The Ratner Montessori School Art Program

We have moved right out of the mess of clay into the joyful mess of printmaking! I am pulling prints with every grade level and the drying rack is full of at least one thousand prints each day. I love the spirit of experimentation and the wonder of printmaking with the students. It does not seem to matter how often the students have created with prints, they always marvel at the results they achieve. I am going to try to switch out most of the art in the hallways before conferences so you can see the work in person. Photographs do not capture the beauty of the students work. 

The drying rack after only 3 classes pulling prints!

Kindergarten Art

I presented paper making to the students to tie into their study of the Chinese New Year and zodiac studies. The upper classes had made ample pulp for the students to use, so the kindergarten students were able to make a sheet of paper without having to prep the supplies. I gave lessons to 4 students at a time and they all were able to follow the many step process with minimal assistance from me. This is such a remarkable group of young students. While I worked with the paper makers, Pat Carey-Bell kept the other students on track gluing the zodiac figures in order. Following the completion of that unit, we began our printmaking lesson. This is the first exposure to printmaking for most students and it quickly turns into one of their favorite mediums in art. They created a zentangle image on a foam plate and we will begin printing this week. They practiced creating patterns first on paper, then transferred their best design on the foam plate. I look forward to presenting the inking and printing process tomorrow as it always makes me feel like an art magician! We will be glazing the ceramic bowls after the printmaking lesson is complete. 

1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade

I introduced paper making to the students last week and they jumped right into making pulp. Each student contributed to the several bins of different colored pulp and chose the color paper they wanted to make. Each student received a small group instruction presenting the several steps involved in paper making. After guiding them through the first round of paper making, they could try the process independently. The more they tried, the easier the process became. Following the paper making, we began sketches for the foam plate printing. The 1st and 2nd grade students had a smaller plate while the 3rd grade students designed a full sheet print. The students used different colored ink and paper to achieve different results. As with the paper making, the prints improved the more prints they pulled. The students are always so excited to be able to see improvement so quickly.

                               

                               

4th, 5th and 6th Grade Art

The students worked diligently tearing up paper scraps and adding different colors together to create several bins of paper pulp for paper making. They are studying China in their core class and I wanted to show them a simple method of making paper. We ended up with 9 different colored pulps to choose from, so many options were available. Following the paper making, we began the printmaking unit. After sketching out ideas, the image was transferred on a foam printing plate. The students could try different colored ink on various colored paper to change the feeling of their print. They enjoyed printmaking so much they asked for an extra class to continue printing. I love the enthusiasm for the process.

7th and 8th Grade Art

We have had 2 solid weeks of printmaking and paper making in art. Several students requested making paper and I had the pulp already set up for the younger students. We had a few students experiment with printing on the handmade paper, but most were just excited to make a sheet of paper.  Students learned the block printing process. Block printing is one of the oldest types of printmaking and has been around for thousands of years.  There is evidence that it existed as early as the fifth century BC, with actual fragments found from as early as the fifteenth century.  It has been done around the world, with roots in India, China and Japan.  We used a rubber block to carve because the material is much softer to manipulate than linoleum. Students sketched several ideas before beginning the carving process and had a chance to practice on carving on blocks. Once the image was carved, they experimented with blends of ink colors, printing on colored paper or printing on found paper like sheet music or maps. I always love the experimental nature of the middle school students in art as they often come up with ideas I had not considered. I will try my best to get the prints displayed before conferences so you can all enjoy the creativity.

                                   

           

The Ratner Montessori School Art Program

Forgive the lack of a blog post last week, we only had 2 days of art, so I felt the information would be a bit sparse. Now that the weather is not so fierce and the temperature is better for firing the kiln, I have started all the first round of greenware firings. This will take a couple of weeks as the kiln is small and the students worked on some larger pieces this year. We will begin glazing all the ceramic work after all the pieces are fired, so please be patient with the final stages of the clay unit. 

Greenware waiting to be fired

Kindergarten Art

The students created a medium sized bowl using the terracotta clay. They rolled several balls of clay and then flatted them on the clay table. The students learned how to score or scratch the clay, apply slip, which is like clay "glue" and attached all the discs together by overlapping them inside a bowl form. This is a great project to teach them several basic clay skills while creating a functional clay piece. After the greenware has been fired in the kiln, the students will glaze their bowls. The glaze I use is food and dishwasher safe, so the students are very excited to use their creations. 

We began our Chinese New Year Zodiac and will continue with the unit this week. I am also going to present paper making to the students so they will each make a sheet of paper and learn some about the history of China and the invention of paper. 

1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade Art

The clay work that was completed is dried and currently being fired in the kiln. The 1st and 2nd grade class finished their projects in two classes, the 3rd grade class needed one more class to build the Porifera for the lids to their vessels. There is always a push and pull with ceramics as to how much clean-up I do on the students work. It is difficult to not go through the functional cups or bowls and sponge out all the spots they missed on their final craftsmanship check. For a few years, I would smooth out the rough edges on cup rims or straighten out the shape of the bowl. I have stopped doing that so the students understand the importance of taking the time with the details of clay. It is difficult to have a crooked bowl shape or a rim that is too sharp to drink out of, but the next time the students create in clay, they remember to take care with the final boring steps of sponging and clean up! I will begin the glazing unit after all the greenware has been fired.

4th, 5th and 6th Grade Art

All the clay work has been completed in our unit and the students were very successful with each of the final stages of the clay build. The 4th and 5th grade students learned how to roll out an even slab of clay, add a texture to the surface, created a template to construct a cone and added elements to the cone base for their bobble head. The cone had to be even on the base so the bobble head could balance and had to have a smooth tip so the head could move. The students showed patience and a willingness to rework areas that needed more attention. I hope that all the heads for the sculptures will balance correctly so the heads move carefully on the cone bases. The smaller 6th grade class finished up their independent projects including personal totem poles and a large and hopefully functional teapot.

7th and 8th Grade Art 

The clay projects have all been completed and I am excited to see the end result of their work. The students showed a strong ability to try a new and unknown technique and were willing to experiment with different processes. The final forms, pouring pictures or lanterns show a strong level of craftsmanship and attention to the surface. Students that were not as successful with the rolling of the slabs and cutting out the templates seemed to understand why their sculptures were not working and adapted their work to complete a basic form. Other students had a clear understanding and were able to complete more complicated work. I appreciate the ability to adjust to all the various levels of skill (and sometimes interest) with each project at this age level and am glad that the majority of the art students are willing participants in each new process.