Going Cubist

Lily L (Yr 3)

Last week we traced photos onto acetate to create a semi-abstract self-portrait. This week we've used the same photos, but this time working directly onto the surface of the photo to abstract it using a cubist perspective.

We looked at some examples by Picasso, noticing how he sometimes shows the front and profile view of the subject within the one picture. We also talked about using color to express feelings rather than in a realistic way, and we discussed how various colors can be interpreted differently. Blue, for example, can be used to express sadness ("feeling blue"), but it is also the color of the ocean and the sky, and can be a very peaceful, calming color.

Working with black permanent markers, we drew a curved line through the center of our faces to create a profile view within the front view. We then went on to outline the main shapes of our portraits, and to add pattern to the background. Many of the kids chose to incorporate symbols that express their interests or personality in some way.

Finally we added color in a non-realistic way, again choosing colors that express something about ourselves. Some children decided to choose different colors for each side of their face to show different sides to their personalities. I love the way Lily, whose work I have displayed here, has used color and line to show that usually she is happy, but sometimes she feels sad.

We used wax crayons for this step as the colors are vibrant and luminous, while also being translucent enough to allow the black marker lines, and the shades within the photos, to show through.

I am so impressed with the finished result! The concept of abstract art can be quite a challenge for kids, but I think they have outdone themselves this week!

Amazing Self-Portraits on Acetate

Thomas T (Yr 3)

I found this fantastic idea using a painted paper background and black marker drawings on acetate at Field Elementary Art Blog through Pinterest, and have seen it a number of times since. I just love the way it allows young kids to create a self portrait (that really does look a little bit like them!) while also exploring the concept of semi-abstract art.

Before beginning we looked at examples and discussed the difference between realism (life-like) and semi-abstract (altered, but the original subject is still recognizable). We visualized a realism-abstract continuum - on one end is art as realistic as we can make it, on the far end is the abstract - so changed or totally divorced from the original inspiration that it is no longer recognizable. And in between are infinite levels of the semi-abstract.

This week we are using photos of ourselves as the starting point for a semi-abstract self portrait.

The kids had an absolutely free hand in how they designed and painted their backgrounds, using a metallic glitter paint. This paint is quite translucent, with a subtle glittery finish which is bright and colorful, but still allows the drawing overlay to stand out. 

After completing the backgrounds we laid a sheet of acetate over photographs (taken a week or two ago, which I photo-shopped to remove the background) and traced over them with black permanent markers. The process of eliminating shading and reducing the photograph to a purely linear drawing creates enough changes to subtly alter the picture to the semi-abstract, while still maintaining the essence and personality of the original.

We put our photos at the realistic end of the realism-abstract continuum. The photo-shopped images came next, close to the realistic end of the continuum, and our line tracings a little further along the line leading towards abstract. 

I love these pictures, they are so full of life and interesting line work!

Next week we are going to use the same photos to create a completely different self portrait .... these pictures will go much further along the continuum towards abstract, although they will still be recognizably based on the human face.

Don't you just love digital technology? The creative possibilities are endless!

Year of the Snake Inspired Coil Pots

Clay - one of our favourite lessons each term!

I do love it, but I must say I'd enjoy it a whole lot more if I didn't have to lug 2 X 12kg blocks of clay (plus all the other paraphernalia) into each school, and then the finished pottery pieces (plus all the paraphernalia) back out to my car, then out of the car to store/dry in my garage, then back in/out of the car to a friend's kiln for firing, then back to the schools for painting..... Multiply it by 5 schools and it is a really exhausting couple of weeks!

But I can't complain when the kids obviously love it so much :)

This term we've made simple coil pots, sealing the coils on the inside as we go, and leaving them visible on the outside to represent a coiled snake. We wound the end of the last coil up to form the snake's head. Some of the kids went further and wound the last coil around the body of their pot so that their snakes are wrapping themselves around the pot.

