The time from Halloween to Christmas has seemed like a blur! The hustle and bustle of “Trick or Treat” has led to Thanksgiving and then on to “Merry Christmas.”
The Art I class’s first project after Halloween was crafted in the style of Spanish Artist Joan (pronounced “Zhwan”) Miro. This artist was important in the development of Modern Art, specifically, Abstract Art, Surrealism, and Cubism. Initially, the students drew specific geometric shapes and various kinds of lines as practice. Then they replicated or altered their designs on canvases. The next step was coloring in the shapes with markers and/or sharpies. They finished by outlining the various shapes in black, which made the shapes “pop.”
The Art II Class had two projects to complete. The first was in the style of Claude Monet’s water scenes. Each student chose a very serene spring-like painting. This project was followed by their interpretation of what Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” looked like if Vincent had done it himself. The starry night background was a requirement, but the rest was up to the student. As you can see, there was quite a variety in outcomes!
All the Art students then moved on to a different take on Edvard Munch’s famous painting of “The Scream.” After painting the background, which took quite a while, they imposed photos of themselves as the “screamer” on the bridge. Placement of their faces depicted a more humorous piece of art, rather than the scary one created by Munch. They didn’t even need to sign their artwork…you could tell by the photos!
We then moved on to our annual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest. After putting the house together, the students used marshmallows, gum drops, and other items to decorate. Innovation was the word when they were creating the “yards” for the houses. Lots of cotton for snow, shredded wheat cereal for a roof, Rudolf on the roof, and lots of green frosting for the yard! This year the students gave a theme to their “house” to personalize them. “Snowman Land”, “Rudolf’s Route 67”, “Gum Drop House” and “Fairy Land” were just a few of the names.
Winners of the Contest were: First Place – Isabella Acosta/Candyland; Second Place – Nettie Allen-Jackson/Mele Kalilkimaka; and Third Place – Angelica Harrison/Winter Wonderland.
From all of the Art Students, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!