The Power of the Pencil

Two classes have just finished up some intense pencil drawing units. Both grades reviewed drawing techniques such as hatching, cross hatching, stippling, smudge, etc. These techniques were used to shade and create a range of values (light and dark in an image) over the entire image. Students began with basic shapes and moved through the “contour drawing” stage before getting into the detail and shading. While 8th graders worked hard on careful observation of their still life objects, 6th graders were tasked with showing the viewer an “illusion of depth” and create a three dimensional space on a flat paper.

8th grade artists worked long and hard on these beautifully rendered still life drawings.

While sixth graders illustrated scenes from their favorite books.

Three Grades Means Plenty to Look At

As we shift to the final trimester of the year (hard to believe) that means its time to see how last term finished up in the artroom. All three grades completed their last units and the results speak for themselves. This work is currently on display in the hallways of FMS, but will find it’s way home so keep an eye out.

8th graders completed a complex ceramic build that mixed form and function as the created this collection of imaginative teapots. Each one needed to hold water and pour through a spout, but the rest of the planning was entirely student driven.

Meanwhile, Seventh graders were facing the challenge of their own faces- specifically drawing them with charcoal. We practiced observation and learned the basic facial proportions, then set up dramatic lighting and dug into this messy but beautiful art medium.

And finally our sixth grade classes explored the detailed ins and outs of coral, studying shapes, textures and colors to create these gorgeous ceramic mini-reefs that can’t help but brighten your day.

Colors and Patterns in these Winter days

As we start to really emerge from the darkest part of New England winter (but don’t let that Fedb thaw fool you!) FMS students in the 8th and 7th grades have created some lovely and meaningful bursts of color to see us into spring. 7th graders have finished up a painting project centered around warm and cool color schemes. They learned how value (the lightness or darkness of a color) does not effect its “temperature” and also learned about Maine illustrator Dahlov Ipcar who I’m sure many of you have on your shelves at home.

Meanwhile, 8th graders learned about the complex and layered work of NY based contemporary painter, Kehinde Wiley. Wiley uses the tropes and style of baroque paintings from art history and paints instead black and brown people he meets on the street. These large scale paintings force the viewer to think about race and class and who is society gets to have their portrait painted. He creates a platform for those who might have had their voices silenced. Our adolescent artists are also part of a group that often feels unheard but desperate wants to be. These “Power Pose” portraits are a chance to show us who they really are.

Ceramics Galore!

Both 6th grade and 7th grade students have recently finished up some exciting and colorful ceramics units here at FMS. Seventh graders examined the precise and detailed dotted motif of the Lombok tribe from Indonesian. Traditional masks would be carved from wood but we made clay versions, looking at the three dimensional elements of the face. Then the students took to the time consuming and careful process of dotting to add color and an animal design.

Meanwhile, 6th graders worked with my students teacher, Ms. Celino, who is visiting from MECA to learn about, draw, and ultimately build small sculptures of the animal (I didn’t know either!) coral. These pieces had an emphasis on textures and the beautiful color that is sadly being bleached out of the reefs due to rising water temperatures and water pollution. 

Look Closer

  8th grade students have finished up a lengthy study of still life objects. They built the set-up, arranging the objects and themselves to create an interesting composition. We began lightly with basic shapes, working to make sure objects were the correct size and orientation. Contour details started to emerge and eventually we got to shading. Students used many different drawing techniques such as hatching, stippling, smudging, and more to add three-dimensionality and depth to their drawings. In the process they created beautiful value studies showing us the deepest shadows as well as the brightest reflected highlights. This is a classic and challenging practice for any artist, and the kind of work that builds a strong foundation for all forms of art (as well as honing the skill of observation), and these young artists rose produced some fantastic drawings.

A Bright Blast of Color

On the darkest day of the year. As we head out for winter break on the solstice, when the sun spends its fewest hours in our lives, lets these beautiful spring flowers bring some light to your life. Inspired by the zoomed in nature paintings of American artist Georgia O’Keeffe, 6th graders blew up a 3 x 3 inch section of a flower photo into these gorgeous 10×10 inch watercolor paintings. In some cases the flowers became almost abstract studies in color and form. Watercolor can be challenging, but these young artists rose to the occasion. See you in the new year.

Wishes, Imaginations, and Distortions

The end of trimester one means several units completed (and hence posted) at once.

6th graders worked on a small, but carefully built box made to contain their greatest wish. They had to be delicate with these small pieces, adding balanced feet and stylized animals for lid handles. Finished with flowing glazes these boxes are beautiful examples of good things coming in small packages.

7th grade studied the work of early 20th century Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and his stretched and distorted style. As Modigliani proves, portraits don’t always need to look exactly like their subjects to be fine pieces of art. These paintings were about learning how to use paint, mix colors, and show light and shadow more than perfect representation.

And 8th grade students created gorgeous teapots that required both form and function. Like any teapot should, these vessels needed to have spouts, handles, and lids, as well as hold water and pour it. But beyond those requirements, they became pieces of art expressing the whimsical minds of their creators. This batch included a lighthouse, a eyeball, and a stacked cheeseburger!

Come back soon to see what happens in Trimester 2!

Fallen from the trees but landed in the art room

Sixth grade students began with a short study of leaves. Using colored pencil to draw leaves they found on the ground around the school. We then worked with the concept of “stylization” and thoughts on graphic design to create leaf themed imagery that could be carved into rubber plates. These printing plates needed to thoughtfully use positive and negative space and students practiced printing with only black ink to perfect their technique (printmaking is a very technical process) before experimenting with color. The prints below are those chosen by the students from the stacks they made in their exploration of the art form.

Color and Value

Students in the seventh grade completed a long unit concerning value (the use of light and dark) with an intense charcoal drawing. They began with pencil on paper to learn about adding dark to a light base. They then tried the often frustrating (you can’t erase) scratchboard to figure out how to begin with a dark base and draw the light. Finally we moved to charcoal where an artist begins in the middle with gray toned paper and can both add dark and remove light with an eraser. While very messy, the students prevailed and these beautiful and richly shaded animal portraits are the result.

Meanwhile, 8th graders were putting the finishing touches on their self-portraits done in the style of realist portrait painter, Kehinde Wiley. Wiley paints his figures on large scale canvases with intricate backgrounds. He depicts everyday people of color in the grandiosity of classical Baroque portraiture, forcing the viewer to consider issues of class, race, power, and societal expectations. The student artists used a block printing technique to create their patterned backgrounds, then drew colored pencil portraits based on photos they took of each other in “power poses”. Like Wiley, these students are using their art as a megaphone for their young voices that may not always be heard.

Masks and Stories

Students are moving forward with art this term and projects are in full swing. After a lot of fine detail work, seventh grade masks based on an Indonesian design style are out of the kiln and on display. Students were forced to slow down and work very carefully to produce the dotted detail that is specific to this Lombok tribal style. At the same time, 6th graders have finished a book illustration lesson that focuses on showing three dimensional distance on a 2D piece of paper. They learned various techniques for shading like stippling, hatching, and smudging and needed to show a wide range of value (light or dark).