This was a great activity for my after-school classes, which are multi-age (Prep to year 7 in each class.) Even though some of the littlies  had trouble building the sides of their pots symmetrically, and some of their coils droop a little bit, this actually enhanced the 'snakiness' of their finished pots. At the same time, there was lots of opportunity for the older students to explore some really interesting ideas. They are ALL beautiful, and I can't wait to see them after firing and finishing!

The Puzzle Tree

Jordan O (Yr 4)

This week we have created Puzzle Tree pictures using oil pastel. Thanks to La Galerie de Christelle for this great idea, which I found on Pinterest :)

We started by drawing a simple tree on our page, ensuring that the trunk reached from the bottom of the page to the top, and that the branches stretched right out to the edges of the page.

We flipped the page over and sketched a simple hilly landscape  (no more than 3 hills, and a bright sun in the sky) which we colored heavily with oil pastel. As we colored each shape, we ensured that there were two thick layers, using colors close together on the color wheel, and with the lightest color on the bottom. We then used the sgraffito technique to engrave patterns into the top layer so that the lighter color below showed through.

The kids decided for themselves whether to color their skies - some applied the same engraving technique to their suns, others decided to leave their sky white.

The final step is the tricky one! We flipped our pages back over and cut out our tree shapes. This left the negative space of the background between the branches, which we reassembled as a 'puzzle' onto black paper. It was important to cut out all our shapes and assemble them one by one before we started gluing pieces down - It's very easy to get confused, but a bit easier if you remember to find the corner pieces first!

To complete this picture we learned about sgraffitto engraving into oil pastel, positive and negative space, and the importance of following directions.

Our Puzzle Trees are really very effective. Some of our trees became very abstract in the puzzling process, but somehow still retained their 'tree-ness' quality.

They each turned out very differently, and uniquely splendid in their own way.... Well done!

The Year of The Snake

In celebration of the Chinese New Year on February 10, 2013 - The Year of the Snake!

After some discussion and brainstorming ideas we designed our pictures to incorporate a snake and the year 2013. We talked about drawing the twisting snake to form the numbers, or sliding the snake through the numbers (I'd seen various versions of both these ideas on Pinterest). We also talked about repetition of pattern and color to tie the composition together.

Once we had our designs we traced over all the lines with black marker and added pattern and color to our snakes and to the numbers.

Finally we cut out our snakes and assembled our pictures on a mount of colored paper.

Dali Elephants

Ziva G (Yr 1)

At the end of last year I took a few weeks off and had a wonderful holiday traveling around Spain. I promised the kids that I'd come home with lots of great ideas for our art class ......


After looking at 'The Elephants' by Spanish Surrealist artist Salvidor Dali we drew our own elephants (and other creatures!) in the style of Dali, with bodies positioned high in the page and balanced on impossibly spindly legs.

'The Elephants' Salvidor Dali 1948

We also found inspiration in this little sculpture that I found in Barcelona - I just love it!

After outlining our drawings with black sharpie markers, and a discussion about how to choose colors that will blend well together (colors close to each other on the color wheel) we colored the entire page with thickly applied watercolor pencil. Then we took them outside to spritz them with water.
Holding them up by the top corners, we let the pencil/paint blend and run together in rivulets. When we were happy with the effect we then laid them flat to dry.

I love the way the colors become so brilliant with the water application, and the way the colors run and blend is so spontaneous and unpredictable.

Outback Landscape

Shaun H

We're still on our Christmas (Summer) holiday break here in Australia, but here is one of the projects my kids did with Lee (my wonderful friend who taught the classes for me while I was away at the end of last year.)

The kids created a collage of torn newspaper trees on a black background, and finished them with oil pastel. They have a real Fred Williams feel to them :)

These are particularly relevant to us now, while we are experiencing unusually extreme temperatures of up to 40C (even as high as 45C out at Birdsville earlier in the month!). For those of you who work in Fahrenheit I think that's 104 - 113. Very very hot!

Needless to say the fire danger is high, and bush fires have been ravaging many parts of the country.