Southwestern Skulls

We began by looking at quilt patterns of the Native Americans of the Southwest. Students created geometric patterns with repeating shapes in warm colors. We then wove yarn into the bottom to mimic the quilt. We then watched Georgia O'Keefe talk about why she began painting skulls and what they meant to her. Students created a realistic pencil drawing of a skull and placed it over the quilt design. This artwork is an interesting combination of two very different artistic views from the Southwestern United States!

Middle School Portraits

International Academy students created these amazing and realistic self-portraits in the style of artist Chuck Close. We began by taking photographs in class. We drew a grid over the photograph and a larger grid over the paper. Students used ratios to transfer the information from the photograph onto the painting to create a proportional and realistic representation. This technique is used by Chuck Close to create enormous and lifelike portraits. We painted them using values of at least 2 colors. The results are beautiful and each one is a success!

Lichtenstein Style Portraits

These dynamic portraits were inspired by Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein. We began by drawing a realistic portrait. I demonstrated the proper proportions in the face and how to use the oil pastels to create value. We then painted in the background and added action words, similar to the comic book style paintings of Roy Lichtenstein. The use of primary colors and dots were also common in Lichtenstein's paintings. Self-Portraits are always really popular with the 1st-3rd grade students. You can see so much of the child's personality shining through in the artwork!

Optical Illusions

International Academy students recently finished a unit working with colored pencils. Students became aware of how to use color blending to create a three dimensional look. We drew out these overlapping cylinders and used different shading techniques to create this amazing optical illusion! Students really enjoyed this process and the effect is amazing!

PreK and Kinder Fishbowls

Our students in PreK and Kinder created these adorable fishbowls! We began by drawing lines to show movement and painting over them with a blue watercolor wash. Students then blended warm colors and cut them out in fish shapes. We added some seaweed at the bottom to show some depth within the bowl as well. This is a very simple project that yielded some really fantastic results!

Giraffes on Display

The following students have their artworks on display at the Oaklawn branch of the Dallas Public Library:

Scarlett Aguilar

Siobhan Crummey

Carey Felius

Reagan Lusk

Roman Meek

Jackson Nadeau

Norah Noonan

Zora Szabo

Kathryn Vongvivitpatana

The artworks will be on display in the children's section of the library through March 23rd, 2012.

Gyotaku Rubbings

Gyotaku prints originated about 100 years ago in Japan. These prints were originally used by fisherman to record the size and species of their catches prior to the camera. After catching a fish, Japanese fisherman would apply a non-toxic paint or ink directly to the side of the fish and press a piece of rice paper or fabric onto its side to create a print. Once the print was completed, the fish would be washed and prepared to eat. Today, Gyotaku prints have become a popular art form all around the world. Prints are no longer plain black outlines, but colorful reproductions of various species of fish.