Art at Hosmer

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Pinch Pot Monsters

This past month, 1st grade artists made clay pinch pot monsters. We began our pinch pot monsters by forming a pinch pot with a ball of clay, which many of us remembered from kindergarten!

Students pushed their thumbs in the middle of the clay ball and then pinched around in a circle to create a pot or bowl shape. Then, we turned them on their side and added details to create monsters. Some students chose to add tongues, teeth, multiple eyes, and horns. Students made sure to score or scratch up the clay and use slip to add their smaller detailed pieces to their pinch pot, so that everything would stay on.

After getting bisque fired in the kiln, students used glaze to add color to their monsters. Students moved to different color stations depending on which colors of glaze they wanted to use and painted three layers of each color.

Students got their pinch pot monsters back after they had been glaze fired in the kiln. We shared them through a gallery walk so we could see everyone's pinch pot monsters! Some of them will be on display at our upcoming Art & Music Extravaganza on June 1. Below are some examples of our pinch pot monsters:

Ava, 1st Grade (Landay)

Caden, 1st Grade (Mandile)

Calvin, 1st Grade (Torchio)

Duncan, 1st Grade (Massa)

Faye, 1st Grade (Salvucci)

Griffin, 1st Grade (Massa)

Jayden, 1st Grade (Mandile)

Kaiwan, 1st Grade (Mandile)

Mary Kate, 1st Grade (Salvucci)

Noa, 1st Grade (Torchio)

Ava W., 1st Grade (Mandile)

Gianna, 1st Grade (Landay)

Rafael, 1st Grade (Torchio)

Kristy, 2st Grade (Torchio)

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Textured Bird Collages

Recently, PK and Kindergarten artists have been learning about texture, or how something feels to touch. To further explore different textures, we made texture rubbings.

We learned how to make a texture rubbing by placing an object underneath their paper and using the side of a crayon to rub on top of the paper to capture the object's texture.

Students were given a variety of different textured objects at their table and experimented with texture rubbing. Students thought about where to place their objects underneath their paper so that they could fill up their whole paper, as well as layer some rubbings on top of each other.

At the end of class, we shared our texture rubbings with each other on the rug. We revisited texture rubbing in a following class, but this time we selected colored paper to make our texture rubbings and used them to make a collage of a bird.

Students made textured paper using the texture rubbing technique and then cut out shapes from this paper to form their bird. When they were finished gluing down the bird's body, they added two feathers, as well as a background.

Below are some examples of our textured bird collages:

Audrey L., Kindergarten (Bolton)

Aurelia, Kindergarten (Bolton)

Ixeyka, Kindergarten (Martignetti)

Sara, Kindergarten (Segreve)

Tyler, Kindergarten (Martignetti)

Nathalia, Kindergarten (Beatty)

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Texture Printing

Recently, PK and Kindergarten artists have been exploring texture, or how something feels to touch. After texture rubbing, we explored texture printing. We have already printed with cardboard earlier this school year, with our printed cityscapes. This time, students tried printing with a variety of different everyday objects and materials, as well as different colors of paint!

First, we reviewed how we make a print with an object: dip it in the paint, press it down on the paper, and lift up to reveal the print. We talked about how to leave some space on the paper, so that there would be enough room to visit all 6 different color stations.

Then students started printing at their assigned table, with one color of paint. Every few minutes, students moved to another table with their group to print with different materials and colors. Objects included sponges, bubble wrap, cardboard paper rolls, plastic mesh, and various plastic caps and lids. Prints were layered on top of each other as students moved around the room.

Students were encouraged to explore and experiment with their prints and use the entire paper. PK and Kindergarten students did a great job with this messy process, making sure to put their objects back in the center of the table for others to share and walking carefully to the next station with their artwork when it was time to switch. It was messy, but also a lot of fun! Here are some examples of our texture printing exploration:

Marlo, Kindergarten (Segreve)

Noah, Kindergarten (Bolton)

Seif, Kindergarten (Beatty)

Susie, PK (Mattson)

Yaseen, Kindergarten (Martignetti)

Lara, Kindergarten (Martignetti)

Lucy, Kindergarten (Beatty)

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Out of This World Outer Space Resist

Recently, 4th grade artists thought about how to use color to make shapes appear less flat and more three dimensional. We noticed that adding shading to a shape, as well as a highlight, helps transform the flat shape into a three dimensional looking form.

We applied this concept to our outer space drawings, using oil pastels. To begin, students brainstormed a list of things you might see in outer space, including the Earth, sun, planets, stars, asteroids, space stations and of course, the Millennium Falcon and Death Star from Star Wars! After sketching out their compositions, students drew their outer space scenes on larger paper and used oil pastel to add color and depth.

Students were encouraged to use several colors on each object, considering the light source and where there might be shade to help give objects and three dimensional appearance. Students got very creative and imaginative with their details, including flying unicorns, food items, and space junk!

When they finished drawing with oil pastel, students painted their entire artwork with black watercolor paint. This is called resist, because the oil pastel resists the watercolor paint, and allows the oil pastel outer space objects to stand out. Here are some examples of our out of this world outer space resist paintings!