Third Grade Art Experiences

• Third Graders began the year developing figure drawing skills breaking down the representation of movement into bending of the limbs at the joints represented by 15 parts of the body. Working with a deeper awareness about composition by creating the perception of deep space dividing the picture plane into three basic parts: fore ground, middle ground and background. Students created drawings of figures in action using dry pastels focusing on their favorite Olympic sport!
• Alebrijes are Mexican creatures made up from mixed up animal parts! They are said to have magical powers and ward of evils like amulets. Third graders created their own alebrije creatures in oil pastels using six different techniques: scratching, blending, color mixing, coloring, layering and side stroke.
• Pinching, rolling, coiling and smudging were applied in the creation of clay coil pots turned into flower vases, pencil cup holders, mugs and cups with handles were also created along side sailboats and Trojan warrior boats! Creating an invention out of box construction and mixed media was a challenging way to propose smart and efficient solutions for problems within our earths environment and other needs that heve developed in our society among grown up and children such as the need to create new medicines, purifying air machines, electric car motors, homework assistants etc.!
• Trompe l’oeil paintings were a fun way to explore the rich and lush greens of the Brazilian Amazon as depicted by the Russian/Brazilian artist Lasar Segal in “Bananal”. Students invented countless formulas for making different kinds of greens which were applied to their “room with a view” exploring the concept of triking the eye througha painting!
• Finally exploring the arts and crafts of the Mexican Huichol Indians students created a design for a yarn painting in the style of the Huicholes from the mountains of Nayarit representing nature and animals with bright designs of intricately woven yarn.