The Ratner School Art Program

I am having a great year teaching all the students! Each week brings a new challenge, a different process or a new way of approaching an old project. I can never say my job is boring. The students are engaged and curious about each new material or concept I present to them and I am seeing improvement across grade levels in their approach to their work. I am looking forward to showcasing a variety of work at the VIP Donor Appreciation Art Brunch this Sunday and hope to be able to talk to several people about the artwork the students have created. 

A lovely fall painting created by Andra U.

Kindergarten Art

We continued with the study of Gandhi and Peace this past week in art. The students studied the forms of several mehndi designs and learned how to create 8 different patterns. After following step by step instructions on the whiteboard, the students created the same pattern on their sheet. This helps them slow down their work, see repeated shapes and patterns in designs and helps them follow direction both verbally and visually. After the design work, they continued work on their sand mandala designs. The design was created on a radial design principle where the lines had to be symmetrical and radiate from the center of a large circle. The students are learning basic design elements, art vocabulary and are gaining better control of the materials with each project. This project uses colored sand and glue with 18 Kindergarten students, so I appreciate controlled materials!

1st and 2nd Grade Art

We are wrapping up our work on the Henri Rousseau jungle this week. The students have enjoyed building out of paper and have discovered many new techniques and processes. We sculpted animals for the jungles out of model magic last week and will be adding color to the forms this week to complete the project. I love seeing all the different approaches to the project and appreciate the student's creativity with the material. I am so thankful to have so many wonderful supplies to offer the students and love finding new projects to explore along with the students. 

A few of the jungle animals and insects

3rd and 4th Grade Art

We began our Monet painting and bridge project and the students are already constructing their bridge designs for their final piece. This group of students are well focused, excited about each project and eager to create! We began the project by looking at several examples of Claude Monet's water lily paintings. We talked about the impression of atmosphere that Monet created with the use of layers of paint and how he created such a wonderful feeling with his work. The students applied oil pastel marks to create their own water lily pond on a very nice watercolor paper. After the oil pastel was applied, they painted with liquid watercolor to create the atmosphere of their work. Several techniques were used including wet on wet painting, resist and salt absorption. The paintings are beautiful! The next step of the process is to construct a bridge using hot glue guns and white paper straws. I will post more on that process next blog!

5th and 6th Grade Art

We began our cut paper portrait project last week and will continue working on the process for several more classes. This is a higher level work that involves the study of value, graphic art, portraiture and proportions. The students each have their portrait printed as a reference and they create a sort of colored paper puzzle to "build" their portrait. There are several layers of cut paper that are glued together to create the portraits. Careful use of the x-acto knife is required as well as attention to detail and process. We are on our third class with this project and the students are beginning to settle into the project more easily now.  Each student is finding their own methods that work best for their work and they are understanding the process more readily. 

                               

     
 

7th and 8th Grade Art

We truly are winding up the still life project. One of the hardest things with a longer term project is consistent pacing with the students. Each student is allowed to work at their own pace in art, so I often have times that half of the class is finished and the other half has significant work left to do. I have several options for all the students and I also let them do independent work in art during these times. Last week, many of the students did a drawing exercise based on a Picasso drawing while the other students worked on completing their still life work. I am glad to have flexible time and the students are able to pursue independent interests. 

 

The Ratner School Art Program

We have settled into two solid weeks with no interruptions in art! That is a remarkable feat and I am so pleased to see steady progress across all the grades. We have completed several projects and are beginning new ones in many grades. I was able to take a great class at the Cleveland Institute of Art this weekend and learned several new techniques with paper folding, origami and tessellations. I am working on a new project to implement the skill acquired into the classes. I am very thankful and fortunate that the school supports the education of their teachers along with their students! 

New techniques learned this weekend as part of the Ratner School Continuing Education support

Kindergarten Art

We studied the art and illustrations of John James Audubon. The students learned about his life and his work in their main classrooms. In art, we discussed the techniques and difficulties Audubon must have encountered drawing birds in the wild. Each student had an individual image to study and offer their observations on. We then discussed the difference of working from our imaginations and "drawing like a scientist." The students created one "imagination" bird that could be any size, shape or color they wanted, then they drew at least two "scientific studies" of native Ohio birds. Each class the students become more focused and settled in their work, gaining better control of the materials and understanding the expectations of the art program. This week we will continue our study on "Peace."

