The Ratner School Art Program

We continue to move forward on many processes and projects across all the grade levels. The students are still engaged, excited about the work they are creating and eager to begin each day in art. I have not noticed signs of disinterest or spring fever (yet)! 

I am glad to say the last glaze batch is in the kiln as I write the current blog and all the work seems to be holding up well. I had a couple of small cracks appear in some of the larger work because the kiln cooled off too much due to the snow day on Friday. It fortunately happened to the older students work and they are usually understanding about kiln mishaps. 

I am excited about the upcoming summer art camp program at the school and hope the 1st-4th grade parents have considered the option for their child. I know it will be a fun and enriching experience and I am looking forward to the opportunity. 

My snow day photo

Kindergarten Art

We began work on the US symbols unit in art last week. I try to tie in all the art processes into the Humanities program and use the Statue of Liberty to teach portrait proportions and techniques. The students look at a sample of the Statue of Liberty and learned the "map of the face" as it pertains to portraits. Each student transferred the information of the face onto a blank outline of Liberty's face. Yellow crayon was used as a resist technique to color the windows in the crown and then a blue-green watercolor wash was applied to the surface to imitate the copper patina. The portrait will be cut and glued onto a solid background next class. 

All the ceramic bowls have been glazed and fired in the kiln. Look for them to come home next Thursday as we will not have class this week due to conferences. 

1st and 2nd Grade Art

We are continuing work on the biography portraits and the students are progressing well with their constructions. I marvel at their ingenuity with design and they are amazingly creative with their approach. They are using several different approaches and materials with this project and are gaining independence with their work. We are fortunate to have so much variety in materials for the students to use and I enjoy seeing their problem solving skills develop with each new project. 

All the ceramic birds nests will be displayed on top of the cubbies during conferences, then we will wrap them all up and send them home next week. 

I am excited at the interest in the art camp offered this summer at school and look forward to having so many of our students participate!

3rd and 4th Grade Art

The tipi has been reassembled in the upstairs hall. The students showed amazing teamwork and higher level problem solving skills with this project. They stayed with the process over the course of the project, able to pick up work where they left off, retaining all the information and steps to complete the project. We experienced some difficulty moving the tipi from the art room to the second floor as the structural poles shifted. The students worked together to figure out a solution. While the form changed, they were very proud and pleased with their work and I decided to reflect their enthusiasm and left the form the way they constructed it. I hope you all take time to view their ceramic pots in the black box displays on the second floor and poke your head into the tipi for a moment.
I am excited at the interest in the art camp offered this summer at school and look forward to having so many of our students participate!

5th and 6th Grade Art

The final round of glazed banks are in the kiln today and will come out tomorrow. Some students have seen their glazed work and a few are waiting to view their pieces before I put them on display. We will try all the banks and see if a quarter can be inserted in the top slot and if they made the bottom hole large enough to get the money out. I am afraid several students missed that part of the rubric and they will have a penny and dime bank. Lessons learned! Work continues on the magazine collage landscape and they are beginning to see the colors and textures more quickly than before.  Students are learning to follow the steps as presented, some are learning the hard way to not do details first and many students are on track to finish the project this week. 

7th and 8th Grade Art

The final load of glazed pots are in the kiln today and all the work should be displayed by conferences. Try to take some time to view the second floor black box displays to see the ceramic work of your child. Work continues in the Maker Space on the jelly bean dispensers and the students are right on pace with the construction. I enjoy seeing their confidence grow with the continued use of tools and different processes.