Artsy Update!

We've been busy in the art room this nine weeks! We've worked with a broad range of materials from chalk pastels to glass. Students have create some beautiful works of art. Here's a peek at the seventh grade glass project and the eighth grade Warhol portrait project.

Welcome Back!

I hope that you Bulldogs had a great summer! It sure did fly past us! I had an eventful summer full of painting, boating and spending time with my family. The picture with this post is from a trip to Shackleford from this summer; that is my favorite place on earth! Even though I had a fun summer, I am so happy to be back with all of you. I can't wait to jump in some fun art projects with each of you!

We are off to a great start this nine weeks with our first projects. My diligent seventh graders are working hard on their first value project which involves drawing hands. Sixth grade students are starting a fun grid project which involves a bit of math. Eighth grade students are also working on value and composition while drawing objects which they brought in from home.

We will begin working in our visual journals this Wednesday. Visual journals are sketchbooks which we work in everyday. These blank page, spiral bound sketchbooks can be purchased from Walgreens, Staples, Walmart, or any other office supply store. I can't wait to see the creative things that the students come up with!

If you are searching for a rubric or a parent/student contract, please follow the link on the right sidebar to links and documents. I'm looking forward to working with all of you this nine weeks!

Progress Report Info

It's hard to believe that the final nine weeks of this school year is already half way over! I've deicided to give a little refresher on some basic grading information since progress reports are going out.

1. How Do I Grade?
I try to make grading as objective as possible. Students are never graded on talent but they are graded on craftsmanship, creativity, completeness and care. Here's a breakdown on grading from the student/parent contract:

Projects 50% Each project will be graded with a student/teacher rubric which will use the following criteria: craftsmanship, completeness, creativity and care. Projects won’t be graded by me unless the students turn them in with the rubric attached.

Participation 25% Students will receive participation grades based on the effort and contributions which they make during class.

Visual Journals 25% Students are expected to complete a daily visual journal/sketchbook entry for the first ten minutes of class. If a student is absent, then a make-up entry should be submitted for each day absent. (10 points are deducted for each missing entry.) Visual journals will be graded once a every two weeks for completeness and care.

2. What is the Parent/Student Contract?
The parent/student contract was a form given to each student at the start of the nine weeks. It reviews rules, expectations, and grading practices. If a child has misplaced their contract, they may click "follow to links and documents" on this blog and this will take them to my old website. Click on the links and documents link on that website and you can download the contract from there. Those can then be printed, signed and turned in for a 100.

If you have any questions about grading or the progress reports then please feel free to ask!

8th Grade Value Study Portraits

Eighth grade students learned about facial proportions and value for their first project. After drawing a contour line self-portrait, students added value with the help of a value scale. With the help of a mirror, students achieved a realistic portrait which accurately reflects the proper portions of their facial features.

Aboriginal Update!

Sixth grade students have just finished their Aboriginal self-portraits. They are quite beautiful with their bold patterns and abstract use of color. Here are a few finished products from some excelling Bulldogs!

7th Grade Value Scale Projects

Seventh grade students just finished learning about the artistic element of value. Value, or the range of lightness and darkness, is created by a light source and can be captured with the process of shading. A value scale is a tool which artists use to help measure a range of light and dark values. In this project, students created an imaginary composition in which their focal point was a value scale.

A Little Something New!

I've decided to create a more student-centered website for the BCMS art class. Hopefully this one will be a bit more fun to explore through! I will be updating it weekly with projects and pictures from the students. Students and parents, please feel free to leave comments or suggestions on our projects! I look forward to hearing from all of you!

First things first... sixth grade projects! Sixth graders are currently studying contour line and culture while they create self-portraits. Students learned about the symbols and meanings of various aboriginal art forms. Next they combined the aborignal symbols with their own symbols for the portrait's background. Above you will see a few of the projects in progress.