Dias de Los Muertos

 Third and Fifth grade art students study Mexican Folk Art for the Days of the Dead, or Dias de Los Muertos, which is celebrated on November 1 and 2 in Mexico and many other Latin American countries.This is a time where families remember the people who have died, and create an altar in their homes honoring the person's memory.  Here is a display describing the holiday and the many different ways artists use art to celebrate this important cultural event.

 Third and Fifth graders each made a work using the skull or skeleton, which is a common image used by Mexican artists such as Jose Posada.

To see these beautiful works of art closer, go to the links below.

Fifth Grade http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=998281

Third Grade   http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=1007647

4th and 5th Grade Abstract Pattern Designs

To start off a new school year in art Class, fourth and fifth grade artists are getting into their "artist state of mind" by reviewing the Elements of Art.  Students arranged lines, shapes and colors in a repeated and planned way to create abstract patterns.  These bright artworks will decorate the cover of their art sketchbooks, which we use all year long.

Check out all of the amazing designs at Artsonia, our online student museum!

5th Grade: http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=985881

4th Grade: http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?project=985870

5th Grade Contour Line Bicycle Drawings

5th Grade artists are studying contour line, and drawing from direct observation a common, everyday object: a bicycle! I brought in my bicycle, and students drew parts of the bicycle using a viewfinder to help them frame their composition.

Contour line can be tricky because you have to look at the object you are drawing more than down at your paper, which is what we automatically want to do.  You are also not supposed to pick up your pencil, instead making a long continuous line, but I allowed students to take their pencils off of the paper, as long as they placed it back on the line when they began drawing again.  I call it "modified contour line."  The view finders can be seen sitting on the tables in the below photo.

                                                     

After practicing at least five contour line drawings of different parts of the bike, students chose two different views of the bike to make into their final watercolor.  To further abstract the work, students are adding imaginary colors to both the positive shapes of the bike, and to the negative spaces behind and around the bike shapes.  Students are also using different brush techniques to add the color.

These are turning out spectacular...I just LOVE the bright colors!  Be sure to look for them in the hallway in April for the School-wide Art Show!

Fifth Grade Positive Negative Collages

Fifth Grade Artists are studying positive shape and negative space with these collages.  First, we connected to mathematics, and talked about types of transformations, such as rotation, reflection, and translation.  I demonstrated cutting out a shape, and students agreed that it was  an example of reflection.  We then discussed the criteria: using some geometric and free form shapes, and creating at least two "double shapes" that would show reflection twice. 

The cutting is tricky, because student had to really concentrate on only cutting around the edge of their shape, so that the negative space left is an exact mirror of the shape that was cut out.  The contrast of black against the color background is really pleasing on these.  Thanks to the website Arts in Education for the great lesson plan!

See the finished works here at our online art museum on Artsonia!

http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=874407

Fifth Grade Art News

from Jamie Pettit, Zilker Art Teacher

Fifth Graders Explore Line, Shape, and Overlapping!

This semester Fifth Grade Students will be learning about using the elements and principles of design to create a name design for the cover of their sketchbooks. Students are also learning about Linear Perspective and how to use perspective techniques to trick the eye into seeing a three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional piece of paper. Students will also create a still life painting of parts of a bicycle, and a three-dimensional clay sculpture.

Students Explore Art
 Throughout this year students will be exploring the great art, artists, and cultures of the world.  Each student will develop skills to understand and appreciate artwork.  We will also participate in hands-on activities and develop critical thinking skills. More and more, the arts are playing a vital role in education and learning.  Unlike many other subject areas, the arts introduce students to ways of thinking that are based on imagination and judgment.  The arts encourage students to think and learn in a variety of ways, helping them to develop increased language and learning skills.  This year your child will begin to see the world through the eyes of an artist and develop critical thinking skills that will last a lifetime.

Artsonia: Zilker’s Online Student Art Museum
Artsonia is a secure online art gallery used to showcase the wonderful art that our Zilker artists create. You can share your child’s art with distant family members and friends, as well as leave supportive comments in each child’s artist guestbook.  Last names are never shown publicly, and each child has a screen name, so it is a safe and secure site. You can also buy items with your child’s artwork printed on them, and 20% of the revenue is commissioned back to Zilker’s Art Program.  Artsonia is a wonderful way to increase students’ self-esteem and pride while encouraging their participation and appreciation of visual art.   Check it out atwww.artsonia.com 

Artwork: When does it get sent home?
Grades 2 – 5 typically work on longer projects that take several weeks to complete. Kinder and 1st grades have shorter projects.  I keep artwork for different displays at Zilker, the AISD offices, the district art show, and other venues.  Students will get all of the artwork back after the displays have been taken down.  If you have any questions about grading, or would like to see what your child is working on, please email me or call me and I can set up a time for you to peek “behind the scenes.”  Otherwise, keep a look out in the hallways or for a note home about displays elsewhere! In April, every child will have his or her artwork displayed in the School-Wide Art Show.


Welcome Back! Summer was relaxing but I really missed Zilker’s great artists.  This is my seventeenth year teaching art, and fourteenth year here at Zilker. I feel very lucky to be a part of the Zilker Community! Thanks for a great start to the 2014 – 2015 School Year.

Jamie Pettit
Zilker Art Teacher
jamie.pettit@austinisd.org
www.zilkerelementaryart.blogspot.com

5th Grade One-point Perspective

 5th Grade artists are working on their one-point perspective art galleries. Fifth Grade artists are creating the illusion of a three-dimensional room on a two-dimensional surface - paper!  Students used six perspective techniques to help create their illusions: converging lines, overlapping, different sizes of objects, placement of objects, detail, and color.  Students were able to choose what style of art was in the galleries as well as if they wanted to have a matching theme for the art.  Outstanding attention to detail and color really invite viewers to take a closer look. 

We are also using color and detail to help with perspective.  The paintings that are closer appear to have darker, richer colors and more sharp detail, while the artworks on the back wall have fewer details and appear to be lighter and duller in color as well as a bit fuzzy.  Students are having a great time creating the different artworks for their walls!

Check out the finished drawings at Artsonia, our online student museum: 

http://www.artsonia.com/teachers/members/exhibits/artwork.asp?id=845331

5th Grade Art Gallery Drawings

 Fifth Grade artists are creating the illusion of a three-dimensional room on a two-dimensional surface - paper!  Students used six perspective techniques to help create their illusions: converging lines, overlapping, different sizes of objects, placement of objects, detail, and color.  A casual classroom poll confirmed that students' favorite part was designing the artworks and sculptures for their galleries.  Students were able to choose what style of art was in the galleries as well as if they wanted to have a matching theme for the art.  Outstanding attention to detail and color really invite viewers to take a closer look. 

Zentangle Letter Designs

This year we joined in on the Zentangle craze that has swept the art education world! Zilker fourth and fifth grade students have created amazing designs for their sketchbook covers.  They chose the first initial of either their first or last name, and drew that letter as a shape.  Then, they divided the space with four different lines, which created many different free form shapes.  Inside the shapes they drew patterns with a sharpie marker.  We looked at several Zentangle designs, and then students created many of their own pattern ideas.  It was a truly "zen-like" experience because students were focused and relaxed.

5th Grade Faith Ringgold Story Quilts

Fifth Graders studied the African American artist Faith Ringgold and her story quilt "Tar Beach." We also read her book named "Tar Beach" and discussed the main idea: no matter what your circumstances in life, you are free to chose where to go in your imagination.  Students chose a place in the world that they wanted to visit if they had nothing holding them back from visiting. They wrote a short two sentence story about why they wanted to visit that particular place. They each brought in a photo of the place that included an important landmark or natural feature.  They then had to chose how they were getting to that place.  This is where they were able to use their imagination to think up fun ways to get there: jet pack, flying animals, or magical shoes were a few of the choices.

After drawing themselves flying to their place, students added watercolor to the sky.  They then used color pencils to add details to their drawings and portraits.

 After students finished the drawing in the center, they added the patterned paper and fabric for the quilt edge. Finally, they wrote their short story on two slips of paper, and glued those to their artwork.  Enjoy these beautiful fifth grade story quilts, and see all of them at our online museum on Artsonia at http://

www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=105385.