The Ratner School Art Program

It is true. Time flies when you are having fun. This is our last week of our first semester and we have created so much art in what feels like a short amount of time. Many classes have finished up their long term projects and are beginning the next project in art. We have so many ideas and plans of what we want to create and learn and we are working hard to reach our many goals. I hope you have all enjoyed the wonderful fall weather this week and have seen the best display of nature's creative display of colors. I am hanging up several new pieces throughout the school, please try to come in to take a look later in the week.

Kindergarten Art

We began the study of Gandhi in art and humanities this week. In art we focused on the term symmetry and repeated patterns. The students looked at several examples of traditional mehndi designs and the painted elephant designs from the annual festival in India. The students practiced 8 different designs and created their own repeating design before they began to work on their individual "painted elephant". On Thursday, the students cut their elephant out and created symmetrical designs on the surface using chalk pastels. We had a wonderful and messy class in art!

1st and 2nd Grade Art

We had a chance to do a shorter term project that ties into the students study of the Grimm Brother's Fairy Tale unit they are studying in their home room class. While we could have created something spooky and a little scary, I wanted to have a fun project that would incorporate observational drawing, collage and even a little perspective lesson into the project. We read the story of "The Shoemaker and the Elves" in class and then talked about the moral of the story. We talked of what our shoes would look like and what would be different if elves helped make them. We also had an interesting discussion on whether elves and fairies were real or not. That was entertaining! The students drew their shoes, colored them with pencils and then drew a table in perspective for the shoe to sit on. They could also draw fairies or elves working on their shoes if they wanted. The final step was to collage different elements onto their drawing. 

3rd and 4th Grade Art

We are on week two of the bridge building project to complete the Monet unit. The students are gaining more control of the glue guns, improving their craftsmanship skills and coming up with some creative additions to their designs. I believe we will have one more week of building and then the project will come to a close. I am impressed with the attention to safety and the care in which the students are using this tool and am glad to see their mature approach to their work. I am anxious to see the bridges attached to the paintings as it changes the work dramatically. 

Bridges in progress 

5th and 6th Grade Art

The grid project is now completed! We have a few students that are still working on completing their project, but we are ready to call this project finished! The work is just wonderful and the students definitely know the difference between warm and cool colors! Of course, they gained many other skills, graphic arts, design balance, attention to detail, observational drawing and pacing of work time to complete the project within a deadline. I am so impressed with their focus, craftsmanship and willingness to stick to the project with enthusiasm until the end. I am planning on displaying the work in the front foyer of the school, try to stop in to see the work and talk to the students about it. 

4 completed grid pieces in a grid

7th and 8th Grade Art

I would say about 90% of the still life paintings are complete. In preparing the students for high school, projects are longer and the expectations for craftsmanship and development of a personal style and voice are heightened. Most of the students stepped up to the challenge and stayed focused on their work until the end. They are proud of their work and look forward to hearing comments from their peers and teachers about the pieces as they are finished and displayed in the gallery. Please try to come into school to see the beautiful work they have created.

The Ratner School Art Program

We have had yet another successful week in art. The 1st and 2nd grade class finished their project, the 5th and 6th grade created an installation art piece and had a field trip, the 7th and 8th grade are near completion on the still life project. All the students are engaged and enjoying the creative process in class. I can not wait to see what they create next.

                                           

Kindergarten Art

The students began work on two concepts in art class last week.  The first exercise was the study of color. In addition to learning the primary and secondary colors, the students began experimenting with mixing colors. We used a color chart where they would apply separate colors to each grid and then combine the two colors together. Learning through experimenting is the most effective way to understand color theory at this age. They were then introduced to the term symmetry and we looked at several works of art to determine if the work was symmetrical or not. The work of Andy Warhol and Sol Lewitt were two of the artists we viewed. The students then created a symmetrical piece of their own using wooden shapes that were traced into a design on paper. They worked off a central dividing line and then colored the shapes with markers, referring to the color theory work they had learned on Monday. Both exercises were sent home on Thursday.

1st and 2nd Grade

Wow! I thought we would have one more week of work on this project, but the students really enjoyed the process of learning zentangle designs and were so well focused they finished the project! We will begin our study of Henri Rousseau this week to tie into the biome study work they are learning about in their homeroom class. This project will be a painting and collage project, so keep that in mind when they get dressed on Wednesday and Thursday. We do wear aprons in art, but the aprons only help so much at the beginning of a painting unit!

3rd and 4th Grade Art

Every student finish the watercolor application for the Monet piece they are creating. They all showed an understanding of horizon line, perspective, scale and color theory. Because we used high quality cotton rag watercolor paper for this project, we were able to experiment more with liquid watercolors, wet on wet techniques and the application of salt as a new technique with the paintings. The pieces are wonderful on their own, but will be very successful with the addition of the bridges. The construction of the bridges will take some time, but I will keep you posted on the progress.

5th and 6th Grade Art

All the students worked diligently on the background designs for the warm and cool grid project. We have one student who has completed their work and a loud cheer erupted in the art room when she showed her piece. I so appreciate the support and enthusiasm the students give one another in class, it is a large part of what makes the art room such a special place at the Ratner School. I felt like we had to take advantage of the beautiful fall day on Thursday, so I took the class out for an impromptu art installation. They showed great collaboration and problem solving skills and worked well in the short time span we had to change our school grounds a bit.

7th and 8th Grade Art

This week the students felt like they had a better grasp on seeing how the pieces were going to be completed. I believe most will be finishing their work this week. The background decisions are being made, details are being added and the work is really high quality and visually interesting. I enjoy seeing the different personalities of the middle school students coming through in their artwork. It looks like we will have several strong entries for the Scholastic Art Awards in December.

