First Graders analyzed and discussed various works of the late American painter, Georgia O’Keeffe. They remarked how she “zoomed in“ with her eyes when she looked at different things in nature. Students were then challenged to also “zoom in“ and try to create abstracted images of various flowers. They then used watercolor, ink markers and oil pastel to create a bold effect.
JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN PINCH POTS
Junior Kindergarteners were brushing up on their ceramics skills by learned how to create pinch pots with coiled details.
FIRST GRADE VALUED OBJECT SCULPTURES
Once the First Graders created their valued object in two dimensional form, it was time to try it in three dimensions! Students used newspaper, tape, plaster and paint to immortalize their objects as a priceless work of art.
FOURTH GRADE MINI GOLD COURSE PROTOTYPES
Inspired by the elaborately mechanized mini golf stations at Urban Putt, Fourth graders use their artistic and engineering skills to design their own high tech mini golf stations. The goals are for each station to have a ramp, a hole for the golf ball to go into, some peak created with the layering method, and obstacles that are created under a certain theme. They first created a mini model out of thin cardboard, then went onto the bigger cardboard for the final construction.
THIRD GRADE VISIONS OF PORTOLA DRAWINGS
What makes a community unique? How is a community shaped by its surroundings? These are questions that have been on the minds of the Third Graders at Alta Vista School. As an alignment to their study of the Bay Area, 3rd grade students were asked to investigate Alta Vista's own neighborhood in the Bay Area: the Portola! During an art class, 3rd grade students discussed the idea of community, and were asked to share their knowledge about the Portola neighborhood. They then went on a mini trip to San Bruno Ave., where they used their artistic eyes to look for everyday items that make the Portola unique. Students selected a scene or object to take a picture of, used the image as a reference for a large-scale drawing. Students used the grid method to map out their drawing and pay attention achieving the correct scale and proportion. They added value with pencil and Sharpie marker before going on to coloring their drawing with chalk pastels.
JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN EXPRESSIVE LANDSCAPE
Junior Kindergarten took the Art History Time Machine to the year 1889 to visit Vincent Van Gogh, a contemporary of Georges Seurat. They compared both artists’ works, specifically their landscape paintings. They found that instead of dots, Van Gogh preferred to paint with dashed strokes to show movement and expression. Students created their own expressive landscapes, inspired by Van Gogh’s famed Starry Night.
KINDERGARTEN TEDDY BEAR PROTOTYPE CONSTRUCTION
As a part of the Kindergarten’s Teddy Bear Drive initiative, students were challenged to think: what if you could create your own teddy bear design? What would make it unique? They were shown how to use brown bags, newspaper and tape to create the general form of their teddy bear. They then used papier-mâché to cover the surface of their teddy bear sculptures to make the surface smooth and solid.
JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN POINTILLISIM LANDSCAPE
Junior Kindergarteners took the Art History Machine back to the year 1886 to visit the artist Georges Seurat, the pioneer of Pointillism. Students learned the difference between a portrait and a landscape. They reviewed that a landscape is an artwork that is based on an outdoor scene, usually in nature. They were challenged to create their own landscape using pointillism by painting small dots of different colors close to one another to create a vibrant effect.
FIRST GRADE MOST VALUED OBJECT DRAWING
First Graders apply what they learned about value, and how to use a grid method on an image reference to create a charcoal drawing of their most valued object. We discussed value not only means the lightness and darkness of a shade or color, but can also mean something’s worth, usefulness and rarity. Students selected an object that they owned that was something they valued most that other people may not think of as very valuable. This because the subject of their drawing.
FOURTH GRADE CARDBOARD CUTTING CHALLENGE
Fourth Grade students were challenged to create a rounded organic shaped tower using layers of cardboard. They worked in groups to try to make each layer a smooth transition from one to the other by changing the size only slightly. They then used glue to adhere each layer one on top of the other.
KINDERGARTEN LEARNs COLOR MIXING AND BRUSHWORK SKILLS
Kindergarteners learned how primary colors mix to make secondary colors, and how both primary and secondary colors can mix to make tertiary colors. Students also learned how to create different tints, shades and tones of colors using white and black. They applied their knowledge when painting their rainforest mask using a color image reference. They then used pieces of felt to ad three dimensional texture to the exterior of their masks.
Junior Kindergarten Primary to Secondary Color Mixing
Junior Kindergarten students learn how primary colors can mix together in different combinations to create secondary colors. What happens when you gradually mix one primary color into another? Students started with one primary color, but as they mixed in a little of the other, they would document the change by painting a small piece of white foam board. The collection of what they mixed would be assembled to create a visually stunning work.
First Grade Using the Grid Method
First Grade are learning how to use the grid method on an image reference to execute the correct scale and proportion in their drawing. They first concentrate on the outline, then on adding the different values to create the illusion of a three dimensional shape.
Kindergarten Plaster Rainforest Animal Masks
Aligned with their study of the rainforest, Kindergarteners selected a rainforest animal to research and create a mask of. Students looked at an image of their animal, then selected the recycled items that were the closest form to the different features of their animal. They then started applying plaster gauze to the surface to allow the surface of their mask to soldify.
Second Grade Personal Values Ink Drawing
Students looked at various modern and contemporary works of art that include and obscure text. They also looked at the work of Bridget Riley, who is famous for her Op-Art pieces that use black and white lines to create visual effects. Students reviewed how if you put lines close to one another, the proximity or distance can can the illusion of different values, Students were asked to reflect on their own personal values. They used letter tracers, ink pens and rulers to create their own obscured text drawings that express their personal values. They used lines and patterns to create different values within each overlapped shape.
First Grade Introduction to Value
First Grade students were introduced to the concept of value. They learned that, in art, value means the lightness or darkness of a shade or color. They were challenged to create different values by varying pressure when using a charcoal pencil to fill in different traced out shapes.
THIRD GRADE ADAPTIVE TRAIT
Third Grade students were given an extreme biome, and were asked to pretend that human beings could only live on that biome. How would humans have to adapt? Students used biomimicry to design and create their own physical adaptive trait that would help humans survive. They have officially started construction their designs.
Second Grade Simple Machines
Second Grade students learned about simples machines: inclined planes, levers, pulleys, and wheel and axles. They were then challenged to build some of their own, using only cardboard, recycled materials, scissors and masking tape.
