The Art Studio has been filling up with all kinds of extraordinary artworks this fall! Our Kindergarten through Sixth Grade students have been exploring a variety of materials including papier-mâché, plaster, cardboard, and wood. Take a look at our young artists in action!
KINDERGARTEN
We have completed our “Not A Stick” project inspired by Antoinette Portis’ book of the same title and now we are moving on to full-body mixed media portraits. Yesterday, we got started with our faces by placing wet plaster strips over aluminum pie pans.
1st & 2nd GRADE
First and Second grade students have been making Action Figures using aluminum foil, wire, and plaster gauze. Now that the sculptures are frozen in their action poses, they are being embellished with fabric, decorative papers, yarn, wood findings, and colored tape.
3rd GRADE
Squares become a cube in our latest project exploring the mechanics of a three-dimensional form. Beginning with a flattened cardboard box, students created small wood assemblages on each of the panels. When folded together and painted, we will have a series of six-sided sculptures that will hang from the ceiling.
4th GRADE
Inspired by the Donald Baechler sculptures we saw on our recent field trip to Omi International Arts Center, students are working on their own playful forms based on Baechler’s bronzed Flower series from 2007-2008. The class traced objects from nature onto cardboard which were then cut out and covered in a plaster ‘skin’ before being propped upright on a base and painted.
5th GRADE
Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box sculptures from the early-mid 1960s prompted discussion and this project about the definition of the art object. Students selected a common plastic container which was then converted into an ‘object d’art’ by coating with plaster gauze. Then, an imaginary product was created complete with a design concept, logo, and product details. The class is in the painting phase of the project, adding color and details to the final pieces.
6th GRADE
After studying masks from around the world, the Sixth Grade class embarked on a large-scale mask making project. Students used cardboard, newspaper, and tape to construct a three-dimensional form based on an animal, human, or imagined creature. The pieces are presently being covered in papier-mâché. In the upcoming weeks, students will bring their characters to life with paint and decorative media.
