HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

New artwork is up at ATW as well! The students worked so hard this semester on their projects and assignments and I can't wait to see what they create next semester! Thank you families for your support and generosity. Have a safe and relaxing winter break, and best wishes to your families for the new year :)

4th grade Unicorn Tapestry drawings in oil pastel

5th grade Renaissance still life drawings in colored pencil

HOW TO LOOK AT ART AND THINK LIKE AN ARTIST

When students become discouraged during an assignment, I remind them that all artists started off in their shoes, learning little by little and making errors along the way. We grow from our mistakes and persevere through tasks that we do not necessarily wish to do, but we may realize that we discover something we excel at and become passionate about! It feels good to produce something beautiful that took dedication, patience, and practice. Even if a student doesn't go on to have a career in the arts, learning "visual literacy" will help them throughout various avenues of their lives.

In class, we often discuss different types of art and the importance of art in our world. We have practiced looking at and formally talking about art, especially how to closely observe an artwork using correct vocabulary. We have discussed how artists sometimes create art to make something beautiful, but sometimes they create art to record something exactly how they see it through close observation. We have practiced the steps in an art critique so that students can become familiar with looking at all different types of artwork, and gaining knowledge through visual perception and critical thinking skills.

Students can go on to be able to critique master artworks, but also their own and even their peer's. A critique is an oral or written discussion strategy used to analyze, describe, and interpret works of art. Critiques help students hone in on their persuasive and creative oral and writing, information-gathering, and justification skills. Art criticism can be used outside of the classroom as well, and would be a good opportunity to practice if you and your child visit a museum or art gallery. They can also bring a sketch pad or paper to practice drawing a part of or the whole artwork using close observation as we have done in class. Sketching master studies helps with the visual organization of objects in the picture and being able to translate that understanding onto their own paper.

The four major areas of art criticism are describe, analyze, interpret, and judge. They should focus on each step sequentially using some of the questions below:

Description

Describe the work without using value words such as "beautiful" or "ugly":

• What is the written description on the label or in the program about the work?
• What is the title and who is the artist?
• When and where was the work created?
• Describe the elements of the work (i.e., line movement, light, value, space).
• Describe the technical qualities of the work (i.e., tools, materials, instruments).
• Describe the subject matter. What is it all about? Are there recognizable images?

Analysis

Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition:

• How is the work constructed or planned (i.e., movements, lines)?
• Identify some of the similarities throughout the work (i.e., repetition of lines, colors, shapes).
• Identify some of the points of emphasis in the work (i.e., specific scene, figure).
• If the work has subjects or characters, what are the relationships between or among them?

Interpretation

Describe how the work makes you think or feel:

• Describe the expressive qualities you find in the work. What expressive language would you use to describe the qualities (i.e., tragic, ugly, funny)?
• Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced (i.e., analogy or metaphor)?
• How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world and/or in your other studies?

Judgment or Evaluation

Present your opinion of the work's success or failure:

• What qualities of the work make you feel it is a success or failure?
• Compare it with similar works that you think are good or bad.
• What would you have done differently if you were the artist?

Here is a great handout that gives numerous examples of how to think like an artist!

3rd GRADE APPLE STILL LIFE | 4th GRADE UNICORN TAPESTRIES

Here is a sample of some student artwork that 3rd and 4th has completed this quarter from Archway Trivium East!

Looking at light with the Dutch artist Jan Vermeer

The Milkmaid, 1658

3rd grade student work - apple still life in dry pastel

Medieval Hunt of the Unicorn Tapestries

The Unicorn in Captivity

4th grade student work - unicorn tapestries in oil pastel

SECOND QUARTER UPDATES

Good Morning! As we are approaching the halfway point in the second quarter, we are finishing up our current projects in art. In 3rd grade, we are working on apple still life drawings in pastel. We studied how light and shadows work and how artists use value to create the illusion of 3D objects. 4th grade has started to transfer their unicorn drawings onto their final paper to create their unicorn tapestries. We talked about the importance of tapestries in the Middle Ages and how they told visual stories. In 5th grade, students are beginning their final copies of their realistic still life drawings in colored pencil. They are amazed at how the Renaissance artists created photo-realistic artwork as they are beginning to understand the time and patience it takes to blend and shade properly. I can't wait to begin to put up more photographs of student art!

