Snowmen at Night Chalk Pastel Drawings

Hope everyone enjoyed their snow days earlier this month! After learning about using value to show a three-dimensional form in their personal object still life drawings, 5th grade artists applied the same concept using chalk pastels. We looked closely at the illustrations in the book, Snowmen at Night, to inspire our own sketches for what our snowmen (or snow people) could be doing. Some ideas we came up with included making snow angels, skiing, snowboarding, snowball fights, and playing hockey. 

In their sketch, students had to show some sort of action, and include a light source, whether it was the moon, a lamp, or a fire. Using their sketch to guide them, students then used chalk pastel to draw their own snowmen at night scene on larger colored paper. We discussed how to use other colors in combination with white to create a three-dimensional appearance to the snow. 

We noticed that the illustrations in the book included many colors in addition to white to represent snow. For the areas of shadow, we used different shades of blue, purple, black and gray. For the areas of highlight, we used yellows and oranges to show light hitting a surface. This all depended on the light source in each student's work, and which side of the snowman was closest to it. (Most) students enjoyed blending the soft pastel with their finger to blend colors together and fill in shapes. 

The following classes, we focused on adding details to the snowmen as well as the background. Students got creative with their details, adding faces, winter accessories likes hats and scarves, trees, and even snow animals. We talked about how to add the shading and highlight to those details, such as the carrot nose or a top hat. Students also considered different ways to approach the sky, whether it was adding snowflakes, stars, etc. 

Below are some examples of our snowmen at night drawings. Two students' drawings were featured on the December winter concert program and some of our other snowmen at night drawings will be on display in the glass case downstairs soon!

Aiden, 5th Grade (Twomey)

Arthur, 5th Grade (Bellis)

Ava, 5th Grade (Psychoghios)

Bianca, 5th Grade (Psychoghios)

Breanna, 5th Grade (Twomey)

Daniel, 5th Grade (Bellis)

Dorie, 5th Grade (Psychoghios)

Elen, 5th Grade (Twomey)

Kate R., 5th Grade (Psychoghios)

Kiran, 5th Grade (Bellis)

Max H., 5th Grade (Bellis)

Nolan, 5th Grade (Twomey)

Pirada, 5th Grade (Twomey)

Rose, 5th Grade (Bellis)

Sila, 5th Grade (Bellis)

Sol, 5th Grade (Psychoghios)

Jaylyn, 5th Grade (Twomey)

Brady, 5th Grade (Domermuth Fantasia)

Yassemine, 5th Grade (Domermuth Fantasia)

Caroline A., 5th Grade (Domermuth Fantasia)

Oliver, 5th Grade (Domermuth Fantasia)

Snowy Day Collages

Inspired by this winter weather, PK and Kindergarten artists recently created snowy day artworks. Kindergarten students began by creating collages of houses, adding a tree or car or another house next to it. We began by remembering how we make a collage, cutting out different shapes to create a picture of a house or multiple houses. 

We thought carefully about details to add to our houses, including windows, doors, roofs, and chimneys. PK students drew their houses and trees using oil pastels, thinking about shapes to use for different parts of their house. 

After finishing their houses, we read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Many students were already familiar with the book, which follows a boy named Peter as he explores his neighborhood on a snowy day. After listening to the story, students used white paint to add snow to their picture. 

Using a brush, students painted on top of their houses, added snow to the ground and also dotted paint to create snow falling from the sky. Some students created very snowy days and even some blizzards! Take a look at some of our artworks below.

Vista, Kindergarten (Tan)

Anna, Kindergarten (Tan)

Sebastian, Kindergarten (Tan)

Joshua, Kindergarten (Martignetti)

Roslyn, Kindergarten (Martignetti)

Harrison, Kindergarten (Segreve)

Jace, Kindergarten (Segreve)

Avantika, Kindergarten (Segreve)

Shriya, PK (Mattson)

Des, PK (Mattson)

Sawyer, PK (Mattson)

Evelyn, PK (Mattson)

Skyler, Kindergarten (Martignetti)

Kelly, Kindergarten (Blackwood)

Wyatt, Kindergarten (Beatty)

Mateo, Kindergarten (Beatty)

Ozan, Kindergarten (Beatty)

Weekend at the Boston Museums

This weekend I went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, as well as the Museum of Fine Arts. Although I have been to both museums before, I thought I would share about it here. I know that many of our families and students are familiar with the Boston museums -- I even ran into a Hosmer family at the MFA my first year! -- but I thought I would mention them in case you have not been recently!

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is my favorite place to take guests visiting from out of town. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (called Fenway Court during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime) is a museum in the Fenway area of Boston, near the Museum of Fine Arts. 

The museum was opened in 1903 by Isabella Stewart Gardner to showcase her collection of European, Asian, and American art, from paintings and sculpture to tapestries. The building was designed to look like a 15th century palace in Venice, Italy. There is a beautiful courtyard in the center and it feels more like a house than a museum. During Isabella's lifetime, she welcomed artists, performers, and scholars here to draw inspiration from the collection and setting.

When she died in 1924, Isabella left money to support the museum and asked that her collection be permanently exhibited "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever" according to her vision and intent. The artwork remains as she had it arranged. In 1990, thirteen of the museum's works were stolen and they not been recovered yet. Also, did you know that if you are named Isabella, you get free lifetime admission? 

I also went to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the Dutch still life paintings before the exhibition ended. I am planning to go again soon for the Takahashi Murakami exhibit! The Dutch and Flemish paintings from the 17th century ranged from still life to portraits and landscapes. 

I enjoyed the still life paintings, since we learn about the art of still life in 5th grade, and they were worth seeing up close in person. Many of the objects in a still life have meanings and it was amazing to see the level of detail that the artists were able to capture. They also had a sense of humor, as I noticed in the corner of one of the paintings:

If you have not yet been to these museums, I recommend that you do!