Make a Portrait of a Friend

The purpose of this project was for the Kindergarten students to make a portrait of their friend.

We discussed how a portrait is a drawing, painting, photograph or sculpture of a person.

We looked at Kasimir Malevich's self portrait and discussed his choice of colors.

We also look at  Karl Schmidt-Rottluff's Portrait of Emy. We discussed how with the use of vibrant colors  the artist expressed  his feelings about Emy. Color becomes an important aspect in the composition. 

Students sat across from each other, observing the details in each other's faces. They were also advised to illustrate in their portrait at least one thing they like about their friend.

Student comment: "He laughs really loud."

Student comment: "I love her freckles; and we both like the color green." 

Student comment: " She has big eyelashes."

Student comment: "She has curly black hair; she is sad because her mom is out of town. 

Blue is a sad color." 

Student comment: " She is always so serious, and she has crazy hair."

Student comment: "My friend is like a rainbow."

Student comment: "My friend likes the color blue."

Student comment: "He makes me laugh."

Student: "Sometimes he makes me angry; red is an angry color."

Student comment: "My friend likes the color pink."

Student comment: "I love my friend's super black hair."

Student comment: "My friend lost three teeth and he looks funny." 

Student comment: "I love her short black hair and her big brown eyes."

Student comment: "My friend has funny hair."

Beautiful Felines

The students in Art Club created these expressionistic in-style cats.

Students used a variety of brushes. We learned how to mix and use acrylics correctly. 

We reviewed our lesson on how to create interesting lines and patterns.

Having fun with lines, colors, and patterns

Using smaller brushes for detailing

Student comment: "I made a flower and a red banana for my cat."

The Raindrop of Alistair McClymont

The inspiration for this project is based on the work of the British sculptor Alistair McClymont. His work is now exhibited at Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) Everything we are capable of seeing

We looked at his work and were impressed how the artist uses a variety of machines to create natural phenomena. McClymont demonstrates the close connection of art and science. His artistic process is unique as he is using machines to create "tornadoes," night-time rainbows, and suspended raindrops in mid-air.

He writes: "My artwork is a continuing process of discovery and experimentation. Each piece follows the last in a continual journey of investigation into cultural and physical phenomena. The work is underlined by a search for what it is to be human. This might be our position in time and space on a grand scale, or singular observations on subjects that fascinate me. Each piece takes a small subject and breaks it down into something understandable and perhaps beautiful."

For our interpretation of the raindrop we decided to create a frozen one.

We filled small balloons with water and a drop or two of liquid color and placed the balloons in the freezer overnight. The next day we cut off the latex, and voila! We have created colorful frozen water drops.  

Alistair McClymont: Raindrop

I took a picture of the machine that allows the water drop to suspend in mid-air

The artist considers the process used to create his works more important than the actual finished product.

The artist took photographs of the raindrop

We created frozen water drops by freezing the water balloons.

We could see the smaller water drops frozen within the large mass of ice.  

We decided to use the frozen water drops to create colorful compositions
Students applied the water colors directly out of the tube and into their water color paper

We used our frozen rain drops in place of a brush to blend the colors

Frozen hands in a action

We discussed the properties of water
Connecting science to art was part of this project

Student comment: " I made a rainbow just like Mr. McClymont."