Psychedelic Owls!

Fourth grade artists learned some of the color and line qualities of the Psychedelic Art movement of the 1960's.  We translated this style into renderings of embellished owls.  Each student created his or her own owl design and we made photocopies of each owl.  They then hand colored all four copies to create these large, bold pieces.  They labored over the coloring for over 3 weeks, but the final result is worth it!

 

 

More Silhouettes by third grade, this time inspired by Van Gogh's Starry Night!

This is one of my favorite projects, and the students love it too!  Taking our inspiration from the swirling sky in Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, we use oil pastels on black paper to create a dynamic and textured background.  The students used a limited palate and could only use shades of their selected colors.  Next came the cityscape that they designed, cut out, and embellished with more of their oil pastels.  The result is impressive, and the process was really fun!

 

 

Sunset Silhouettes by Third Grade!

Chalk and cut paper collage were used to create these dynamic scenes by third grade artists.  We talked about silhouettes and learned about proportion, depth, and got really mess with chalk pastels!

 

 

First Grade Artist begin Color Theory with the Primary Colors!

Beginning a unit of projects on color theory, first graders were introduced to the primary colors.  It was explained that these three colors; red, yellow, and blue are the basic building blocks that make up all the other colors.  We also talked about how lines are the basic building blocks of drawing and we experimented with all different kinds of lines.  For our artworks, we combined a variety of lines with our three primary colors and created these abstract line paintings!  We also learned that the word abstract means not realistic!

 

Drawing is so important to good art making! 

 We practice our drawing skills all the time, with different techniques and approaches.  For these two projects, we focused on the skills of proportion and observational drawing.  2nd grade artists learned the basics of portraiture as they created these great self portraits.  The loved discovering the measuring "tricks" of the human face!  Third grade artists used direct observation as they created these shoe drawings.  They worked hard on the details and learned to draw what their eyes told them, and the end product is pretty impressive for 8 and 9 year olds!

 

 

Starry Night with Kindergarten artists is always one of my favorite projects of the year!  We learn so much about Vincent Van Gogh and his life and work, and The Starry Night is always a hit. From drawing in the elements of the scene, to copying Van Gogh's swirly brushstrokes, the Kinders get a chance to create their own version of a timeless masterpiece.  This is the first real painting of the year as well, and the little artists learned and practiced many new skills.  The finished product is impressive, isn't it?

A few weeks ago, fourth grade artists were focusing on the element of SHAPE as they created various artworks.  One piece in particular was a wax resist of sailboats.  We learned about active vs. passive compositions, as well as horizon lines.  Students used size to establish depth and distance.  Their pieces turned out even better than our expectations, and it is all due to their hard work!

 

 

Here is another masterpiece by my fabulous all day Kindergarten artists!  We learned all about Vincent Van Gogh and his magnificent sunflowers, and as a culminating activity we created this huge collaborative work.  The students loved seeing their blossoms, and the entire building enjoyed the cheery sunflowers!

Here is a quick and silly picture of my wonderful Kinders as they leave the studio for the day.  As a reward, and an exercise in fine motor skills, we crafted these silly pumpkin faces!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Mrs. Chernisky's Art Studio.  Here at Redwood Elementary School in Avon Lake, Ohio, we create some amazing art as we learn about different cultures, artists, and techniques.  Stop by often and see the exciting happenings!