Once Upon a Time Repoussé and Embossing!

                                           

                                           

                                             

                                           

Although I did post similar artwork last year, this year I used copper and silver tooling foiling and added in some copper sharpies as well. Students first examined roman metal carvings and as defined them as a type of LOW RELIEF SCULPTURE, a sculptural technique to give the impression that a material is raise above the background.  Next, they used tooling foil to carve in their  fairy tale character drawing paying careful attention to incorporate a variety of LINE in their art.  Third graders learned that embossing is when we carve on the front of a surface and repoussé is when we push up on the back, often times used together as in our projects. In addition to the ancient Roman carvings, students were inspired by contemporary artist Kiki Smith, who uses similar imagery in her work, most often using Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.  Lastly, students created UNITY/HARMONY in their work by designing a frame with similar imagery in their foil to tie their artwork together. 

                                     

                                      

Students completing peer critiques.

Student Artwork

Pollock Inspired Murals

Our Transitional Primary students have been learning all about LINES.  They started the year off by representing horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines with tape.  On day one, they have started to  notice a variety of lines in some of artist Jackson Pollock's work, and described them as curvy, dotted, zig zag, wavy, jagged, and spiral. We also discussed how Pollock used his whole body to paint and how he used lines and colors to express how he felt.  Many of Pollock's paintings were  so enormous, he had to lay them on the floor to work on it and often painted from all four sides of his canvas.  Similarly, we worked large for this painting, as well as collaboratively, from all different spots around the table.  Students had to touch the side of the paper or connect their line to another one they saw.  To reinforce and build on our knowledge of lines, we finished off the class reading Lines That Wiggle, by Candice Whitman.  

Echo: Number 25, Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock in action.

The She Wolf, 1943  Jackson Pollock

Student Murals Inspired by Jackson Pollock and Abstract Art

On day two, we learned how primary colors are the only colors on the color wheel that cannot be made by mixing any two colors together.  We filled in the shapes of this mural by mixing the primary colors red, blue, and yellow to make secondary colors.  Additionally, we learned how ABSTRACT ART is when artists purposely use their imagination to create an artwork that does not look real and REALISTIC ART, is when artists create art to look like a photograph or something recognizable.  we examined The She-Wolf, by Jackson Pollock and categorized him as an ABSTRACT PAINTER, as well as our own murals as an abstract piece of art.