Imagination bird

Scientific observation bird

Imagination bird

Scientific observation bird

1st and 2nd Grade Art

We have begun our study of the artist Henri Rousseau. Rousseau was a self taught French painter who is most known for his amazing jungle painting. This project ties directly into the biome study the students are learning in their main classroom. The students began the project by observing several examples of Rousseau's jungle paintings and going outside to create observational drawings of bushes and ferns around the school. These drawings should have come home last week, ask your child about them, they were great drawings! The next step of the project was to create an impressionist background for their jungle. They used oil pastels and liquid watercolors to create the feeling and mood of a jungle environment. The following step is to "build" the jungle plants using colored paper, tubes, glue and scissors. The students are learning valuable skills in constructing their jungles and are engaged in the work. We should finish building this week and will add a few sculpted animals in the final stage of the project. 

3rd and 4th Grade Art

The students completed the shoe project and the work is displayed outside their main classroom on the second floor. The project was successful on many levels. The students were able to explore many materials including watercolor, oil pastel, chalk pastel and colored pencil. They showed a clear understanding of basic color theory and design principles. The final projects look wonderful. We began our Monet project immediately following the shoe project and will begin using glue guns to construct the bridges this week. I will give you more information on next weeks blog!

5th and 6th Grade Art

We have completed the grid project! The students always impress me with their attention to detail and the care they exhibit in their work. The final pieces are well crafted, show a clear understanding of warm and cool colors and have a lot of visual strength. I will be mounting and hanging the work this week, so look around the school to see the completed work. We are beginning a new portrait project this week, more about that in the next blog post!

7th and 8th Grade Art

Work continues on the still-life project. There are a few students who have finished and several that will finish this week. The pieces show a strong growth in understanding different materials and processes. Each piece is unique and reflect the individual interest and skills. I am very excited to be able to show their work and look forward to the completion of the project.

The Ratner School Art Program

I am looking forward to having a full week of school and finally being able to hit a rhythm with all my classes this week! I so admire the adaptability of the students and their work ethic. I had the pleasure of attending the Ursuline College bird sculpture dedication on Saturday and was pleased to see our school represented so well. Congratulations to Alex G. and Gabriel M. on their work! 

Kindergarten Art

We did not have a class last week, but should now have a steady rhythm of classes. The last class we created observational drawings of apples. The students began to slow down their process and truly look at their apple and not draw from memory. Extra details were added with colored pencils, a table line was added to create a background and then a watercolor paint layer was applied. In addition to learning the observational approach to drawing and creating, new art vocabulary was introduced. We talked about the focal point of the piece (the apple), the background and how to add a horizon line so the focal point would not be "floating in space." 

1st and 2nd Grade Art

The zentangle names were completed last week and they look fantastic! The students showed significant improvement with their detail, the ability to create patterns and the skill to decode a pattern. They enjoyed creating their names and are ready to explore more materials and processes.

3rd and 4th Grade Art

We had a slight break in our work with the shoes and worked down in the Maker Space on a collaboration with the music class. The students created Lumi Sticks to tie into their study of Native Americans. The students used a wood burning tool to created traditional patterns and pictographs on their sanded wood Lumi sticks. Color was added with sharpie markers.  When the sticks were completed, we returned to the shoe project and I expect the project will be completed this week.

5th and 6th Grade Art

We continue to work on the grid project and I hope to have the majority of the students complete their work this week. I believe 95% of the students have a firm grasp on the color temperatures and can easily define warm and cool colors in a complicated color field. The students that are still unsure are showing growth and clearer awareness as the project progresses. I appreciate the attention to detail and the ability to stay engaged in a longer term project. 

7th and 8th Grade Art

Work continues on the still-life projects. I am noticing an increase in ability and the awareness of adding more detail and information without prompts. The students are engaged in the work and the pieces are developing wonderfully. I enjoy seeing the variety of approaches to each still-life and appreciate the diverse point of view of our students.