October Project: Arthur Dove Landscapes

Arthur Dove. Sunrise in Northport Harbor. 1929

Featured Artist: ARTHUR DOVE

Description:

• Used Vistual Thinking Strategy (VTS) in the discovery of Arthur Dove's stylized landscapes.
• Identification of 4 landscape components
1. Foreground
2. Middleground
3. Background
4. Horizon Line
• Discussion on additional tricks that artist's use to create the illusion of depth in a picture = color value
• Colors close up are strongest and those in the background are the lightest

Vocabulary:

• Landscape
• Foreground
• Middleground
• Background
• Horizon Line
• Depth (near and far game)
• Color value
• Arthur Dove

Resources:

• Internet pictures 
• Powerpoint presentation sharing information about Arthur Dove

Materials:

• Water soluble oil pastels

Examples of Student Work:

May Project: Cartoon Faces

Project title:  Cartoon Faces

Description:

• Second and third grade artists learned the important components of a successful cartoon:
• simple lines and shapes
• facial features
• expression/personality
• color choices
• Students drafted a number of cartoon faces and enlarged their favorite.  This face was transferred on to acetate.  Color was added using sharpie markers (transparent) or paint markers (opaque).  Last, students made word bubbles for their cartoon characters

Vocabulary:

• Cartoon
• Transparent
• Opaque

Resources:

• Internet images

Materials:

• Sharpies
• Paint markers
• Acetate

Examples of Student Work:

April Project: BUGS!

Project Title:  BUGS!

Description:

• Scientific illustrations and looking closely was the topic of our bug unit.  Students learned to observe and record what they actually saw as if the bug was under a microscope.  Artists were encouraged to "crop" their picture and to add three different textures to their oil pastel work.  Bug facts were recorded on the back of the picture.

Vocabulary:

• Crop
• Magnify
• Texture
• Tint

Resources:

• Assorted bug books from our SES library

Materials:

• Oil pastels
• Bristol

Examples of Student Work: 

March Project: Fantasy Landscapes

Project Title:  FANTASY LANDSCAPES

Description:

• "Fantasy" landscapes were the last topic explored in our landscape unit.  A Dr. Seuss-like landscape was developed using color value.  Three fantasy homes were printed and shared with classmates.  Paint markers were used to add details to our final fantasy landscape painting.

Vocabulary:

• Color value
• Diminishing size
• Overlapping

Resources:

• Book: Oh, The Places You'll Go!, by Dr. Seuss

Materials:

• Water color crayons
• Printer's ink
• Printer's foam
• Paint markers

Examples of Student Work:

February Project: James Castle

Project Title:  JAMES CASTLE

Rooster by James Castle

Description:

• An introduction to the artist, James Castle, who lived on a farm in Idaho.  He was born deaf and never learned to read or write.  He focused on what he could do; he cared for an observed barnyard animals.  Castle is known for his sketches and relief sculptures of farm animals using recycled materials for his house.  Design challenges involved construction, problem solving and knot tying.

Vocabulary:

• Disability
• Relief sculpture
• Recycled materials
• Construction
• Neutral colors

Resources:

• Book: Click, Clack, Peep, by Doreen Cronin

Materials:

• Cardboard
• Construction paper
• Tissue
• Paper towel
• Crayons

Examples of Student Work:

January Project: Mexican Amate Bark Painting

Project Title:  Mexican Amate Bark Painting

Example of Amate Bark Painting

Description:

• Amate paintings from Mexico are made from the bark of the wild fig tree.  Its bright, fluorescent colors, and stylized animals, plants and buildings are typical of this work.  The purpose of this lesson was to introduce students to imagery used in Mexican folk painting, to explore the concept of decorative art and to develop and to refine painting and overpainting skills.

Vocabulary:

• Amate bark
• Folk art
• Fluorescent (colors)

Resources:

• Book: The Parrot Tico Tango, by Anna Witte

Materials:

• Acrylic fluorescent paint
• Black sharpies

Examples of Student Work: