicians like Schonberg and Wagner. To practice collaboration and using line to depict mood in music, we worked with graphite sticks with a partner to create drawings inspired by different pieces of music. We were sure to include songs that students were working on in music such as "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Winter." The results were really interesting.
Parts Three and Four: Collaborative Painting
For the final two parts of our project, students focused on listening to one song and translating it to drawing and painting. We looked at the work we had done so far to talk about how artists can collaborate and work together to make one piece. Then, students used what they had learned about how line and color express emotion to make a large painting together. It was so much fun. Thanks to our visiting artist Brogan Ganley for helping to make it work!

To finish up our study, we took a trip to the Guggenheim where there is a large exhibit of Kandinsky's work. The students created some amazing drawings there. I will scan and upload some examples later this week.

December in Studio 220

2009-12-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

First Grade: First graders are working with clay! The ceramics unit is a very exciting time of year. We will be exploring where clay comes from, what you can do with it, and what happens once it dries. The students will be working on a texture exploration to see what happens when clay is imprinted with different materials. Each student will create a pinch pot that is textured with the materials of their choice. We will then paint our work in a way that highlights the textures we create.

Second Grade: Second graders are beginning a sculpture unit. We will be studying the job of playground designers. We will look at different interpretations of playgrounds from around the world. Each student will imagine his or her ideal playground. They will use paper to create a three dimensional sculpture of their own play-space. For inspiration, check out one of my favorite blogs: http://playgrounddesigns.blogspot.com.

Third Grade: Third grade artists are working on the art of shadow play, a traditional art form first invented in China over a thousand years ago. We will be creating many different shadow puppets (pi ying) based on animals, creatures, monsters and ourselves. We will be learning about how using positive and negative space affects how the puppet looks when lit. We will also be exploring how artists can add sound and movement to their work.

Fourth Grade: Fourth graders are working on a relief sculpture unit. We are looking at the work of AJ Fosik and creating large animal heads out of papier mache and cut paper. We are thinking about how Native Americans believed that animals represented and had personality traits. Each student will choose an animal whose “personality” is similar to his or her own. They will then create a relief sculpture to represent their animal. Please send in cereal boxes, newspaper and cardboard tubes!

Fifth Grade: Fifth graders have been working on creating realistic drawings and paintings for the past few weeks. Taking a break from this, we will be exploring how artists create characters from their imaginations. We will look at many different artists who create fantasy characters, including Tim Burton, who now has an exhibition at MoMA. Each student will use pen and ink, watercolor and clay to create an imaginary character.

On a side note...

2009-12-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

Things have been very busy in Studio 220. I will be posting about all of our new projects soon and some really exciting trips. But on a side note, I wanted to tell you about something really AWESOME! One of my very best friends, Kim Scafuro, is an illustrator. You might have seen her work in a number of magazines and newspapers or in the Barney's holiday windows. (She made a number of the large character ornaments they have this year.) WELL... she started a portrait painting business, so if you are looking for someone to paint your portrait (or a family member's or pet's), check out her website. Hopefully she will be making an appearance in Studio 220 soon!

Call for Materials

2009-11-29T12:41:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful long holiday weekend. It is once again the time of year when I request some of your trash so it can be made into treasure. Here is what I an currently collecting:

-Newspapers
-Cardboard tubes
-Plastic bottle caps (from soda bottles, milk jugs, etc.)
-Thin cardboard boxes (from cereal, granola bars, etc.)

If you have any of these items, send them in!
MK

Kandinsky Study Part One

2009-11-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

Second graders are working on a multi-part unit of study on Kandinsky. We are working with Mr. C in music and artist Brogan Ganley on a collaborative project. Kandinsky was extremely inspired by music. He believed that it was the ultimate expression. In his own work, he would paint the notes that he heard in music. On December 9th, we are taking a trip to the Guggenheim to see the Kandinsky show.

