January 2019 Art Blog

Transitional Kindergarten: Zigzag Doll

ZIGZAG by Robert D. San Souci, a story about a doll maker who created Zigzag and placed him on the shelf for the night.  After the doll maker left, Zigzag got pushed off the shelf by the other dolls. Zigzag ultimately ended up outside in the trash bin and had to climb his way out. The book does have a happy ending, as three mice found him a nice home with a happy little girl, and his zigzagged mouth turned into a happy smile.

The beginning of the story reveals that ZIGZAG was made from scraps of fabrics. TK students created their own dolls.  Students picked out fabrics, used fabric scissors for cutting, and planned out and glued down their fabric pieces.  Some dolls ended up with four legs, tails, and hats, and hair hanging off the edges, but that’s what makes these dolls so special! They make you smile!

Kindergarten: Upcycled Cans- to Robots

The Zero Waste Schools Program inspired this amazing robot project. Recycling makes sense unlike landfills (which simply stockpile trash) recycling removes waste completely, then turns it back to useful products. Recycling saves money, and in turn reduces the amount of trash going to the landfills. 

ALUMINUM RECYCLING
Recycling one ton of aluminum:
Saves 14,000 kWh of energy
Saves 39.6 barrels (1,663 gallons) of oil
Saves 237.6 million Btu's of energy
Saves 10 cubic yards of landfill space

The Zero Waste Schools Program visited our Kindergarten classes.  They taught our students that tin and aluminum cans should not go in the regular trash. Students learned that new products can be made out of the recycled aluminum, or we can upcycle the cans and create amazing art. No need to go to the art store to purchase supplies! From Trash to Treasure!

What is upcycling?

Upcycling also known as creative reuse. It is the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful, artistic and beautiful.

Are Recycling and Upcycling the same?

Actually no, and the difference is important. Upcycling is what many artists do. Reusing waste without destroying it in order to form something new. Recycling takes waste products, breaks them down, then forms them into something new. Both upcycling and recycling are great methods to keep products and packaging out of landfills and helps our planet earth.

Students were introduced to the basic cylindrical form of a can and faced the design challenge to build a stable, artistic looking robot, adding additional recycled items such as: plastic cups, miscellaneous parts, Lego's, bottle caps, corks etc. Students imagined what kind of tasks their robots could do and they cam up with creative names for their whimsical friends built out of cans. 

1st GRADE: Hundertwasser Multicolored Spirals and Buildings

First grade students were introduced to the painter and architect Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser (1928 – 2000). He was an Austrian-born New Zealand artist and architect who worked also in the field of environmental protection. His real name being Stowasser, his pseudonym Hundertwasser (by which he is known worldwide) comes from sto in Slavic languages, meaning "hundred".

He stood out as an opponent of "a straight line" and any standardization, expressing this concept in the field of building design. His best known work is considered the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, Austria which has become a notable place of interest in the Austrian capital characterized by imaginative vitality and uniqueness.

He was fascinated by spirals, and called straight lines "godless and immoral" and "something cowardly drawn with a rule, without thought or feeling". He called his theory of art "transautomatism", focusing on the experience of the viewer rather than the artist. This was encapsulated by his design of a new flag for New Zealand, which incorporated the image of the Koru a spiral shape based on the image of a new unfurling silver fern frond and symbolizing new life, growth, strength and peace according to the Māori people. 

First grade students played with the element of the spiral and color and painted a "kunterbut" (German English translation multicolored) background. Students were guided to paint and design facades of buildings. Inspired by Hundertwasser students experimented to alter straight lines and angles into whimsical, innovative buildings. The multicolored spiral paintings served as a vibrant background for these magical buildings. 

2nd GRADE: Warm/Cool Color Sun/Moon Study

Second grade students continued their studies with color theory working with the color schema warm and cool. With colors an artist can set a mood, attract attention, or make a statement. Color can be used to energize, or to calm down. By selecting the right color scheme, artists can create an ambiance of elegance, warmth or tranquility, or convey an image of playful youthfulness. Color can be an artist's most powerful design element if learned to use effectively. 

Colors affect us in numerous ways, both mentally and physically. A strong red color has been shown to raise blood pressure, while a blue color has a calming effect.

Students learned to use colors consciously and harmoniously to create spectacular results.
Students sketched imaginary, circular sun/moon compositions and used a color marker/water wash technique to carefully color in the sun/moon compositions with warm/cool color combinations. 

3rd  GRADE:  Impressionistic Water Lilies

Third grade students created moody water lily compositions as an interpretation of the works of Claude Monet (1840-1926), who was a founder of French Impressionist painting. He was the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement’s philosophy of expressing one’s perception of nature, especially as applied to “plein-air”,or outdoor, landscape painting. Monet was very fond of painting nature, using his own garden in Giverny, France, where his famous paintings of water lilies, ponds and bridges were inspired. 

For this project, students learned about Monet’s life, and viewed samples of his work, taking notes and sketching in their art journals, then applying Monet's impressionistic and distinct style to their very own version of water lilies. Students painted their water lily compositions in a glue resist/soft pastel technique. Students practiced to apply a variety of colors and color transitions, capturing impressions of different moods. 

Here is an opportunity you don't want to miss! 
Monet Exhibit at the De Young Museum 

https://deyoung.famsf.org/exhibitions/late-monet
February 16, 2019 - May 27, 2019
Monet: The Later Years 

4th GRADE:   Keith Haring Kindness Posters

To promote love and kindness in the world, 4th grade students designed and painted impressive, bright colored, posters inspired by the Pop artist Keith Haring.

Students were introduced to the works of Pop artist Keith Haring. Haring (1958-1990) was famous in the 1980s for his often large scale art, which was a mixture of graffiti and pop art. He used bright colors and simplistic, cartoon like images, expressing his social, emotional, and political views. 

Student recorded important facts about Haring in their art journals and viewed samples of this work. Focusing on Haring's iconic imagery students analyzed a few samples of his works and used "his clues" (color, symbols, and motion marks) to identify, and guess Haring's message to the viewer. 

Students sketched ideas to express a message or thought to promote love, kindness, acceptance, peace, equality etc. in a Keith Haring style. Students presented their ideas in small groups and gave each other feedback. Students used pop art techniques such as simple figures, motion lines, and bright colors to express their ideas and to communicate their views. 

Can you guess the students' message/idea/story they are communicating?