Elementary School art - Exhibition of printmaking created by Grade Fives

In a recent blog entry I outlined a little about some classroom based projects I have undertaken with two elementary school classes. This is through a program called Artists in the Fifth, which is offered annually to our regional schools through CAHEP. This means Community Arts and Heritage Education Project.

Artists are given the opportunity to work with teachers and their students in a predetermined number of arranged visits and we deliver interesting projects in the visual arts, written and spoken word, music and performance based artistic endeavours.

The results are presented each February in a half day event called the Arts Fiesta. This public exhibition and live performance event is hosted at our local community auditorium.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to set up the display of the projects that were created by the two grade five classes I visited through the Artists in the Fifth program.

Here are some photos that I took today at the Fiesta and the accompanying project outlines for both.

The first three are photos of a project titled Impressions 2 (the 2 should actually be smaller and floating higher as it represents the symbol for squared)

 

Project #1

Title : Impressions squared 

This project combines relief block printmaking together with sculpture. The images explore the principles of design in each of the learner prints. Sculpture is also incorporated using geometric cubes as surfaces to display random arrangements of hand printed images. The prints are not only repetitive in composition but each learners design has been printed in different colour combinations. The theme Thinking Outside the Box has been taken both literally and figuratively. Two forms of art have been fused together to create one colourful, visually interesting deconstructed larger scale cube made up of smaller cube/hand print components.

Learners were encouraged to think about the concept of repetition as it could be applied to a basic design. They were also challenged to think about the principles of design in the artwork. During the project they learned about such important areas such as line, shape, positive and negative space, rhythm, repetition, texture, composition, contrast to name but a few. Using linoleum cutting tools they were able to carve their images into a soft composite material and apply ink to the relief surfaces and print these in two colour combinations on paper using traditional hand printing methods.

An emphasis was made on focusing on complementary and split complementary colour combinations in the hand prints allowing for stark contrasts and impact in the images.

The learners printed a solid colour square first and then the cut side of the block with their design was printed over top in a contrasting colour.

Special recognition is extended to educator Terry Cano who spent many hours after class constructing, affixing prints to the cubes and assembling everything to create the sculptural part of this project.

Project #2

Project title: Construction

This project uses relief block printmaking as the basis for the creation of hand printed imagery that utilizes several stages of process from start to finish.

Learners were given the opportunity to use two surfaces to create a two colour print on paper.

One surface was left solid and the second surface was carved into using special cutting blades to produce a relief design. Prints were produced by using careful registration of paper and application of ink to both sides of a block in two separate printing sessions.

To begin the project, the learners were encouraged to think about and share dialogue revolving around the concept of the word structure.

Using photo reference they focused on a particular section of either a manmade or nature made structure. They enlarged the chosen area and proceeded to develop it and construct a colour print that would allow it to be viewed in an entirely different way.

This is where adhering to the theme of “thinking outside of the box” came into play.

Learners were also challenged by utilizing the principles of design in their respective works of art. During the project they learned about such important areas such as line, shape, positive and negative space, rhythm, repetition, texture, composition, contrast to name but a few.

Using linoleum cutting tools they were able to carve their images into a soft composite material and apply ink to the relief surfaces and print these in two colour combinations on paper using traditional hand printing methods.

An emphasis was made on focusing on complementary and split complementary colour combinations in the hand prints allowing for real contrasts and impact in the images.

They printed a solid colour square first and then the cut side of the block with their design was printed over top in a contrasting colour.