Painting a City

Nicky's City

After drawing from observation, the 3rd grade drew and painted a city using what they had observed and adding drawing from memory and imagination.

Drawing Buildings

The 3rd grade classes went outside to sketch. This was a way to research what our neighborhhood looks like for a city painting project we were beginning.

Drawing a Bicycle

Roman's Bike

Ana's Bike

Anjali's Bikes

Blind Contour Drawings by Ms. Chiu's Class

In June, we pushed all the tables in the art studio together and put my bicycle up on the giant table we'd created. The simple act of placing a bike on top of a table generated huge excitement in the school. Before school, I would happen upon parents and their children standing in front of and speculating about the bike on the table. Jack, the custodian made a joke about it and Ms. Goldberg told me that I had "made the day" for her class and that the bike on the table was all they could talk about enroute to a field trip.

The 2nd, 4th and 5th grade students drew the bike. I demonstrated how to make a blind contour drawing and explained that artists, like athletes, often have ways to warm up before beginning a more involved project. I stressed that this was more about seeing than about making a perfect drawing.

We made three drawings-a blind contour drawing (5 min.), a drawing using one's non-dominant hand (5 min.) and a final drawing with the pencil held in the usual hand and the eyes making the usual measurements and judgements.

Starting off with exercises that insured that nobody's drawing was going to look "right" really helped. I heard quite a bit of laughter during the warm-ups and students spontaneously showed their work to friends sitting nearby.

For the final drawing, I insisted that the bike be drawn from observation but allowed imaginative elements to be introduced, as well. Elementary age students are capable of making exquisite drawings from observation but I believe the fun begins for them when they are free to invent.

More warriors

Yoav's Warrior

Gerardo's Warrior

Shanthi's Warrior

Here are the other semi-finalist and honorable mention warrior sculptures.

VISIT the show at the Met. See your classmate's art!

Congratulations to Christian from Ms. Goldberg's third grade class! His Chinese warrior sculpture was one of 55 works of art chosen for an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! PS Art showcases New York City student creative work. Also, congratulations to Yoav (a semi-finalist), Shanthi and Gerardo (154 awards for honorable mention)! The show will be up for the summer. For more information about and a look (at about 5:20 in the video) of Christian's sculpture go to

http://www.metmuseum.org/now-at-the-met/news/2010/06/29/ps-art-2010-at-the-met-celebrating-the-creativity-of-new-york-city-kids.aspx