Visit our Local Spotlight Display during the month of April to view art projects created by Willard Elementary School students in Grades K-4. It will brighten your day!
We are very grateful to Willard art teacher, Dana Parker, for sharing this art with the Library. Read below to learn more about the process these young students used to create these pieces (shared by Dana Parker).
The display showcases the wide range of skills, materials and inspirations of a Willard artist. For example, as a kindergartener, they begin by exploring through creative play. And throughout the years at Willard, they develop the skills and techniques in order to draw hyper-realistically as a fourth grader.
Kindergarten:
These young artists began the year learning about line, shape and color. They created silly line portraits, were inspired by Mondrian and Warhol, and experimented with collage to make lions with colorful manes.
First Grade:
News flash: first graders love to read! The artwork that is on display was inspired by books like: Mouse Paint by Ellen Walsh, Mixed by Arree Chung, Mix it Up! by Hervé Tullet, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault. After learning about the primary colors, we explored the warm and cool colors and created geometric, warm and cool colored hearts inspired by Jim Dine. Lastly, they became color scientists and got a little sticky as they made Paul Klee grid patterns with string and glue. To finish, they experimented with watercolors inside the shapes to make a balanced composition.
Second Grade:
These second grade artists embarked on many problem solving skills and strategies as they created. The artwork on display showcases abstract, collaged compositions inspired by Howardena Pindell. Each second grader meticulously chooses painted papers in order to create a balanced composition - when “your eye doesn’t get stuck.” There are also beautiful jellyfi sh paintings on display that were created with an unusual process. This multi-step process built strong problem solving skills while prompting many “ooohhhhs” and “ahhhhhs!” You’ll feel like you are fl oating right beside them.
Third Grade:
The masterpieces displayed showcase artwork that focuses on the seven elements of art: line, shape, color, value, texture, form and space. In particular they learned about Form by creating 3D topographic mountain maps. Each is based on achieving student goals. Every colorful level represents a step in order to reach the top. Third graders focused on texture and form by drawing realistic apples. They look good enough to eat!
Fourth Grade:
The artwork on display shows the wide range of technical and SEL skills that fourth graders are building upon from previous years. We started with blind contour drawings of guitars that were inspired by Picasso. Then they focused on mindfulness and composition while creating beautiful abstract marker drawings. We then dove into hyper-realistic candy drawings inspired by CJ Hendry - yum! Lastly, fourth graders became digital illustrators and recreated animals by Charley Harper.