For the first part of this project, we explored how artists use color to convey an emotion. We looked at Kandinsky's concentric circles to see if we could imagine an emotion that is expressed in the colors he used. Next, the students thought of a time in their life when they felt a strong emotion. They tried to picture the colors that reminded them of that emotion. They each created a square that used color to convey their feeling. Here are some examples:

"Mad"

"Grumpy"

First Grade Self Portraits With Expression

2009-11-25T06:04:00.000-08:00

First graders in Ms. Jab's and Ms. Patterson's classes worked on creating self portraits that show an expression. We worked on looking in a mirror and drawing from observation. We noticed that when our expression changes, the shapes of our mouth, eyebrows and face changes as well. See the work in the main lobby.

Student Share

2009-11-25T05:57:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about being an art teacher is seeing what students will do if left to their own devices. Often, they will bring in work that they created at home to share with the class or to put in their idea portfolio. Here is an awesome example of a piece created at home by Miles, a second grade artist. I love the way he used simple materials like post-its to create an amazing scene. AMAZING!!

Organic Shape Paintings On Display!

2009-11-25T05:50:00.001-08:00

Third grade artists completed their organic shape paintings. They are on display in the first floor music hallway. I loved seeing the students collaborate on creating a composition for their final piece. Many artists noticed that collaboration is difficult because everyone needs to agree. Their response was that they liked working this way because they looked at their own work in a new way and got new ideas from their team. Great work artists!

Organic Shape Paintings

2009-11-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

Third grade artists are working on a big collaborative project. We have been inspired by the work of Elizabeth Murray. We noticed how large, organic shapes make up her work. Some of us were reminded of graffiti art, while others saw things from everyday life. We made our own organic shapes and learned about making tints. A tint is made when you add white to a color. The next step is adding in lines and patterns to create a visual rhythm. We learned about how to use the color wheel to choose colors that will POP! Here is some work in progress. Check back soon to see how all of the parts come together!

4/5 Logo and Silkscreening!

2009-11-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

4Fives created an awesome class logo and on Friday, we printed it on shirts. The students learned about silk screening and how this can be used to make many images. The fifth graders had done this last year, so they helped out with the entire process. Each student printed at least one shirt and a piece of cloth for a later project. Here is what they wrote on their blog:

The 4Fives Party Down at the Season 2 Silk Screening Celebration!

November 9, 2009

Good morning everyone! We did an amazing project on Friday, and so many of the 4Fives wanted to write about it! So we decided that it was okay to do that, and you can read each of our posts about our experience!

Get READY! HERE WE GO!!!

Friday was a really fun day for us because we did silk screening! It was a really fun thing to do. First, we went to the art room, and Ms. Kimball said to go sit on the rug. Then, she showed us a video about silk screening.

It was really cool to see that video. Next, Ms Kimball showed us how to put our t-shirts over cardboard to prepare them for the screening.

Then she said to go to a table. She put paint on the screen, and we used a squeegee to move the paint over the screen and onto our shirts!

Then Bee asked me to take video of the silk screening with the Flip, so I did. Next I videotaped Ms. Kimball do the silk screening on our t-shirt. When it was done, it looked amazing! It had the 4Fives logo on it! We all did the silk screening on our white t-shirts. It looked more amazing on the white t-shirt.

At the end, I used the Flip to videotape me and Bee. Check back this week to see what I taped!

Love,

Adrian

—–

Hello! I am going to talk about last Friday. We were silk screening our t-shirts in the art room. Our art teacher helped us with the t-shirts, and our logo was on the t-shirts and every body was happy. We went to the line and the art teacher showed us how to do the silk screening on our t-shirts, then we got too happy!

We were with SFJ2 and he brought his t-shirts and he got a gray t-shirt and the old people were last on the line to silk screen and the little kids were in the front of the line to silk screen.

Our logo was on the t-shirt, and our art teacher and regular teacher made one too.

