Exploring a Variety of Media in the Art Room

Throughout the course of their lower school experience, students explore a variety of different media in the art room. The introduction to different tools and techniques begins in the early years, and skills and new levels of challenge and complexity are added in later grades. This gives students the opportunity to stretch their artistic skills and expand their understanding of art worlds.

The first graders recently completed a sculpture project in which they created animal figurines based on the Oaxacan wooden carved animals from Mexico. The students created bases using styrofoam and recycled materials, which they then covered with colorful paper. Some students loved the sensory experience of getting their hands covered in "goop" while others said it was not their favorite!



The fourth graders designed and completed wood projects using a coping saw, a tool they were first introduced to in the third grade. For their fourth grade project, they were given the opportunity to design their shapes based on their own interests and subject matter, and were given the option to cut out more than one piece of wood and attach them to create a three-dimensional piece.



The fourth graders have also been exploring new options at the fibers and sewing station during independent choice time. They were introduced to the technique of needle felting, in which a needle is used to apply wool roving to a piece of fabric to create a design. Some students have chosen to combine their new needle felting skills with sewing skills learned in second grade, and others have created both representational and abstract scenes using fibers.