Art is...

To kick off the year with 5^th and 6^th grade artists at Jordan Small Middle School we brainstormed the idea of what art is. Leaving the window of possibilities open students had a chance to brainstorm, discuss, and have fun with their answers. Each student started with the prompt Art is… and the rest was up to them. After artists decided on their concept, they set to work illustrating their words. Using drawings, colors, and designs to convey the meaning in their sentence choice. It was really interesting to see the variety of ideas  and even hear a few healthy debates about what students thought is and isn’t art. 

 Sketchbooks

JSMS 5th and 6th graders have also spent some time creating a sketchbook they'll use throughout the year to draw, brainstorm, and reflect on their art. Artists had an opportunity to make the sketchbook their own by designing the cover. Fifth and sixth grade students will learn to use their sketchbook to record ideas (when inspiration strikes) and to develop their concepts before they begin a final art piece. 

Make Your Mark

All Raymond Elementary artists have begun the year making their mark. We read the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and learned that all Art begins with just one mark. We discussed different kinds of mark making in Art, and how we each have our own unique way of expressing ourself. RES artists each created their own mark using tape to make a watercolor resist. We learned how watercolors flow and blend by experimenting with the amount of water we added to our paints. We will revisit the idea of “Making Our Mark” through other creations this year.