Making Paper

 The Wilson Wildcats are finishing up the school year in art class by making handmade paper and relief prints.  The students and I have enjoyed making our own paper and each day students teach me new techniques to refine this messy, hands on art process. I am learning that the paper takes a long time to dry on rainy days. Here are some pictures from our first batch.

Half and Half Portraits

Students enjoyed drawing pop icons and animals for this project. 5th and 6th grade artists practiced using value (lights and darks) to enhance their portrait skills. They chose a photograph for half the face and used pencil and eraser to shade the other half.

Squids

5th and 6th grade students used colored pencil, black paper, and their knowledge of value to draw squids and octopi in the ocean deep! 

Art Show

The students did a wonderful job presenting the art show on the evening of February 9th. A great crowd showed up to view the work. Thank you to family, staff, and community members who came to support our students' creative achievements. Many of the fifth and sixth grade students took an active role in preparing and hanging the artwork in the show and I am proud of their hard work.  I also want to thank the parent volunteers who helped put the art show together and the Wilson PTA for their financial support.

Art Show on February 9th From 5:30-8:00

The Wilson Wildcats have been hard at work preparing for the art show. The theme for this year’s exhibition is Super Hero’s. Students have been studying graphic novels and comic books in order to perfect their own technic. Some of the students favorites are El Deafo by Cece Bell and Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier. We have also been looking at the art work of Roy Lichtenstein, a famous pop artist whose paintings imitate comic books. Students have practiced using different comic book mark making techniques including ben-day dots, stipple dots, hatching, and cross hatching. I have been impressed with our students’ enthusiasm and I am proud of the active role they have taken in planning the art show. Be sure to stop in and see the results of their hard work! The art show is on February 9th from 5:30-8:00pm. I hope to see you there!

6th graders preparing their artwork for display

Sixth grade students decided that they were going to make their own radioactive animal after looking at Sandy Skoglund's Radio Active Cats. We made the animals out of paper and tape and then covered them in papier-mâché to give them a colorful finish.

 The papier-mâché provided some challenges but the students had fun getting messy.

 A map covered dinosaur

A Radioactive Rhinoceros

Miniature Installation Art

An Art Installation is a site specific work that takes up a whole place. 6th grade students discussed the artwork of Sandy Skoglund, and artist famous for her installation entitled Radioactive Cates. Students then created miniature versions of installations out of paper.

Masks

In sixth grade we have been sculpting with paper. These are masks made from layering papier-mâché on face molds. Students have also been exploring the artwork of Sandy Skoglund. We especially enjoyed her installation artwork entitled Radioactive Cats. Students created their own radioactive animals out of paper pulp and wire.