"An idea is our visual reaction to something seen - in real life, in our
memory, in our imagination, in our dreams."
--Anna Held Audette from the book, The Blank Canvas
Art Attack is an annual student art exhibit at Artworks Gallery featuring visual art created by K-12 students who attend school within the local community. This year, Crossroads Charter Academy was represented by 25 visual art pieces created by elementary students!
The fifth grade students learned about the important functions of the elephant in Indian culture. For example, elephants are used to haul timber, to bless people entering Hindu temples, and to transport the bride in wedding ceremonies. Anually, an elephant festival is held in Jaipur, India. At this event the elephants are painted and elaborately decorated. After viewing a short video of the festival, the fifth grade students were inspired to create oil pastel Indian elephant drawings!
The sixth grade students learned about the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593) who created portraits made up of everyday objects such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, books, and cookware. The students worked together to trace the projected shadow of their profiles, and they filled the profiles with drawings of things, symbols, and words that represent their values, opinions, and preferences.
The Fourth Grade students have been writing legends in their classrooms. In art class, we read the Ashanti legend of Anansi the Spider. The students were inspired to create collages of the legendary hero Anansi!
Crossroads Charter Academy Welcomes Children's book Author and Illustrator Leslie Helakoski! Leslie holds a degree in illustration from Northern Michigan University. Book titles include: Big Chickens, Fair Cow, The Smushy Bus, and Woolbur (my personal favorite).
The Second Grade Students learned about the life of Henri Mattisse, and they viewed his painting "The Goldfish" (1910). The students were inspired to create collages with bold colors and patterns. Some students exceeded expectations and created three dimensional paper scenes!
Hello, my name is Kate Eshelman, and I teach k-6 art at Crossroads Charter Academy. I am using this blog to post pictures and activities in our art class.