From Movies

Summer Fun

Remember to take a visit here. They have an incredible mummy exhibit.
http://carlos.emory.edu/

From Movies

Movies

Thank you

Dear Parents,
Thank you for a magnificent year! I loved experiencing art with your children.I've learned so much and I hope that they have,too.
I've posted 3 videos. Click on through the photo stream.Enjoy.
See you in the fall!
Love to all,
Miss Julie

Light

Light played an important role in the studio this year. Whether it was
the light coming from the light table or the light coming through the
windows, the children were drawn towards it. They always chose the
table nearest the window so much that I will rearrange the room
next year in order to get the most light for them to work with.
The light table offered a way for them to experiment with transparent
as well as translucent color. They also saw silhouettes with natural
shapes. We had a sheer curtain over the table these last few weeks.This added an
 extra dimension for them.It was softly lit fort.
when we drew from life, there was a spotlight on the objects. I remember
the first time we drew from life the spotlight was on a vegetable plant and
an artist came in wide with wonder saying"This is how real artists draw"

Your artist or famous artist?

Insects were created and finished by the Three year old classes.
They were hard for me to part with, but should be finding their way home
Monday  via their classroom teachers.

Magnolia leaves were placed on a table with some jars
of paint. The Young 2's found them and had to paint them
all. They proudly carried them down the hall to give to their
parents. 

Last days of mixing colors for a couple of Kindergarten boys.
This was a favorite area for them each time they came to class.

 

 

Joan Miro has remarkably similar lines to the
work of our artists.

Insects

The Threes were making insects this week. We were talking about their body parts and looking at a beautiful

book that Miss Amy lent to me. It has lovely engravings of butterflies. As we went through the book we saw

dragonflies, large beetles, and insects unknown to me. As one young artist was painting the various parts she

said in a sweet voice: "Miss Julie, I want to fly."

My Favorite Atelierista

Marla McClean has continued to inspire me all year. She is an " atelierista " at a Washington D.C. school called the Peabody School. Look through her site and read her wonderful stories of her young
 artists. She emulates what I believe in. Children learn by doing. They are naturally creative. If they are given a space in which to work, beautiful things will happen.  I will continue to grow with our artists by listening to them and exchanging ideas throughout our time together.

http://atelier.schoolwithinschool.org/

Through the Looking Glass

Looking through the blue looking glass.
What might seem like a frivolous use of time is
so much more than that.
After finishing a wood sculpture, this young artist
was at the light table exploring the different colored
pieces of plastic shapes.
Covering a little hole in a piece of wood with
one color and observing the effects that it had on
the light was endlessly interesting.

The final action was taking a photo with the blue
piece on the lens.
I love when a child is engaged with something that will
give information that will stay and deepen for a lifetime.
The next time your child is deeply engaged with an activity
other than television, observe them knowing that learning is
happening .

Painting Tools

A Lovely Sketchbook

 

http://blogdelanine.blogspot.com/

Sketchbooks

Sometimes the best idea is so simple and easy that you forget about it.
As an artist I always sketch. Jotting down an idea on a scrap of paper while I am out and about. Many times loosing what I have drawn.  Therefore I bought a little sketchbook to paste or draw things in. This brought up the idea for using this concept with my young  artists. I also came across a great website showing ideas and the importance of a sketchbook.
The children come into The Studio drawing and painting on small pieces of paper. These impromptu  ideas are very original and very important to the artists. So,  a few months ago the 3s.4s and K made a small sketchbook to draw in. 
Sometimes we drew from life. Flowers, a large bird house and a wooden mannequin are some of the things that we drew from life. 
Other times were drawing from our imaginations. These are two very different ways to draw. Both are important.
The first day that they drew in their books, they immediately wanted to take them home to show to their parents.
I told them that we were going to work on them for a while before they took them home.
Well, they were hesitant, but ended up acquiescing to me and waited. They were very happy to come in each week and find a book with their name on it. 
The time has come to send them home. The only unfortunate thing is that some of the pictures were not drawn in a specific order. So, I don't have a list for you to know what we were doing each day. 
But, please know that your child loves this book and they can easily add pages to it with a little help from you.
The following website is about sketchbooks in schools. But, I believe that at home is just as important.
Sincerely,
Miss Julie



http://www.accessart.org.uk/sketchbook/


p.s. Kindergarten boys are bringing their books home in a couple of more weeks.