2nd Grade Contour Line Drawings

How can we use line to capture the basic details of an object?

Mrs. LaVangie's second grade class is exploring contour lines, or the outline of an object. They watched a fun video from art teacher Tricia Fugelstad to truly discover what a contour line is.

2nd grade artists then learned that practice makes perfect. They experimented with drawing many different objects in the art room; scissors, glue bottles, ink brayers, paint brushes, and more. I was so impressed with how they were able to capture the objects with simple lines. Take a look! 

December Mystery Artist and Why Children Should Participate!

I am so excited to announce that there were 57 guesses for the November Mystery Artist, Eric Carle. This is by far the most we've had to date.

Enter a guess for December, you might need to do a little research to get this one!

December Mystery Artist Facts: 

I was born in 1894, in New York.

I was an American Painter and Illustrator.

I lived in Stockbridge, MA where I have a museum named after me.

My artwork appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post for almost 5 decades!

I’m most known for these magazine covers that showed everyday American life. 

 * Why should our students participate in the Mystery Artist? *

Researching art from the past and the artists who create it gives a snapshot into what life was like. Art history provides a history lesson in a unique way.  So many of our students are visual learners. What better way to learn about history than to view works of art. This article from the Metropolitan Museum of Art talks about the importance of this! Click on the icon below to read the article.

 Going to a museum offers a an opportunity to view these mini history lessons.  If you can't get there then the Mystery Artist could be the next best thing!  

Massachusetts Visual Arts Frameworks PreK–12 STANDARD 10: Interdisciplinary Connections Students will use knowledge of the arts and cultural resources in the study of the arts, English language arts, foreign languages, health, history and social science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering.

November Mystery Artist

We just announced October's Mystery Artist: Faith Ringgold.  We had many correct guesses.  I'd love to see more for November.  I'm hoping that this month's artist will trigger many happy memories! Take a chance! Make a guess!

November Mystery Artist Facts:

I am a picture book author and illustrator, and have won many awards.

I use collage techniques with hand painted papers.

My book themes demonstrate my love and knowledge of nature.

I was a long time resident of Massachusetts and I even have a museum named after me.

An Art Teacher's Halloween

I'm always on a quest to find a relevant simple school costume. Last year we were paint brushes. When we saw these glue bottles on Pinterest we couldn't resist! We also made one to welcome Ms. Smullin, who will be covering for Mrs. Wichell, into the art room.

Howe Manning Celebrates Montani Day!

It was a bitter sweet day at Howe Manning as we bid farewell and happy retirement to our beloved P.E. teacher of 37 years! Everyone dressed in their favorite sports attire to celebrate the day and applauded Mrs. Montani each time they saw her in the halls. 

At the end of the day the entire school came out into the halls for one final goodbye to Mrs. Montani. Students applauded, gave high fives, and cheered and cheered.  There has even been a request from students to hold a yearly Montani Day every Oct. 29. You can clearly see how loved she is by both students and faculty!

Happy retirement Mrs. Montani - 

you will be missed more than you can know! 

Kindergarten Monster Madness

Kindergarten artists have been constructing monsters over the past 3 weeks in art class. We started out by reading a few great books for monster inspiration and to advise on the hazards of glue! Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly and Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre

  

K's created symmetrical heads using an "smoosh and spread" technique with paint inside a folded paper. Students then tore and cut scraps of paper to finish their monsters with faces and accessories. The finished products are great. I love the individuality of each monster!

Centers are Open in the Art Room!

5th grade artists are diving into their first choice-based art lesson.  This is proving to truly be an important process for my students. These artists are gaining essential planning, goal setting, and project management skills. They are guiding their own learning.  Click on this link to see a wonderful article on the benefits or student centered learning in the art room.

If you visit the Howe Manning Art Studio you will see our first open centers; drawing, painting, and collage.  Student artists are challenged to explore all the possibilities each center has to offer.  I have been enjoying seeing all the creative ideas that students are developing.  

I can't wait to see their finished projects!