The Ratner School Art Program

I finally get to have a full and complete week with all my students and I am looking forward to getting into a steady rhythm in art. We have had a productive and creative week in all our classes and are finishing up projects in several classes. Look throughout the school for new work as it is completed. I am so pleased to see the focus and excitement in the students in all grade levels and they think, create and express new ideas and techniques in their art work. 

                                                     

Kindergarten Art

The students completed the design and color work on their family crest last week in art. They were introduced to complimentary colors and the use of symbols in art. We talked about their families, what they liked to do with their family and what symbols they could draw to represent their family. We looked at the family crest of Columbus and explained what the symbols on his crest meant. Each student will be bringing home their shield to explain the symbols they chose. I sent home the circle/pattern work on Thursday of last week, I hope they arrived home safely.

1st and 2nd Grade Art

The classes accomplished so much on their zentangle name designs this week. They displayed greater strength in independently deciphering the patterns and gained better control of their designs. We will finish the project this week and display the final art in the school to view. Many students commented that they practiced zentangle patterns and have noticed interesting repeated patterns everywhere they look! I am glad they have a heightened awareness of patterns through this project.

3rd and 4th Grade Art

The artist's finished the final application of the pastels this week and will begin the watercolor application this week and begin the bridge building. They are excited to begin the design and building process for the bridge. They will need to design the structure of their bridge, measure for the length of their bridge, determine the scale for the structure and then begin the construction process. The 3rd grade students are very excited at the prospect of using the hot glue guns for the first time and I always look forward to this expansion of tool use in their art work. 

                                                 

5th and 6th Grade Art

All the students are now working on the backgrounds for their warm/cool grid object project. The 7th and 8th grade students sorted all the color pencil sets, so the 5th and 6th grade artist had to prove they knew the difference between the warm and cool colors in the 48 pencil set. I am expecting this to be the final week for this project, but may extend the project for one more session to give everyone ample time to complete their work. This project is a clear indicator for more advanced understanding of color theory, control of the material, shading and pattern making. 

Work by Chuck Close (left) and Gerhard Richter (right)
Inspiration for the development of this project

                            

7th and 8th Grade Art

I am estimating at least another week is left of work on the still-life project. The students continue to add more depth and detail to their work. I am encouraging them to shade, add several layers of color and value change to expand the information in their still-life. I appreciate the help and the students enjoyed using the chromatically organized pencil boxes. We took a break at the beginning of the class this week to try and organize all the colored pencil sets. Many hands make light work for this art teacher! 

The Ratner School Art Program

We have had a busy and productive week across the grade levels in art. All the students enjoyed our Johnny Appleseed day on Thursday and we created over 130 apple prints in art. The older students were gracious and very helpful with the younger artists and there were many wonderful moments. We are well into many projects in each grade level and the hallways are beginning to be filled with the creative work of the students. Feel free to take a self guided tour to see the projects throughout the school. 

Kindergarten Art

We began the study of color this week in Kindergarten Art and will continue with the focus of Christopher Columbus in art and humanities. We talked about how color means different things and talked about the symbolism of color in art. I introduced the primary colors (red, yellow and blue) and presented warm and cool colors. We looked at how the different colors changed when they were beside one another and how that is used in art. The students were asked to create a concentric color wheel, separating the warm colors and the cool colors. They showed a great control of the materials and an understanding of basic color theory. This week we will begin the study of heraldry and create a family crest.

1st and 2nd Grade Art

We are on our 3rd class focused on zentangle designs. Zentangles are highly repetitive, non-representational black and white patterns. The patterns are often based on a grid, but can also be organic in their design. The purpose of zentangle designs are to slow down the application of material on paper, focus the intent of the artist and use observation to try and figure out the elements of a pattern. The students decided to create their names on VERY large paper and fill the letters of their names with zentangle patterns. The work takes patience and control, the students become very quiet and focused while they are working. Looking for patterns with your child and practicing line control will help with the creation of zentangle patterns.

3rd and 4th Grade Art

While we have yet to have a full week of art yet, the 3rd and 4th Grade artists are progressing quickly on the Monet watercolor unit. We looked at several examples of Monet's paintings, paying attention to the application of the paint and noticing the mood he created in his paintings. We discussed the movement of Impressionism and talked about the change in painting that Monet was at the forefront of. The students are working on a high quality cotton rag watercolor paper, sketching the landscape and applying oil pastel "detail" highlights to the work. They have learned about horizon lines, color theory and the work of the Impressionist artists. Next week we will be applying the watercolor paint and learning different techniques. If you have time in the coming month to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art, they are mounting an exhibition called "Painting the Modern Garden- from Monet to Matisse." The exhibition opens on October 11th and runs until January 5th. It would be wonderful if the students could view the Monet paintings in person.

5th and 6th Grade Art

The students are several classes into working on an extension of the observational drawing and color theory project. We call this project the "warm/cool grid" work for lack of a more creative name for the project. The project began with a large observational drawing of one of their favorite objects from the shopping shelf. After the drawing was complete with as many linear details as possible, the drawing was sectioned off into 1" x 1" grids. The student decided if the object would be colored using warm or cool colors. Not only did each grid section have a different color, but each line segment within each grid square was to be a different color. Shading, patterns and material control are important with this work, along with the knowledge of warm and cool colors. The work is progressing wonderfully and the work is well crafted.

     

7th and 8th Grade Art

We are several classes into our observational still life project. The students have either set up their own still life and photographed it or are working on the large still life set up in the art room. The techniques of observational drawing, scale and composition are a few of the skills used in this project. The students have all drawn their still life set ups on large paper and are beginning to chose the medium they want to use to apply color to their art. Tempera paint, colored pencil, ink or watercolor are a few of the materials being used. The work is progressing nicely and the students are well focused on their art.