I want to share an exciting and engaging art project I recently conducted with my two sections of 5th grade. We delved into the world of E-Z-Cut block printing, drawing inspiration from the renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai and his iconic print, "The Wave." We used teacher demos and peer learning a lot and the... Continue Reading →
In today's world, fostering environmental consciousness and promoting sustainability have become essential goals within education. At Washington Episcopal School (WES), students are actively engaged in a remarkable project that combines art, science, and nature. The entire elementary school, from second to fifth grade, is excitedly preparing for the creation of a sustainability garden. (You won't... Continue Reading →
What did the art students at Washington Episcopal do this winter? Moroccan-inspired tiles! Grade three was inspired by the beautiful blue city of Chefchaouen and also spent time learning about different types of symmetry. The students started by learning how to roll clay through a slab roller, then cutting their tiles out to the desired... Continue Reading →
This year my 5th-grade artists looked at the work of Louise Nevelson and Betye Saar. Inspired by their work with found objects we started our own collection of bits and bobs. Each student started out with a cardboard base for stability and then we learned all about composition. We played with how we would arrange... Continue Reading →
In Second Grade we started our ceramics unit by tying in their number corner's look at pinnate vs. palmate leaf types. The resource I used from the American Museum of Natural History's website is here. We left our campus and explored the amazing Capital Crescent Trail as a class. We collected various pinnate and palmate... Continue Reading →
One thing I am very proud of this year was how I have enforced the habit of sketchbook work in all of my upper level students. Each month I required all of my students in all of my classes, sophomore through seniors, 4 pages or 2 "spreads" worth of work in their sketchbooks. Some of... Continue Reading →
My AP Drawing 1 class took on the task of diving deep into the world of animal symbolism in art. We decoded Renaissance artists use of animals to convey meaning, and we looked at how contemporary artists are using animals as symbols now. Students read “Decoding Animals in Art History, From Immortal Peacocks to Lusty Rabbits” by Abigail... Continue Reading →
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 →
In a normal year, my sophomores would have encountered paint and have dealt with value during their freshman Foundations class. Unfortunately, this year that is not the case, because as we return to fully in-person instruction we are still a year behind on some of our materials explorations. Now, some of my students in Studio... 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 →
Emma Teaches Art! 