Some of the BES artists have been diving into the newly opened Fiber center in the last week and a half. The Fiber center is full of needs, yarn, and fabric scraps. I have more things to add to it as we work through it. Artists are really enjoying making jewelry, adding fabric to collages and creating images entirely from fabric. I can't wait to see how the artists investigate all of the possibilities in this center!
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BES Artists have been busy in the Temporary Art center. Temporary art is exactly as it sounds: we have to dismantle it at the end of class. This center offers artists the ability to create art with materials they wouldn't normally consider to be "art making materials" and it allows them to practice perseverance and persistence. These are some serious life skills that everyone can use in the future!
Here's some artwork made during open studio time. Artists have been working with a variety of materials in the Drawing, Collage and Painting centers.
Kinders & first graders have been studying colors and learning how to mix new colors. This week we practiced mixing new colors using tempera paint. Artists were given the primary colors only and they made so many new colors! It's been an exciting & messy week!
Some 4th graders dug into clay this week! We worked on a quick one day activity where we'll paint our projects next week. Artists were able to create anything they wanted out of clay. Some chose to make fake food, animals, cups, bowls, and many others. I can't wait to see what they look like painted!
The art studio is looking for your household recyclables! Many of our classes are beginning to open the sculpture center and while it's full now, as more artists are working in it, the supplies will diminish.
We will gladly accept rinsed & clean items including (but not limited to): cardboard, boxes or flat pieces (corrugated or smooth) bubble wrap plastic containers (bottles, milk, juice, yogurt etc) toilet paper & paper towel tubes plastic bottle caps tin foil styrofoam (plates, meat containers etc) plastic grocery bags paper bags (with or without handles) We cannot accept glass bottles or metal with sharp edges. If there's anything you have at home, that's not on this list that you think we could use, send me an email! [email protected] Thank you in advance!! In an effort to expand our artist's perceptions of what art is, I have introduced a new permanent center called "Temporary Art." We discussed how sometimes artists make art that doesn't last forever, that it may disappear with time, nature or they just have to take it apart after a while. In order to practice this type of art and work with materials we may not always consider to be "artistic" in the traditional sense, this center is open! In this area, next to the rug, we have some building blocks, pattern blocks and a couple of Etch-A-Sketches. The artists have really enjoyed exploring with these new materials and have been doing an excellent job taking turns and taking care of the space. I can't wait to add more new materials to this center!
This week and last week, I've been showing artists some techniques to use with oil pastels and chalk, two materials that are the messiest of our drawing supplies. Many artists decided to try out these materials during open studio time.
Open Studio is one of my most favorite parts of TAB and my job. Of course, I love the studio being set up in centers with color coded labels because I really love when things are organized. But what I truly enjoy more than that and more than creating art, is watching kids make art that comes from their hearts, minds and hands. I love to watch artists struggle a little but then come up with a creative solution. Listening to artists talk about their art with their peers and hearing those "woah did you see what this ____ can do?!" are truly some of my favorite moments in the studio.
Open Studio refers to the time where artists are making all of the decisions about their artwork. We have a poster on the wall that tells them which centers are open and they use that information to decide what materials they would like to use. They decide what the subject of their artwork is going to be and how they will use the materials they've chosen. There are 4 different types of artwork that artists can create during Open Studio. They are:
There have been some truly incredible artwork to come out of the Open Studio time at BES and I can't wait to see what else is made as we continue to open up new centers! Check out the pictures below. Many of the younger artists were introduced to a magical material this week and last week. I really believe that there is some magic involved with this and I think the artists feel the same way!
We talked about these colored pencils that are a part of our drawing center. They look and draw like typical colored pencils aside from the outside design. Here's the trick though - when you add water THEY TURN INTO PAINT!! It's a totally amazing and incredible experience for everyone. Basically, you draw with these pencils and when you're finished, you get a water cup and a paint brush. Simply brush your wet paintbrush over the areas you colored with the watercolor pencils, and it magically becomes paint instead of pencil! As usual, artists could choose to use these watercolor pencils or they could work on something else. Many artists chose to try these pencils out, now that they have a new way to use them. Check out the magic in the photos below! |
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