We was getting this material that Bee was not using, some recycled old fabric that she had at home, and she tore it into squares for us to silk screen on. So we made a logo on that square shape thing and it looked good on it, but we ran out of it, so some of the kids were drawing and that was me, John and SFJ2.

Emanuel

—–

Hello everyone! I am going to tell you about what happened on Friday. On Friday, we were silk screening on our white plain shirts.

We put green paint on a screen that Ms.Kimball had put our logo on.

When we were done silk screening our shirts we all got a peace of fabric and silk screened it too.
We also drew on a piece of paper. Then me and SFJ2 were playing around.

This was the first time I silk screened, it was the best day ever!!! Adrian was filming for us and we all had a wonderful day. After silk screening, our hands were all green we all got a wipey to clean our hands and then we all went home.

Love,
Jonathan

—–

On Friday, we brought in t-shirts to do silk screening. Ms. Kimball showed us a video of how a person made a slider to put the print on our shirts. We start to practice putting our logo on a sheet of paper. Then everybody got a cardboard and we put our shirts inside it.

Then we began to do our shirts while Bee was ripping pieces of fabric to do our logo on after we finished putting our logo on the t-shirts. Ms. Kimball said when everyone is done making their logo on their t-shirts we can get another shirt and do our logo on it. SFJ2 came and did a t-shirt. Jackson didn’t come but we made him a t-shirt. Then we did our logo on the fabric that Bee brought in and when we finished we set it on the rug.

So everyone wake up because if we show you guys how to silk screen you’ll probably want to do it also!!!!!!!!!!!

So if you want to do it you can ask the 4Fives because we can help you.

From your friend,

Malaysia

—–

Last Friday, the 4Fives did silk screening once again. First, we saw a video about silk screening and how the ink gets transferred on things. Then we went to the table with Ms. Kimball. Then we did a practice silk screen on paper together as a group. Then we all had to line up and wait to silk screen our t-shirts. While we were doing that, Bee was tearing up some pieces of fabric for us to silkscreen on. Then the principal came up to see us silk screening.

We all had to stop for a minute and pay attention to the art teacher. Ms. Kimball put tape on the table just like a square and she told us to put the fabric piece in the little box. Then Nicholas was in charge of holding the sides of the silk screening board. The 4Fives then got a chance to do it on their own. Then Adrian was in charge of ironing the t-shirts after they dried, so the paint would set and not wash out.

Here are the steps for silk screening if you want to do it too.

Step1. Lay your T-shirt under the board.

Step 2. Hold the squeezer with both hands together.

Step 3. Slide it down gently.

Step 4. Take your shirt under from the board.

Step 5. Take your t-shirt and put it some place where it can dry.

Step 6. Then iron your T-Shirt.

Have a great day,

Love,

Maya

—–

Good morning every body! I am going to tell you about what we did on Friday. So what we did on Friday, was that we did silk screening and it was so amazing because we got to bring shirts in. And the reason why we needed to bring shirts in, is because we needed to put our logo on our shirts.

And now I am going to tell you the details of how to silk screen.

First you have to put paint on the screen on the table.

Then, you get this smooth kind of squeegee brush and spread out the paint.

And then you get your shirt, and then get in line.

And then you put your shirt underneath the screen.

And then you need to put your shirt neatly down, and then nice and hard pull the smooth brush across the screen.

And then when you take it from underneath the screen, it will have the 4Fives logo on your shirt!

And after that we got to do our logo on this kind of fabric that Bee tore up and then Bee said that we can put the logo on it for another project that we will do later.

And I forgot to tell you who came in our room………it was……………

JACKIE (SFJ2)!!!!!!!! and it got really fun because when every body was done we all got to color. It was a great day.

Love,

Taliya

—–

On Friday, at the end of the day, we went to art, and we were going to do silk screening. We had our shirts to get started, but Ms. Kimball showed us a video of how you do silk screening first. The video showed you how you put the paint on the screen and you move it back and forth so it could spread out over your design.

