Thank You!

I had all these glorious plans of writing out all these individual thank you notes for the Christmas gifts I received over winter break! But the year got started, and I have been playing catch up ever since. Nonetheless, I thought the least I could do is express my gratitude here.

Thank you sincerely for your generosity and thoughtfulness. You and your students have been so thankful and encouraging. I never expected to receive so many thoughtful gifts! I am looking forward to the rest of the year that we have together.

Best Regards,

Miss Voron

Here's a lovely print by Mary Cassatt of a young lady doing what I wish I could have done!

4th and 5th Grade: Letters of Art!

To start off the year, 4th and 5th grade reviewed the elements of art through a single, simple project. Each student picked the first letter of their first or last name and then used line, shape, form, texture, value, color, and space to draw and decorate these letters. Here are some beautiful and creative examples of this project:

4th Grade: Islamic Tiles

Last quarter in December, we wrapped up our studies of Islamic art by making our own islamic tile designs. Students practiced radial symmetry by repeating a simple design made in one corner of their paper with oil pastels three times around the center. Here are some examples of excellent student work:

Art Club: Prickly Pears

Art club got off to a good start this quarter! For their first project, these little artists used oil pastels to draw a prickly pear cactus. They learned how to blend colors and add shading and highlights. 

5th Grade: Mona Lisa Self-Portraits

Back in November, 5th grade students wrapped up their study of Leonardo Da Vinci by drawing self-portraits inspired by the Mona Lisa. This project stretched them in their understanding face structure and proportions, how to realistically draw facial features (eyes, lips, nose, etc.), and how to best use colored pencils. They also had the opportunity to be creative and unique by giving the self-portrait any background or setting they wanted. I loved seeing these young artists use the concepts and skills they had learned earlier in the year, as well as get a chance to be creative and let their imaginations flow. 

See if you can recognize any of these artists:

5th Grade: Statue of David Value Study

At the end of semester one, 5th grade artists continued to study the works of Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Raphael. We took a special look at the Statue of David by Michelangelo and learned the story and purpose of its creation. Students then made grid transfer drawing of the statue of David's head. Once they had created a value scale, students used it to help see and produce the varying values created by the shadows cast across the iconic statue. 

Here are some examples of work in progress: