There is a tiny world that exists if you close your eyes and believe. Fairies of all shapes and sizes, talents and dispositions dance and play in the forest and live in little houses. The seventh graders delved into this world of imagination and envisioned what the dwellings of these magical beings would look like. They created all different kinds of houses out of clay, from simple caves to elaborate stone buildings, all with a common element of nature included in the design. They painted and glazed, and the houses were fired in the kiln. On a beautiful day, we went out into the woods behind the school and placed the houses among the leaves and trees, wherever we thought a fairy would like to live. The beautiful photographs will turn even the most jaded individual into a beliver. The next time you’re exploring the woods, watch out for the fairies!

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Inspired by Portuguese tiles and geometric designs from the Islamic tradition, the fourth grade carved small blocks with a bold pattern. They first experimented with several designs on a piece of paper to see which looked the most striking, and then they transferred it on to their block. Using delicate carving tools, they carefully carved the lines and shapes to create their stamp. Rather than just stamping the image straight onto a piece of paper, we chose to create 4 x 4 tiled images in two colors. The students rotated their stamp with each print so that the image was symmetrical. The results are vibrant and bold, and they were a great first investigation into printmaking.

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The fifth graders experimented with different methods of block printing by carving an unusual circle shape. This lent itself well to organizing, playing with color, and even layering in interesting ways. The students also had the ability to carve on two sides of their block, and some chose to incorporate that into their prints. With no specific criteria for printing, they were able to create unique designs which reflected their unique styles. This project was a fantastic precursor to the offset block printing they will be doing next year in sixth grade.

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The eighth graders recently completed an intensive printmaking/radial design project involving the creation of mandalas. From the Sanskrit, “mandala” means essence or center and is closely related to the idea of a circle. In many Eastern religions, mandalas have been used as a spiritual teaching tool to help focus one’s thoughts and evoke peace. Most impressive are the ephemeral Sand-Mandalas, painstakingly created by Buddhist monks as a form of meditation on the concept of impermanence. The sand is carefully arranged into an intricate pattern, and then it is symbolically swept away. The students started their mandalas with a single eighth of a circle. They created a design and then carved it into a printing block. If the design was symmetrical, they were ready to print. If not, they had to carve the reverse of their design onto the back of the block. They then printed eight times in a circle to complete the pattern. Next, they designed an extension of the image in the margins of the paper. They copied this over and over until the radial pattern was finished. The mandalas were then colored with markers and chalk. Viewing their completed and intricate designs definitely evokes a sense of peace and serrenity.

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What can you do with a rubber block, a few sharp carving tools, and a dozen or so tubes of ink? Well, looking at the 6th grade’s Offset Printing designs, more than you can imagine! The assignment was fairly simple: design two 6″ squares, carve them to create printable stamps, and then find the best combination of color, pattern, and placement. Some students wanted to plan out the end result from the start. By choosing coordinating patterns or designs, they carefully aligned and carved to create amazing prints. Other students attacked the project by developing two random yet appealing designs. The magic then occured during the printing process. They chose colors and then printed their designs directly on top of each other, slightly to the side of each other, on the diagonal from each other, and even layered three or more colors! This printing exploration exposed the students to the process of traditional offset printing and expanded their idea of the creative possibilities of block-printing techniques.

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Seventh graders learned about the mathematics term “tessellation” and how to create one from a known tessellating shape. For those of you not versed in geometry, a tessellation is a repeating pattern that fits together with no gaps or overlaps. Modifying a square without reducing its surface area creates a fancy tessellating pattern whose orientation depends on the alignment of the modified sides. Translations, reflections, and rotations were all examined, and then the students chose the shape they felt was the most promising. The task then fell to them to figure out exactly what their shape was…as there was no pre-planning involved, creativity was paramount to finding a solution to the puzzle. After a design was determined, the students traced their shape onto a piece of paper and then drew and painted in the design in each.

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Reduction printing, a favorite technique of Picasso, utilizes a single block to create a print of several layered colors. The block is carved out systematically, starting with the largest areas and lightest colors, and printed each time until the block is “destroyed” and there is only a small area remaining to print. The seventh graders did a fabulous job with this process, starting with designing a multi-colored image that they would print. They then determined what order they would print the colors and started carving accordingly. Each student made at least two prints, because once the block is reduced, there is no going back. The subsequent colors are printed directly on top of the previous colors. The students did a remarkable job with this advanced technique and created some truly amazing images!

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The fifth graders learned about the cartooning style of subway graffiti artist turned world famous icon, Keith Haring. Haring became famous in the 1980’s with his bold use of color and line and his simple subjects that were easily identifiable and appealing to a mass audience. The students looked at various works and the way Haring would simplify objects and then created their own drawings based on his style. They then painted with bold colors and patterns to complete the look.

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If you ask that question to the sixth grade, they’ll have some pretty interesting answers for you…and the photographs to back it up! Using Photoshop and some famous images, the sixth grade inserted themselves into these iconic moments in time. They had to look at their individual picture they chose and use filters and brushes to match the colors and textures of the original scene. Do you recognize the photographs, and can you pick out the Unquowa students? You’ll have to look closely!

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The sixth, seventh, and eighth grades created illuminated letters inspired by traditional Medieval designs for this year’s Dining Hall. Each year, a different theme is chosen to adorn the walls, and students in grades 6, 7, and 8 spend the end of the year designing and coloring extensive and intricate projects. Illumination originated in the 400’s, when monks would decorate the manuscripts they would spend hours copying with elaborate drawings and details. Frequently, the first letter of a block of type would be “illuminated” and made to stand out larger than the rest. The beauty of those early manuscripts is still admired by historians and artists today, and our students’ work is no exception. Stop in the dining hall to view these gorgeous projects up close and personal!

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