5th Grade Projects Spring 2017

5^th Grade Food Sculptures

Inspired by Contemporary Artist,
Peter Anton https://www.instagram.com/peter_anton_/

Big Idea: Celebration

Students learned about the sculptures of Peter Anton, an American artist known for his realistic, larger than life sculptures of tasty foods and sweets. His art studio looks like a sweet shop because he uses real food to model his work from. He hyper-familiarizes himself with the food he is working with by smelling, feeling and tasting it. In December 2012, an exhibit in Miami featured an amusement ride for viewers through his exhibit space (a magical world of giant sweets.) This was the first time an artist has incorporated a roller coaster into the art-viewing experience. One of Anton's sculptures is in the collection at the Kemper Museum of Art in Kansas City! It is a box of chocolates. It is amazing to see his work in real life!

Students reflected on the big idea of celebration and selected a food that they could connect through memories or experiences to the big idea. After creating a sculpture armature of cardboard, newspaper and wire, we papier mached the sculptures and painted them with our knowledge of color mixing.

We hope you enjoy looking at these delicious looking sculptures!

Self Portrait Unit

Inspired by the wire sculptures of Alexander CalderBig Idea: Identity Explore Calder's Wire Sculpture Here

Students learned about self-portraiture as a means of respresenting and expressing one's identity. Students examined the sculpture work of Alexander Calder, who made portrait sculptures from wire. Students practiced making a continuous contour drawing with watercolor crayons before creating their wire sculpture. We then took photographs of ourselves and added words and color with chalk to represent elements of our personalities. 

Chinese Blue Willow Pottery

See photos of the blue willow pattern here

Students learned about the history of this traditional porcelain and blue colored china originating in the mid 1800’s. The imagery on the plate is associated with various poems and legends; all examined by 5^th grade students for symbolism. The blue willow pattern has been recreated for generations. We used the same imagery from the poem and legend and rendered or illustrated our own vision of the story. Using our knowledge of foreground, middleground and background, we conveyed distance in the landscape, and added contrast with a wet paintbrush before thoughtfully designing a patterned edge using varied lines and shapes.

Circle Weavings

Students created a background using their knowledge of the elements of line and shape, and the principles of pattern, contrast and rhythm. Then, after learning about weavings from around the world, students created a circular loom using string for the warp, and colored yarns for the weft. We learned how to thread a needle and practiced tying knots. We utilized persistence and attention to detail to complete our weavings with an appealing color scheme, texture, and contrast and reflected with a rubric.

National Visual Art Standards Met:

·         I can demonstrate quality craftsmanship through care for and use of materials, tools and equipment.

·          I can analyze how past, present and emerging technologies have impacted the preservation and presentation of artwork.

·         I can identify and analyze cultural associations suggested by visual imagery.

·         I can recognize differences in criteria used to evaluate works of art depending on styles, genres, and media as well as historical and cultural contexts.