Tag Archives: Art Education
Japan: Kite Designs
To introduce this traditional Japanese art, students read a beautifully written and illustrated book, “Shibumi and the Kitemaker” by Mercer Mayer. And while they were not able to make real kites (this time), they enjoyed working on designs:
Italy: Sports Cars
Ferrari….Lamborghini….Alfa Romeo….Fiat…. Italy is known for its luxury sports automobiles, and as part of our study of the art of this country, middle school students were challenged to either replicate or design a sports car. Using Sculpey clay as the … Continue reading
Italy: Frescos
Students studied the work of Michelangelo and marveled at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel while learning about frescos, which are paintings on wet plaster. To help them understand the process, plaster was mixed according to directions, and then approximately … Continue reading
Fiber Coiled Baskets
Basket-making is something that many, many cultures in the world do! We linked our baskets to a study of the art of Africa. Students started their baskets using 12′ of cotton clothesline rope, a yarn color of their choice (using … Continue reading
Quilted Pillow Tops
As part of a unit on Colonial Arts and Crafts, middle school students learned about quilting. They had the opportunity to see a variety of quilt patterns, and they learned many of the pattern names. They designed their own geometric … Continue reading
Colonial Printmaking
Printmaking–in terms of printing for newspapers and flyers–was introduced as another Colonial activity, and students had the opportunity to look at old print type–the kind that was originally set by hand in large plates to create advertisements and newspapers. They … Continue reading
Crochet and Cross-Stitch
In keeping with the Colonial Arts theme, students had the opportunity to learn how to crochet, while others chose to design and make a small counted cross stitch project.
Shopkeeper Signs
Students learned about the crafts and trades during Colonial times, and they created “signs” that might have hung outside of places of business in the 1700s. They were asked to include a picture of their service or type of business … Continue reading
Imaginative Silhouettes
After students had become familiar with self-portrait and figure silhouettes–and to continue to develop their skills with contour drawing–they looked around the room to find objects that had interesting shapes. Pliers, tape dispensers, paint pump dispensers, bolts, and blenders were … Continue reading
Figure Silhouettes
Students did contour drawings of each other in a variety of “action” poses. Students modeled for approximately 1-2 minutes as their classmates drew them, and everyone wanted a turn to model! Each figure drawing was at least 3″ tall, and … Continue reading