After we saw the video, we went to the table and we took our t-shirts out and put them on a square cardboard. Next, we took a jar of paint and put it on the silk screen. Then we took our t-shirts and lined up for our silk screening.

When it was my turn I first took my shirt with the cardboard and put it under the silk screen frame. I put the silk screen on the shirt and pulled the squeegee down and I when I picked up the frame, our logo was on the shirt!

Love,

Travis

—–

We hope that you enjoyed our posts!!! We will be putting up videos from our day this week, so keep checking back!

Love,

The 4Fives

THE BEST CLASS IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

Thank you 4Fives! I had so much fun!

4th Grade Exquisite Corpses

2009-11-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

To introduce fourth graders to the way Surrealists worked, we played the exquisite corpse game. I love doing this with students for 3 main reasons:
1. They LOVE it and are totally engaged the entire time.
2. They collaborate with their peers.
3. The level of concentration is so high that you can hear a pin drop in the studio. (REMARKABLE!)

Here is a sneak peak of a few. I need to take some better photographs and will post more on how this develops soon.

Visit to Chris Astley's Studio

2009-11-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Last week, five amazing 4/5 artists, Bee Ladd and I went to visit the studio of artist Chris Astley. It was AMAZING! We created plaster casts of our fingers which will be a jumping off point for a much larger project that will have us collaborating with artists throughout the year. It was such a blast. I believe some students will be posting about it soon, so check out the 4/5's blog. Here are some photos of our trip:

David Hockney Painting Exhibit

2009-11-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

I haven't seen it yet, but there is an exhibit of David Hockney's paintings done between 2006 and 2009 currently on view. From what I have read, the show at both PaceWildenstein gallery locations contains a number of new landscape paintings. I cannot wait to check it out. Please let me know if you see it! I will post a reaction soon!

David Hockney: Paintings 2006-2009
PACEWILDENSTEIN
32 East 57th Street
and
534 West 25th Street
Until December 24

Playing with COMPOSITION

2009-10-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

First graders are learning about composition. We learned that composition means the placement or arrangement of things in a piece of art. I set up 6 composition stations and students spent the class creating a variety of compositions with different materials. We didn't save any compositions so here are the images of our work!

Some artists began to COLLABORATE:

And some compositions came off the table:

Next, we will create compositions for collograph printing.

Project Round-Up: Fifth Grade Mints

2009-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Fifth grade artists have been working on getting to know their subject. We have been practicing observational drawing and practicing to see our subject. We have then taken the same subjects and created paintings. For this project, our subject was a little mint.

Students first created three pencil drawings:
Blind Contour- looking only at the mint, not at the paper
Opposite Hand- using their non-dominant hand to draw
Contour- a line drawing with some shading

Once we had gotten to know our subject, we began to create a painting. We started by thinking about how we wanted our composition to look. We explored the work of Wayne Thiebaud and noticed how he creates simple compositions for his still life paintings. We used a neutral brown to create an underpainting. With the underpainting, we focused on value and composition. Next, we added acrylic paint. We used the three primary colors to create all of the shades that we worked over our underpainting. Some artists stuck with the realistic style and others began to add more colors and imaginitive touches. Here are some photos of each step:

Project Round-Up: Second Grade Moving Animals

2009-10-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Second graders recently completed a painting unit. We looked at the work of Keith Haring and noticed how he made his figures appear to be moving. We observed that he did this by the position of their bodies and by adding movement lines. One student noticed that these lines showed "the sound of the air moving." We then created our own piece of work showing an animal moving. We began by creating an outline. Next, we use the three primary colors and three neutrals to add color to our paintings. We mixed the acrylic paint on our paper using large and small brushes, depending on if we were painting a large area or small details. The work came out amazing! We are going to exhibit it in the main lobby during the month of November. Here are some sneak peaks:

Project Round-Up: Third Grade Ugly Dolls

2009-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

There is an ugly doll craze in third grade! We decided to use it to learn about symmetry and asymmetry.

