How has a month flown by already??
The students have been busy in the art room - we've been exploring techniques in drawing, painting, paper, and now (....drumroll...) sculpture! It has been a whirlwind of activity and creativity as children learn about Japanese artwork. Our 4th and 5th graders all voted on themes for the end of year art show and they wanted culture and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART, and Math) to be our focus.
Some of you may think, isn't it really early to think about the art show? It feels like it, but at Steele we love to have students be leaders in their own learning. By talking about where we are going, we help students navigate the path to success. When they voted on these two themes, they helped determine the context in which we talk about art, how they connect with the art world, and new goals for their own learning.
So to launch this focus, the Steele art classroom traveled to Japan! We've been learning and relearning about elements of art and principals of design. It has also been a time of embracing discovery, risk taking, and growth mindset.
The 4th and 5th graders have risen to the challenge of problem solving and growth mindset as we created our first works - origami!
Origami is an ancient art form (originally from China!) that helps students develop motor skills, solve problems, encourage teamwork, and discuss geometry (through shapes) in a very natural way. I have a confession to make - I'm not good at origami yet! I had to really practice some folds before I was successful with origami. I learned with the students and I often didn't have the answers... but many students were able to find peers to help them create their origami pieces. It is so exciting to see how children can be leaders in the art room as they help another student succeed. Plus, the pride that occurs when a student finally understands the right step is a joy to observe.
Students created their own designs and decorations, then shared their ideas with other students!
The children were only given one "real" origami paper per day - that way, they would be challenged to think outside of the box and perhaps come up with creative solutions and designs for their work.
Since the 4th and 5th graders have been very responsible and have been working hard, we've now moved on to opening the sculpture and architecture center! Today, we began a small project that taught students multiple ways to attach sculpture materials. The students learned about Japanese architecture from the asuka and nara eras. We briefly touched on pagodas and then spent our focus on torii, gateway structures found most often at shinto shrines.
We learned about the shrine of 10,000 gates - Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Each student in 4th and 5th grade will create a torii gate that will line to build our own path of torii gates. Children decorated their torii with kanji and lined them up!
One student tried to write "benevolence" and "peace."
The beginnings of our mini-model - I am excited to see what happens when we have 160+ gates!
One thing I have been trying to emphasize with students is that while we study other cultures, we should keep in mind that we are only focusing on a few parts of each culture. We've related it to movies - some people might say, "America makes action films!" Are those the only films we make? No! But sometimes we talk about action films. It is the same when we discuss artwork, architecture, and other aspects of culture. There is no one art that defines Japan, just like there is no one art that defines North American artwork. The students have been very mindful in the way that we speak about work from other countries and I'm excited to see what new connections they make when we expand our focus to other countries.
The first graders have also been working away! We practiced resistance crayon and watercolor painting while looking at Japanese prints. Students created Japanese-inspired patterns and then created fans from their painting. One student was so excited that she raced over and told me, "This is like magic! I love this art!"
Paintings inspired by Japanese fabric prints
Then, students compared the flowing prints of Japan with the work of Piet Mondrian. As we created these works, students reflected and discussed which artwork they prefer and why. Do you like shapes and squares like Mondrian? Do you prefer nature-based art? Do you like the bright primary colors or more muted colors? Which one you prefer isn't as important expressing why they like the artwork. By talking about the art, students will use art vocabulary and make new connections in a conversational setting. I love hearing students discuss organic shapes versus geometric shapes!
Mondrian-inspired artwork
This week, we're going back to Japan and creating Cherry Blossom Inspired artwork. This work is such a fun way to explore unusual painting techniques.
Students used watery paint and blowed through a straw to create their spindly branches. After, they used q-tips to add their cherry blossoms. When we come back, we will add another level to create 3D elements to our blossoms!
Isn't it beautiful to see the variety in the student's work? Each artist has a unique vision and style that shines!
Next post, I'll update you on what our kinders, 2nd graders, and 3rd graders have been working on!
