Calder (grade 2) designed his own kite, cut it out, decorated it with an abstract pattern, and coloured with pastels!
With her elephant sculpture completed, Niah also delved into the pastels this week and created these two pictures. I love the whimsy of the little bird house among the flowers! Niah's colours are clear and her shapes distinct. Though both pictures are based on reference photos, she isn't afraid to take "artistic licence" with colour and composition, thereby making the work her own. 
Having finished her paper mache Poison Bottle several weeks ago, Chloe has been busily working with oil pastels on coloured paper! Take a look at the flying squirrel on the left --- by combining fine lines and delicately blended colour, she successfully conveys the soft, velvety texture of the little animal's fur. The picture on the right is interesting too, with a range of contrasting values and textures, from the furry white of the squirrel to the hard dark lines of the branch. Chloe's negative shapes are also well defined, and bring unity to her work. 
Niah dresses her elephant in a blue cape while Evane paints her fish with gold and glitter and plans to fasten it to a base of sand and pebbles. Both great pieces! 
Another Jack - Chalk Pastel and White Glue
Caroline's wants to keep her character slim and small --- no padding needed for her body. On the other hand, Tess' frog requires a generous amount of padding to create a round, bulging body. Judging by the faces of the artists, Hallowe'en is clearly in the air!
To make bodies for their character, Madeline and Niah attach the heads to a sturdy plastic bottle. They then place the bottle in a plastic bag, stuffing it with newsprint and padding it into shape. Having given her elephant a body, Niah frims and paints pieces of cardboard roll to create legs. 
Evane uses a small amount of clay to make eyelids and lips for her fish. She then covers the clay with glue and tissue paper.
At this point, we're about half way through our project. In the sessions to come, Tess and I will show techniques for further refining sculptural surfaces. After that, students will paint them and decorate with various materials. Stay tuned for coming developments!
