Works in progress

One of my favorite lessons to do is block printmaking. The kids enjoy it, I think, because they get to use cutting tools to carve their designs out of the rubber "plates" that we use. I enjoy it because of all the different images the kids make. But man, it sure does use a lot of paper. I need to get a wholesale deal with Dunder Mifflin.

The lights from a streetlamp paints a pattern on my wall...

This was a cool little project the 7th and 8th graders did where they filled up the paper with different shapes and then filled the shapes with different patterns. I think we used up a few Sharpies making these. I usually take individual pictures of the kids' work, but I thought these were more striking as a group.

Plus they just look so good against the institutional gray walls of the middle school.

Tooting my Own Horn

It may seem a lttle self-indulgent, but I just wanted to post a picture of a little self-portrait I recently finished. I haven't worked with oil paints in years, but I've recently been getting back into it. I was pretty pleased with the results. Hope you like it.

Hands Across America

If you're under 30, you have no idea what I'm talking about. Anyway, here are some of the results of our latest 7th and 8th grade project, wherein the students had to draw one of the hardest things to draw, their hands. I thought they did a great job.

These particular masterpieces are from Kyleanna, Sable, Victoria, Leopold, Ashleigh, Kentory, Kyleanna, Tiara, Erica, and Justin.

I know this blog has been pretty middle school heavy so far, but I promise it will also feature elementary art. Just be patient.

Thanks.

Art Club's a Comin'

Now is the time for 7th and 8th graders to sign up for Art Club. This year, we will be painting a mural in the cafeteria. Here is a sketch showing the basic idea.

We will be meeting after school for an hour on Mondays starting after Labor Day. Sign up now if you haven't already and be part of history. Well, not really, but you will get community service credit.

What's in store for next week?

1st, 2nd and 5th grades: Intro to Art Class, Rules and Procedures

6th grade: Complete Matisse Collages, Positive and Negative Cut Paper (Notan), Positive/ Negative Bugs

7th & 8th grade: Drawing, drawing, drawing - Contour line drawings of hands and beginning of a contour line still-life.

14th. St. Break

Alright, the great experiment. Can Mr. Landingham post pictures without completely messing everything up? We'll see. These are selected pieces from our first project, where the middle school students were asked to create a visual representation of a piece of music.

The results were all different but they all made sense. It was a great start to the year. Looking forward to more great projects.

6th Grade Art Syllabus

Here is a quick and dirty syllabus for 6th grade art. They are not in any particular order, and some projects will probably be added, droppped, and changed, but it will hopefully give you an idea of what we'll be doing this year.

Art 6 Syllabus

1. Pastel Picasso
2. Foamboard Printmaking
3. Comic Strip colored in computer
4. Positive and Negative Cut Paper (Notan)
5. Positive/Negative Bugs
6. Pinch Pots
7. Color Wheel
8. Autumn Ink Landscape
9. Leaf Printing
10. Vibrations in the Soul (Abstract Expressionism)
11. Self-Portrait using color to show emotion
12. Kaleidoscope Design
13. Surreal Collages
14. Watercolor painting
15. Painted Shoes
16. “Me”-Tisse Name Collages
17. Papier-Mache Monster
18. Paper Architecture – Designing Human Spaces
19. Dream paintings (pointillism, Aboriginal art)

7th and 8th Grade Syllabus

Here is a preliminary syllabus for 7th & 8th grade art, just to give you an idea of what we're going to be doing this year. Projects and order are subject to change, but this should let you know kind of what you're in for. Also, I need all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade art students to obtain a 9x12 sketchbook.

Art 7-8 Syllabus

1.Connection between music and art
2.Starting out easy – making lines of all kinds
a. watercolor lines
b. contour line drawings of shoes and hands
c. contour line still-life
d. high contrast shapes
3. Wire Sculpture (Alexander Calder)
4. Illustration
5. Colored Pencil Portrait
6. Recycled Art
7. Linoleum Print
8. Shading – Shapes and Still Life
9. Clay Texture Tiles
10. One-Point Perspective
11. Photography
12. Architecture – Google SketchUp (IB Unit)
13. Scratchboard
14. Watercolor painting
15. Papier Mache African Masks
16. Liechtenstein Comic Panels
17. Frank Stella Cardboard Sculptures
18. Stencil Prints
19. Acrylic painting
20. Chuck Close Portrait
21. Oil pastels
22. Pinch pots
23. Paper making
24. Art Careers