Artist of the Month

Vincent van Gogh

Dutch Post-Impressionist Artist

Born: March 30, 1853

Died: July 29, 1890

Interesting Facts:

• Was primarily a painter, but he began to draw as a child!

• Is thought of as one of the greatest artists of all time, even though his work wasn't well known or received while he was alive!

• Suffered from mental illness and painful anxiety

• Is believed to have cut off his own ear!  But, recently it has been uncovered that his friend and fellow artist, Gauguin, may have cut his ear off with a fencing sword during an argument!

• His most famous works are his paintings of cypresses, wheat fields, and sunflowers!

• His Starry Night is one of the most important and recognizable works of art in history!

Quotes...

I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God's help I shall succeed.  ~Vincent van Gogh

Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art. ~Leonardo da Vinci

All children are artists.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. ~Pablo Picasso

Ancora Impara.  (I am still learning) ~Michelangelo

Creativity takes courage.  ~Henri Matisse

Pinwheels For Peace: A school wide art installation project to celebrate our school theme and World Peace Day!

Art Room News

Stop by the school and check out the amazing student artwork currently on display!

Currently On Display...

• Eric Carle inspired bears!  Pre-K learned about the artwork of Eric Carle!  We read Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? and then students made their own painted paper brown bear or polar bear in the style of Eric Carle.  Check out these bears in the breezeway!

• Still life stamp flowers in a vase!  Kindergarten students learned about the still life and used textured sponges to make stamp flowers in a vase.  Check out these bouquets in the breezeway!

• Pablo Picasso portrait painting!  4th grade students learned about artist Pablo Picasso and discovered the style of cubism by looking at many examples of Picasso's portrait paintings (most notably, his portrait of Dora Maar).  Students then created their own Picasso inspired portrait paintings, and you can come see these cubism works in the cafeteria!

• Vincent van Gogh landscapes!  5th grade students learned about Vincent van Gogh and looked at examples of his cypress landscapes!  Using chalk pastel and white tempera paint, students were able to create an impasto look to their own Vincent van Gogh inspired paintings!  You can come see these paintings on display in the cafeteria!

Art Museum Links

National Museum of the American Indian

The Guggenheim

Smithsonian American Art Museum

National Museum of African Art

Everson Museum of Art

Frederic Remington Art Museum

National Gallery of Art

Louvre

Museum of Modern Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vatican Museums

Smithsonian Museums

The British Museum

So... What's Happening In Art Class This Week?

• Pre-K: We read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin, Jr., and then made our own painted texture paper to create a brown bear or polar bear inspired by the illustrations in the books by Eric Carle!

• Junior Kindergarten: We are learning about how to combine shapes to make spring time birdhouses!  Then we will add beautiful song birds to the houses to make a collage!

• Kindergarten: Lamb of God!  We are learning how to use wet temper paints and how to paint the closed form of a sheep on a landscape background!

• 1st Grade: We are creating Eric Carle inspired animals using our own painted papers!

• 2nd Grade: We are learning about artist Vincent van Gogh and after studying several of his sunflower paintings, we are creating our own flowers in a vase still life drawings using oil pastels!

• 3rd Grade: We are learning about the color wheel and American artist Wayne Thiebaud.  After looking at Thiebaud's many "dessert" paintings we are now creating our own ice cream cone color wheel drawings!

• 4th Grade: We are learning about Pablo Picasso and portrait painting!  We are creating our own Picasso inspired portraits!

• 5th Grade: We are learning about landscape painting.  After studying Vincent van Gogh's cypress paintings, we are creating our own van Gogh inspired landscapes using chalk pastels and white tempera paint for an imapsto look!

• 6th Grade: We are learning about M.C. Escher and his tessellations!  Using a grid system, we are creating our own tessellation designs with watercolor pencils! 

The Art Room Rules:

Do your Best

Listen to Directions

Speak Kindly

Show Respect

Use Time Wisely

Use Materials Correctly