Prints in the spirit of Kanga cloth

Fourth Graders looked at Kanga cloths from Tanzania. Kanga cloths are decorative and wearable fabrics that contain a blessing, advice, or a wise saying.

Wastara Nimestrika Mlilolitaka Halikunfika

"Destined to be safe, I remain protected, and your evil wishes 

have not materialized."

Other examples of Kanga texts:

• •       Majivuno hayafai — Greed is never useful
• •       Mkipendana mambo huwa sawa — Everything is all right if you love each other
• •       Japo sipati tamaa sikati — Even though I have nothing, I have not given up my desire to get what I want
• •       Wazazi ni dhahabu kuwatunza ni thawabu — Parents are gold; to take care of them is a blessing
• •       Sisi sote abiria dereva ni Mungu — We are all passengers, God is the driver
• •       Fimbo La Mnyonge Halina Nguvu — Might is right
• •       Mwanamke mazingira tuanataka, usawa, amani, maendelo — We (women) want equality, peace, and progress
• •       Naogopa simba na meno yake siogopi mtu kwa maneno yake — I’m afraid of a lion with its strong teeth but not a man with his words

After exploring these beautiful fabrics, the fourth graders sketched their own geometric designs. Then, they carved them into styrofoam sheets, which they used as printing plates. They rolled printing ink onto the printing plate, being careful not to put on too little or too much ink. With practice and experience, they learned to use the correct amount by both looking at the styrofoam and listening to the sound as the roller went back and forth over the ink- ideally, it should make a sticky noise. 

Printmaking is a somewhat variable and unpredictable process, which leads to a variety of different and beautiful results. This project is a great lesson in learning how to problem-solve and to trouble-shoot.

 "Life has its downs that you have to turn upside down."

"Be Yourself" 

 "Try and never give up"

 "Draw from the heart"

 "You shall be protected"

 "Life is a roller coaster- Ride it!"

 "Things can be different than they really are!"

 "Be creative"

 "The world is a mystery"

"Love will never end"

First Grade Color Theory

First graders have been learning about the properties of colors and how they are used in art, including primary colors, secondary colors, and complementary colors. First, we looked at the color wheel and I explained that the primary colors (red, blue, yellow) were like the building blocks and that while they could mix to make other colors, you can't make them by mixing colors. 

Then, I showed them examples of how two artists had used only primary colors in their work. We looked at Stepping Out by Roy Lichtenstein and Broadway Boogie Woogie by Piet Mondrian.

Then, I presented the project, where first graders had to choose primary color collage materials from a bin of collage papers. I also offered "gifts" of secondary color (green, orange, and purple) materials but they said "No thank you!"

Next class, they mixed primary color paint to create secondary colors. They painted shapes with the new colors. Then, they cut out the shapes and drew lines and labels to create their own color wheel.

Next, I introduced complementary colors, pairs of colors that make each other look brighter when juxtaposed. These include purple & yellow, red & green, and blue & orange.  We observed abstract paintings by Sonia Delaunay, then they tried their hand at creating abstract designs with complementary colors.

Seventh Grade

Hello seventh graders! This is a great video I found on Pinterest. It shows a teenager shading a circle to create a sphere. I hope it is helpful to you in your learning process.

Best,
Erica

Fifth Grade Maccabee Drawings

This week in art, the fifth graders had some special guests visit from long ago and far away: Maccabees! The Maccabees (a.k.a. Rashi faculty and staff in costume) posed as drawing models for the fifth graders, who employed their strategies of using proportion and perspective to capture their form and details to create realistic drawings. They will use these drawings to create sculptures using armature wire and plaster.

Second Grade Portraits 2015

Second graders looked at self-portraits by Andy Warhol, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. They observed how these artists used their creativity to create a wide variety of styles of self-portraits. To create their self-portraits, the second graders drew on black paper with pencil. Then, they used Elmer's glue over their pencil lines, so that when it dried it created the bold black outlines. The color comes from chalk pastels, which the students mixed and blended to create new, vibrant colors.

The portraits look amazing all together in the hallway. They created a beautiful welcome for all of the grandparents and special guests on Generations Day, and they were also featured at a special Rashi-hosted event for the Boston Jewish Film Festival.

                                      

Andy Warhol, 1967

          Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

                                                                      Rembrandt, 1660

Kindergarten Self-Portrait Collages

Kindergarteners created these lively collages after looking at and discussing a self-portrait print by Andy Warhol and a collage by Henri Matisse. We talked about what materials the artists used to create their artwork and how the materials affected how the work turned out. Kindergarteners noticed the bright, loud color in Warhol's work, and I pointed out that sometimes you can tell a lot about a person from their self-portrait- Warhol loved attention and parties!

We talked about what kinds of shapes you could use to create a self-portrait, such as an oval for the head or a triangle for a nose. I demonstrated how to use glue sparingly in order to take care of the art materials. I also reinforced basic scissor safety and skills such as turning the paper when you are cutting a circle.