I updated the sidebar of this blog to include a sample of my own artwork from the past 10 or so years.

Several parents have asked if there is anything they can donate to the school in which their child attends, so I have put together a general wish list of supplies that are always needed in every grade.

Dixon Ticonderoga pencils
Erasers- we have been using Pink Pearl
Crayola colored pencils
Construction paper of any color
White 9x12 drawing paper
Paint brushes
Tempera paint- white, black, red, yellow, blue
Crayola markers
Crayola crayons

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

ARTWORK ON DISPLAY!

3rd and 4th grade projects up for display at Archway Trivium East



4th and 5th grade artwork displays at Archway Trivium West

FALL BREAK

Hello Archway Trivium families,

I cannot believe we have already made it through the first quarter! It has gone by so quickly but I am excited to introduce what we will be learning next in art. I hope that everybody had a wonderful fall break and it has truly been a pleasure to meet with many of you this week during conferences. In class we are reviewing some of the material we learned last quarter and discussing some new concepts and art history. In 3rd grade, we discussed how artists use light in artwork. We looked at several paintings and observed the way that light and shadows make the subject matter look realistic. They will be creating a still life in pastel using light and shadow to make it appear 3 dimensional. 4th grade is continuing their unit on art of the Middle Ages and is discussing the Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries. They will be creating their own version with pastels and colored pencils. 5th grade is moving forward in their Renaissance unit by observing and discussing still life paintings from that era. They will be creating a realistic still life drawing using colored pencils.

Over the break, I had the opportunity to go to California for a few days with my family and visit the Getty Center. It was my first time at the museum and I felt so fortunate be able to experience such a beautiful space! I still can't get over the magical scale and scenery at every turn in such a giant complex. We visited almost all of the galleries and viewed so much amazing artwork. I was able to photograph many of the pieces (without flash) so I was incredibly excited to share some of them with the students. The Getty had a special exhibit about Illuminated Manuscripts which I could not believe since it corresponds with the 4th grade projects. I also saw several master artworks that we have discussed in each grade or are relevant to the upcoming projects, so this made it neat to show photographs of these works that I saw first hand!



Entrance to Illuminated Manuscripts exhibit

Illuminated Manuscripts!

Display about how Illuminated Manuscripts were created and the materials that were used



One of the paintings in Monet's Rouen Cathedral series, Morning Light, 1894



Vincent Van Gogh, Irises, 1600
Another impressionist artists we discussed in 3rd grade



Hans Hoffman, A Hare in the Forest, 1585
Renaissance realistic nature study



Sebastiano Ricci, Perseus Confronting Phineus with the Head of Medusa, 1710
Realistic mythological Renaissance painting



Jan van Huysum, Fruit Piece, 1722
Beautiful Flemish still life painting

PROGRESS

I am excited to post some examples of student art in progress. 3rd and 4th grade finished their unit on color, where they studied color theory including the color wheel, primary, secondary, complementary, warm, cool, and monochromatic color harmonies. We talked about why color theory is important in art and how artists choose color schemes in their artwork. 

3rd grade has been spending the past couple of weeks studying the style of impressionism and the artist Claude Monet. Impressionist artists created paintings with intentional short brush strokes, to convey mood and emotion of the subject matter rather than a realistic interpretation. Monet completed 30 some versions of his Rouen Cathedral at different times of day and weather to reflect changes in appearance under different lighting conditions. After the scholars completed their unit on color, they were able to choose warm or cool colors using oil pastels in their versions of Rouen Cathedral.

