Rube Goldberg Inspired Animations

Our student teacher from Pratt, Alana Glantz brought this very cool project to the 4-303 art classroom. She came each Tuesday this semester and the students had a great experience with her. I am very grateful for the energy and excitement that her ideas generated.

Illustrating "Jack and the Beanstalk"

Kindergarten painted after hearing the classic fairytale read aloud.

This Year's Chinese Warriors

This project is a perennial favorite for our 3rd graders. This year we had a crop of warriors that would make an emperor proud. Thank you to Retrofret Vintage Guitars for generously supporting the project this year.

Kachina!

I just love the bent knees of this Kachina in progress! Thank you to the Fogel family for generously supporting this project.

4th grade Hopi Kachinas

We painted and sculpted our own kachina figures based on Hopi dolls. Ogres and benevolent power figures appeared in the art room. We used everything...papier mache, model magic, cardboard, feathers, bendaroos and more. Students had to figure out which materials would work best for their individual designs. When the designing and building was finished, 4th graders wrote imaginative profiles of the characters they created.
Now, I really want to visit Arizona in search of Hopi culture! Thank you, 4th graders...

Painting on Wednesdays

I've really enjoyed the nine young artists who stay after school to make magical, expressive paintings. Shown above are still life paintings by Eve and Walker. We looked at Cezanne but I think a Matisse vibe entered the room.

Accordian Books Inspired by Native American Art

4th Grade looked at a wide variety of images of Native American art. They made books using drawing, stenciled patterns and collage. We talked about Hopi Kachinas and cosmological power in Native American art. Students noticed pattern on Zuni pottery. Some students got motivated when they discovered that figures woven into cloth reminded them of contemporary game characters because of the stylized geometry of their shapes.