2013 Mar Vista Art Museum - Pattern Painted Zoo

Brushstrokes...

Visual Arts Notes from Mr. Miceli

Pattern Painted Zoo

First Grade

Medium: Tempera Paint, Oil Pastel

Skills and Technique: Color theory, Color mixing, Pattern

Continuing with the nature theme of the first grade class, these paintings represent students attempting to make their reptiles, mammals and amphibians larger than life. Each student chose a specific organism to recreate, then began to move their whole arm around the paper to make large bodies, heads arms, legs, tails, etc. focusing on creating the correct proportions of a large drawing. I wanted the students to also explore the possibility of coloring their animals completely different than what they look like if you were to see them in a zoo or in the wild. Our first graders have created a pattern painted zoo of their own, using specific patterns of color with their paint brush, there are signs of a lack of imagination!

California Standards for Art

2.4 Plan and use variations in line, shape/form, color, and texture to communicate ideas or feelings in works of art.

2.5 Create a representational sculpture based on people, animals, or buildings.

2.8 Create artwork based on observations of actual objects and everyday scenes.

2.2 Mix secondary colors from primary colors and describe the process.

2013 Mar Vista Art Museum - Rhythm Prints

Brushstrokes...

Visual Arts Notes from Mr. Miceli

Rhythm Prints

Kindergarten

Medium: Tempera Paint, Cardboard

Skills and Technique: New Painting Methods, Scraping, Tapping, Spinning

In this project my goal was to show students that you don't always need to use your fingers or a paint brush to paint, sometimes you can use objects that you would normally throw away. I cut pieces of cardboard into 3 inch squares to be used as a squeegee in between the paint and the paper. I showed that class three different techniques that they would be using in the project: smooth line, tapping, and spinning the cardboard. We listened to various types of music during the lesson to help influence the types of lines they created. I was impressed with how careful each student was to try and accomplish each technique to the rhythm of the music. 

California Standards for Art

1.1 Recognize and describe simple patterns found in the environment and works of art.

2.4 Paint pictures expressing ideas about family and neighborhood.

2013 Mar Vista Art Museum - Van Gogh's Sunflowers in 3D and Kandinsky and Calder: Moving Mobiles

Brushstrokes...

Visual Arts Notes from Mr. Miceli

Van Gogh's Sunflowers in 3D

Kindergarten

Medium: Paper, Oil Pastel

Skills and Technique: Art History, Exploration of new media

When studying some of our most famous and important painters, it is important to show students that you can adapt a painting into something that is three -dimensional. In this lesson, I chose to focus on a specific object from one of Van Gogh's paintings that could be molded into something three dimensional. The artist's “sunflowers” paintings nearly jumped out into the students hands using different techniques of twisting paper to make the stem, utilizing oil pastel techniques and learning necessary scissor techniques, these are so colorful, they should be in a vase!

  

California Standards for Art

2.2 Demonstrate beginning skill in the use of tools and processes, such as the use of scissors,

glue, and paper in creating a three-dimensional construction.

4.1 Discuss their own works of art, using appropriate art vocabulary (e.g., color, shape/form, texture).

4.2 Describe what is seen (including both literal and expressive content) in selected works of art.

1. Discuss how and why they made a specific work of art.

Brushstrokes...

Visual Arts Notes from Mr. Miceli

Kandinsky and Calder: Moving Mobiles

Kindergarten

Medium: Paper, Tempera Paint

Skills and Technique: Scissor use, Patterns, Painting Shapes

Wassily Kandinsky is a painter who was an active artist in the 1930's through 1960's as part of  the abstract expressionist movement. On the flip side of this movement was car factory worker turned sculptor, Alexander Calder, who was also an abstract artist who created large metal sculptures of kinetic mobile's. Both of these artists were fascinated with rhythm and movement in a work of art and how art could physically movc with the help of wind or water. In this lesson I wanted to teach the students three techniques: control with the paint brush, how to paint simple forms and shapes neatly with a paint brush and how to correctly mix paint on a palette. The finishing touches to this project came when students punched holes into each piece, making a diamond or a square, then stringing the various squares to create a hanging mobile. Look carefully, you may just see these sculptures move with the help of the wind, just like Alexander Calder.

California Standards for Art

2.1 Use lines, shapes/forms, and colors to make patterns.

2.2 Demonstrate beginning skill in the use of tools and processes, such as the use of scissors,

glue, and paper in creating a three-dimensional construction.

2.3 Make a collage with cut or torn paper shapes/forms.

2013 Mar Vista Art Museum - Abstract Movement Sculpture

Brushstrokes...

Visual Arts Notes from Mr. Miceli

Abstract Movement Sculpture

Kindergarten

Medium: Paper, Tempera Paint, Oil Pastel

Skills and Technique: Sculpture techniques, Understanding abstract art

Artists can use three dimensional forms to create an optical illusion for the viewer to perceive that the art is moving around in different directions or showing action, when the art is sitting still. This sculpture project utilized students' abilities to imagine themselves creating a whole new world. I instructed the students to think of the pieces of paper as if they were something that showed movement towards us, the viewer. Each placement of the paper is creating another element to the story of the work of art for us to wonder. Students use fine motor skills to glue and hold the pieces of paper so that they are popping off of the background, not flat like they are used to gluing at this age. Once students understood the technique, they went on their journey to create an eye “popping” abstract sculpture. 

California Standards for Art

1.1 Use lines, shapes/forms, and colors to make patterns.

1.3 Demonstrate beginning skill in the use of tools and processes, such as the use of scissors, glue, and paper in creating a three-dimensional construction. 

2.3 Make a collage with cut or torn paper shapes/forms.