In my sophomore Studio I class we have been practicing different approaches to the figure. For the most part, we used vine charcoal and a little bit of black chalk pastel for extra oomph! We started this unit with sweeping gesture drawings, focusing on capturing the overall movement of the figure. Then we looked at... Continue Reading →
Inspired by the weird box of boxes I hoarded over the years and saved from the giant purge of our old art classroom, I started the year with this quick warm-up project. Students were asked to create small works of art inside (and outside) of these small boxes. The whole process was completely up to... Continue Reading →
Once again we created single object still life paintings. I swear they get more and more dynamic every year! This project comes as the final piece in our study of color theory. We do this through studying the color wheel, color terms, and finally color relationships. Right before this project each student had the opportunity to design... Continue Reading →
After four years of trial and error in finding the right sketchbooks for my students I think I may have finally cracked it! I order them these beautiful ProArt hardbound sketchbooks that are only five and a half by eight inches. They are easy to cary and somehow incredibly pleasing in their small size. The girls... Continue Reading →
Just like I have the past 4 years I am starting out the year with having my Foundations of Studio Art class explore visible light and the color wheel! In preparation for our first big project (Single Object Still Life) we spend the first two-three weeks of classes looking at color theory, color mixing and... Continue Reading →
We wrapped up this amazing school year with another round of independent art projects. Each student filled out a contract that outlined their plan of action, their research goals, and their three most important overall goals for the project. It was their three overall goals that I used as a measure for how I would... Continue Reading →
This year I revisited my theory that my foundations students should collage for paints sake. You can read more about it here. This is also my diversity piece. And this year I got some incredibly thoughtful responses to the National Geographic article that we read. Below are some quotes from their responses. "My partner is a... Continue Reading →
Any art teacher who has the opportunity to host an art show at the end of the year knows, its both a blessing and a burden. It's an amazing opportunity to display your students artwork. This way of celebrating and recognizing their efforts can give a big boost to your students self esteem. It say... Continue Reading →
When it was safe to say that spring had sprung my Studio II class so we escaped the confines of the classroom and explored a small bike path and creek by our school. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to finish our paintings, but the experience was worthwhile and something I highly recommend. *One disclaimer is... Continue Reading →
This March we spent the entire month exploring the art of a self portrait and the value technique called grisaille. The Oxford Dictionary defines as, "Grisaille (/ɡrᵻˈzaɪ/ or /ɡrᵻˈzeɪl/; French: gris [ɡʁizaj] 'grey') is a term for a painting executed entirely in shades of grey or of another neutral greyish colour." I think we all know... Continue Reading →
Emma Teaches Art! 