For our first graphic design project and introduction into the digital world of Photoshop, students in sixth grade transformed their portraits into silhouettes reminiscent of the famous iPod ads. Starting with a digital picture, the students learned how to create a path around their bodies, cut and paste into a new layer, change the background color, desaturate and silhouette, and finally add a realistic shadow and even an ipod or two. Some students this year got really creative with adding elements to create a wonderfully wacky world. Finally, they had to come up with a “title” that was representative of their image.

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It’s hard to imagine, but thousands of years ago man had the same inexplicable desire to create and express his view of the world that artists do today. The oldest known murals and carvings are found in the Lascaux caves in France and date back to 17,000 years ago. The artwork was nearly destroyed by the thousands of visitors who flocked to the site soon after its discovery in 1940, due to an invasion of algae and bacteria. Prehistoric art is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of our early ancestors, who painted surprisingly detailed scenes of daily life including life-sized versions of the animals they hunted for survival. The fifth graders learned about Lascaux and viewed some of the rare and inaccessible images inside the cave. We then worked on a project replicating the painting and carving techniques. The students etched images telling a story of their imagined ancestors including where they lived, what they ate, and how they dressed. We learned about simple ways to express forms and shapes. They then carved a rubber stamp and printed a repeating symbol around the outside of their “rock wall.” Chalk was used to dirty up the paper and give the impression of age. The finished etchings and prints were combined to complete the project.

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Most people who have seen Andy Goldsworthy’s sculptural art have probably seen it only in photographs as he works primarily with organic materials and environments, which are ephemeral by their very nature. Using twigs, stones, icicles, and even natural pigments he grinds, Goldsworthy creates incredible manipulations of the natural world which highlight the subtle beauty and elegance inherent in everything around us. He frequently tempts the inevitable tides of rivers by placing his fragile sculptures in the path of the water’s flow. Goldsworthy explains that it is what happens after he does his part that is the true art–the changes and evolutions spurred on by the environment. The sixth graders watched Rivers and Tides, a documentary on Goldsworthy’s art and process, and marveled as carefully constructed stone towers became submerged and stick sculptures were swept into the tide. We discussed the purpose of environmental art and Goldsworthy’s reasons for creating such short-lived masterpieces. The students then went out into Unquowa’s fields and forest and worked in pairs to create their own environmental works of art. Keep your eyes peeled the next time you venture outdoors…there is much beauty to be seen, especially if you take the time to stop and look at the possibilities.

Click here to view the students’ environmental art!

Sumi-e is an ancient art that is characteristically Asian, and unlike most other forms of painting, artists strive to create beautiful images using as few strokes as possible. The idea is to distill the essence of an object or scene, its “chi” or spirit, from a few carefully placed broad strokes. In an old Chinese legend, an artist is asked to paint a mural of dragons in a temple. The Abbot asks him why he left out the pupils from the dragons’ eyes. The artist explains that if he painted them, the dragons will come to life. When the Abbot insisted, the artist painted the pupils in the eyes of two of the dragons and they roared to life and flew away. The other two remained on the wall. This myth serves to explain the simple philosophy behind sumi-e, that artists are not only painting for beauty, but also to capture the soul of a subject.

The fifth graders learned about sumi-e painting and the “four treasures” that are integral for ink brush artists: ink sticks, bamboo brushes, ink stones, and rice paper. They experimented with different techniques after watching videos of renowned artists working in the style. To create our lanterns, the fifth graders first painted backgrounds using warm and cool colors, and they added salt and plastic wrap for texture. They then brush painted over the backgrounds in ink, utilizing the techniques they learned. After “signing” the paintings with a foam stamp, they strung the panels together with yarn, tassels, and beads.

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Puppeteers are considered to be among the most talented artists on the island of Bali, and they perform seated behind a rice paper screen, which is backlit by an oil lamp hanging above. They not only make the puppets, but they also perform the shows (usually based on the Ramayana and Mahabharata Hindu epics) in at least five different languages and voices and add local humor and slapstick comedy to entertain the audience. The puppets (called Wayang Kulit in Balinese) are chiseled out of a tough rawhide and then painted in the traditional style. Puppeteers also provide the sound effects for the show, which can last up to five hours if it is being performed for a religious festival. The fourth graders looked at different examples of the puppets and watched clips of real Balinese puppet shows being performed by famous puppeteers. They then created their own characters out of Styrofoam with moveable arms. They punched holes to create the intricate details that are the hallmarks of Balinese-style puppets with toothpicks.

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Google doodles have become a worldwide phenomenon, with over 1,000 different versions created in the past decade. The doodles periodically replace the well-known Google logo on the search engine’s homepage on different holidays and events. The seventh graders looked at different examples of doodles over the years and discussed the elements that could be replaced while still preserving the identity of the logo. Some doodles kept the Google color-scheme, for example, while others kept the word but changed the overall feeling with color and pattern. The seventh graders each designed a doodle for Unquowa, incorporating
imagery and themes related to our school. They started by drawing their logos by hand, and then they scanned them into the computer and finished them in Photoshop. Who knows? You might one day open your browser to find an Unquowa-themed doodle in place!!

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Why did the hungry elf run up the tree? To get away from the antsy snake of course! If you’re missing the punchline, you need to check out our sixth graders’ art projects. They started with interesting drawing prompts and then created their own crazy, wacky, and silly situations. Such unique inspiration called for explanation, and so we wrote short “stories” to complement the images. The idea was to incorporate the written story seamlessly into the picture in a clever or creative way. Wait until you read their incredible and unbelievable stories! You’ll think twice the next time you see a “snake” in the grass…

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With all of the competition for subscribers and buyers, how do magazines stand out from the crowd? The seventh and eighth graders explored this idea, as well as the aesthetics of genre design, through our magazine cover project. Using InDesign, the students chose a magazine and a cover story and then picked the best image to illustrate their idea. They then added additional images, headlines, and subheads to fill in the space and draw in potential readers. The finished designs leave you wishing the articles actually existed!

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Every great sculpture starts out small. From Calder, to Picasso, to Eiffel, artists have long been creating small versions of big designs. The seventh graders crafted miniature sculptures out of cardboard, utilizing different thicknesses to create curves and spirals. They had to think about the three-dimensional aspect of their work and how it would look from different angles or perspectives. The sculptures were then sprayed with metallic paint to give the impression of metal. Imagine if they were larger than life…perhaps even as a permanent installation in front of Unquowa!

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The fifth graders recently completed a study of color and texture through weaving. We used corrugated cardboard as our loom and painted it three colors using natural sponges. The students had to plan the layout for their weavings, as the actual warps were created from smaller pieces of cardboard glued on top. The pieces had to have the correct orientation to allow for thread to pass back and forth through the channels. Finally, yarn was woven back and forth in accordance with the student’s plan. The overall compositions are an intricate combination of colors and textures!

Click here to see the gallery!