Ben Day Dots in 4th & 5th

4th and 5th graders learned about Ben-Day dots as a printing process.  The process was named after the printer and illustrator Benjamin Henry Day, Jr.  The technique used dots of color and varied spacing to create effects like we can see now in some comic strips. We learned about Roy Lichtenstein, a pop artist, that was well know for using Ben-Day dots in some of his artworks. For our try at using Ben-Day dots, the students started with an original design and used the dots to create the varied color necessary for their chosen effect.  They were dot-a-rific! 

Ornaments for Days.......

Clay is one of those mediums that almost all students can't wait to try.  We decided on a quick, school wide, clay project to review procedures and practice some of our previously learned skills.
Students in all grades created several unique ornaments with clay, then after firing painted them in many interesting color combinations. They were all proud of their work and some even had time to create a few more for gifts.  The kiln was going crazy for a week, but the results were awesome!

Printmaking in 1st

In first grade we explored printmaking as an artistic technique. Students used various sized printmakers to create circles with black paint.  We learned about filling space, overlapping and balance. Finally we painted inside, between and around all of our printed circles in our abstract design. The final works turned out wonderfully colorful and unique!