Artist of the Week 12 / 19 / 2020

4th Graders have been working on some landscape pictures for the hallway. We talked about evergreen trees, or conifers, and learned that there are many more kinds than just our state tree, the pine tree. Students used oil pastel and then finished their work with tempera water paint. There are many beautiful examples and more will be going up in the hallway throughout this winter season.
The student I am choosing to recognize today is part of an awesome group of friends. They all do amazing work in the art room. They often share ideas and techniques, but also aren't afraid to go their own way and make artwork that looks different than their friends. This student is quiet and creative and always does a great job! I really like the purples that she mixed into her sky, the different greens she used in her trees and the shadows she put under them. Nice work IC in Ms. Phippen's 4th Grade Class, Student Artist of the Week

Artist of the Week 12 / 12 / 2019

• It's pretty much any teacher's dream when a student takes a skill that they learned in the classroom and then takes that information home to expand on it. The student I am recognizing this week did just that! This student is kind, respectful, and challenges themself in the art room. They weren't happy with their first results when cutting snowflakes, but kept trying, knowing and believing that they could do better. They were able to get a product that they liked better in class, but also took this technique home and then expanded on the idea, carefully balancing their cut snowflakes in this mobile! I hope they won't mind if I share this idea with other 5th graders! Nice work HL in Mrs. Gerrish's 5th Grade Class, Artist of the week!

Artist of the Week 12 / 4 / 2019

  Fourth Graders have been learning about the Color Wheel. If you organize the 3 Primary Colors in a triangle and then put the Secondary Colors that are created by the pairs of Primary Colors between them you will get a simple Color Wheel. There is a special relationship between a Primary Color and a Secondary Color directly across from each other on the wheel. These three groupings are called Complimentary Colors. Students created a painting using one set of Complimentary Colors. There were some beautiful peace signs, an amazing fox, and other really cool paintings, but the student I am choosing to recognize really took his time mixing different purples to put on top of his yellow background. Congratulations LC in Ms. Phippen's 4th Grade Class for his painting of a British Flag using complimentary colors, student artist of the week!

Artist of the Week 11 / 21 / 2019

In Bath, we are lucky to have a great art teacher at Dike Newell School. Mrs. Main, does a great job teaching our younger students how to safely work in the art room, to focus, make quality work and be creative. Students come to FMS with great knowledge about art. I am so pleased that they all know about their Primary Colors, Yellow, Red, and Blue, when they get here in 3rd grade. (Thanks, Mrs. Main!)
  Recently we have been looking at the art work of Piet Mondrian, who used the 3 primary colors and black to make his geometric art with straight lines. 3rd Graders did a great job using rulers to plan these pieces and then carefully painted them. The artist I am choosing to recognize this week is quiet and always paying attention. I really like the careful job they did painting their piece, and I am not sure I can paint lines as carefully as they did. I also really like how there is a certain symmetry in this piece, but it is not exact symmetry. A 5th grade friend who was admiring the art work noticed the balance of the three colored areas. It is for all these reasons I am happy to recognize EG in Ms. Newkirks's class, Student Artist of the Week! I know her older sister will be proud!

Artist of the Week 11 / 14 / 2019

   As many of you know the 5th graders have been studying Dia De Los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) in Art Class. Last week I gave students a choice of either continuing on this project or starting something new. Many students needed to give their energy to a new project, but I was happy that some students continued with their Dia De Los Muertos projects because they had such a good start.

 
   Sometimes in art class we are asked to try new things and the art we end up making might not have that much personal meaning to us. The student that I am choosing to recognize this week made this project very personal and I think it's awesome! Congratulations AO in Ms Hoskins 5th Grade class, student artist of the week!

Artist of the Week 10 / 7 / 2019

It's unfortunate that my Friday classes are missing out on so many days in the Art Room. Between Professional Development Days, Storms and Holidays, they miss out on many classes. That's one of the reasons that many 5th Graders haven't finished their Dia De Los Muertos, or Day Of The Dead drawings. The Day Of The Dead, is not a sad or scary holiday. It started in Mexico, and is about honoring and celebrating people we have lost. Mexican art made for Dia De Los Muertos shows skeletons either celebrating or doing everyday things. 5th graders did the same.


The student I am recognizing this week can be very helpful. They always do a quality job and work quickly, and for that reason they are one of the few students who has completed their drawing. Nice work CS in Mrs. Gerrish's 5th Grade class, Student Artist of the Week!

Artist of the Week 10 / 31 / 2019

The student I am choosing to recognize today has asked many times, "When am I going to be the Artist of the Week?" I have told them many times to be patient and keep trying, and for the post part they have. I feel very fortunate to work with all the students in our school and I hope they know how great it is to see the art they make when they really try, but I can only recognize one student per week.


Last week instead of asking, "When am I going to be Artist of the Week?" this student asked, "When is someone in my grade level going to be Artist of the Week?" Later, I saw them struggle to use scissors to cut fabric, keep trying until they figured it out, and then help others with the new skill they learned. In this one class they showed me how they could be Community Minded, by thinking of others, and be Persistent, by sticking with something even though it was difficult. Even though he's not quite done with his felt Jack O'Lantern I want to recognize LL in Ms. Phippen's 4th Grade as Student Artist of the Week!