Third graders created paper "ugly creatures" whose bodies and features were symmetrical or asymmetrical. They learned how to create a symmetrical shape by folding a piece of paper before cutting and that this created an instant line of symmetry to work from.

Once their collaged creatures were finished, they created the place where their creature lives. We had a lot of fun making these and the results are very funny. Check them out on display in the third grade hallway.

Couldn't Resist

2009-10-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Being home sick today, I had some time to look at things on the internet. This has little to do with what is happening in our studio right now, but I can't resist posting it here so I don't lose it. Isn't it great inspiration for a dream room? Start drawing yours!

photo via Bird and Banner Blog via NYTimes

What a Success

2009-10-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

Congrats to all 4th graders on their super successful art show. We had a ton of visitors and everyone was buzzing about it.
Check out the story about our show on Pardon Me For Asking a local blog! This blog post was also picked up by the NYTimes and listed in their Blogtalk section. Thanks Katia.
Congratulations artists and thanks to everyone who helped out!

This Weekend!!

2009-10-17T03:36:00.001-07:00

This Saturday and Sunday:
Come support our fourth grade artists!

4Fives Garden Post!!

2009-10-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

Here is an update on the 4Fives Garden!

Right now our garden is looking good.

A few weeks ago we planted cuttings of basil and mint and violets. We are waiting for them to grow roots so that we can put them in the soil in the garden.

We also went on a relly cool trip last week to the Glass Garden in Manhattan. The Glass Garden is a greenhouse and it is neat. Ms. Kimball used to work there, and we were really lucky that she likes us enough to take us there. They have lots of plants there, but they also have animals too. We saw a turtle, fish, birds, and a parrot. The parrot talked! And when we sang “Happy Birthday” he danced. It was really cool. 4Fivers (LOL! They are 4Fivers!) and Superforesters Jackson and Jackie kept clapping and singing to the birds and they hung upside down and danced like crazy.

But we didn’t just do that at the greenhouse. We also planted our own Chinese plants. The lady gave us a plant that had roots, and then we put it in soil (not dirt). We watered it and then labeled it so that we could take it back to school. Then Bee put all of our plants on the bottom layer of the garden lab. At first I thought this was a bad idea, but she told me that these plants need low-light, which I think means that they don’t need a lot of sunlight to live. SO I guess that it wasn’t a bad idea.

The really good thing about our garden is that at the end of the school year, when our plants are all grown up, we can take them home, and well have our own garden. We can take care of it and we can all be happy.

Stay tuned for more cool information about our classroom garden!

Love,

Travis

Fun Field Trip

2009-10-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

What some of you might not know about me is that before I was an art teacher, I was a horticultural therapist! I worked at NYU Medical Center. Here, in their amazing greenhouse, I would work with patients in the hospital on gardening projects to help them get better. Even though I have a different (and amazing) job now, I still love gardening.

Yesterday, the 4Fives and I took a trip to the Glass Garden where I used to work. We had an awesome time! PS 58/4Fives friend, mentor, and all around amazing person Jackson came with us. Here is a link to his blog post about the trip. Thanks SFJ! The 4Five students' post will come soon.

Enjoy the long weekend!
MK

Some First Grade Collage Experiments

2009-10-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

First Graders had worked with line in the first few weeks of school. We made monoprints using different kinds of line. After we finished our monoprints, we began to explore shape. We looked at how different shapes can be used to "build" images. We looked at the work of Charley Harper. In his work, he used many simple shapes to build animals. Here is an example of his work. How many shapes do you see in this tiger? Do you see circles? Triangles Rectangles? What else?

Next, we cut shapes out ouf our monoprints and began using them to make animals. We discovered that you can build anything out of sha

pes. We also talked about detail and used other paper to add detail to our work. Here are some finished pieces. Enjoy!

All of our work will soon be on display in the first grade hallway on the second floor.