Examples of Rouen Cathedral series by Monet

Examples of student work in progress

4th grade has been studying art of the Middle Ages, which is also the unit they are studying in history. We discussed highlights of the Middle Ages, including monks and monasteries and illuminated manuscripts. The scholars learned that illuminated manuscripts were highly important because they served as a means of communication for the common people since few could read or write. Illuminated manuscripts were highly decorated and detailed images that had a meaning or told a story. We studied the Book of Kells, one of the most well preserved examples of illuminated manuscripts, and have begun creating their own illuminated letters using one of their initials.

Chi Rho page from the Book of Kells

Illuminated manuscript

Illuminated manuscript

Student illuminated letter in progress

In 5th grade, we will be studying art of the Renaissance for most of the first semester, which also parallels their unit in history. The Renaissance was the rebirth of Greek and Roman culture and a wealth of great art was produced during this time. 5th grade has been looking at line, value, space, light, shape, and form in Renaissance art and discovering how artists used these elements to create 3D realism. They have been practicing drawing forms in their sketchbooks and are completing their sphere drawing project in the next week.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Albrecht Durer

Jan Van Eyck

Student work in progress

More photos of student work to come in the next week as we complete our projects!

UPDATES

Hello Archway families,

I wanted to check in to let everyone know that our academic year has gotten off to an excellent start! Classes have been going well so far, and the scholars are beginning to dig in to some exciting things they'll be learning in art this year. 

If you are looking to check and see what your child is doing in art class, this is the place to be! I will be updating my blog with information for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade every couple of weeks. I had the pleasure of talking with several of you at each school's curriculum night last week and the week before. We discussed the art curriculum and expectations for each grade.

In class, we began the year discussing the basic elements and principles of art. We started with the element line, and what artists can do with different types of lines. In 3rd and 4th we moved on to an exploration of color theory. 3rd is starting their warm and cool versions of Monet's Rouen Cathedral in oil pastel. We began talking about art of the Middle Ages in 4th grade, specifically the Book of Kells and illuminated manuscripts. The scholars learned about the art history and are now creating illuminated letters of their own! 5th grade went straight from line into value, shape, and form. We began our unit on art of the Renaissance and looking at how artists use light and value to create the illusion of 3D objects. The scholars are starting to creating spheres with graphite.

I hope that everyone had a restful long weekend and I look forward to a new week of learning and creating!

Kindly,

Ms. Kober

2015-2016 WELCOME LETTER

August 10, 2015

Dear Families,

I am thrilled to welcome you to Archway Trivium East as we begin the 2015-2016 school year at our new academy. I am excited to get to know you and your child and begin a wonderful academic and creative year.

I am Ms. Clare Kober, and I will be teaching 3^rd – 5^th grade art between Archway Trivium East and Archway Trivium West. I feel truly fortunate to be a Great Hearts Academies visual arts teacher. After earning my Bachelor’s in Interior Design from Northern Arizona University, I went on to complete my Master’s in Art Education from Arizona State University. I have a passion for teaching and art, and I am exited to share an exploration of wonder and reason as we seek truth, goodness, and beauty in art.

We believe that art is not reserved for an elite group of people. Rather, everyone has the ability to understand and produce great art when exposed to a rich classical curriculum through high expectations and a supportive environment. We will be studying a myriad of master artworks from various cultures and time periods throughout history. Scholars will be introduced to a range of media from oil pastels to watercolors. They will use proper techniques and elements of art to create their own masterpieces. Scholars will leave this class with a thorough knowledge of and a great appreciation for the arts. This will help establish creative and critical thinking skills that can be used in various avenues of the their lives.

I want to thank you for your support and opportunity to work with you and your child so that we can have a successful year. Below is my contact information, and I encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you in the near future!

Ms. Clare Kober, M.Ed.

Art Educator

ckober@archwaytrivium.org
http://triviumartists.blogspot.com