Back to School

As the summer vacation slowly draws to a close. I know my thoughts are turning to the new school year as I am sure yours are also. I start thinking about revamping old projects and developing new ones. Luckily the CTHSS Art Curriculum is based on state and national content standards. That means that every project and assignment that we do in class relates in some form or fashion to learning about The Elements of Art and The Principles of Design.

Although the District curriculum serves as a guide, each instructor tailors it to the needs and interests of their students. What can you expect during the first cycle of the year.....

Elements of Art-
In this class you will be introduced to the Elements of Art, and the procedures and inner workings of art class. We will discuss sketch books, materials and their care. We will first focus on the Element of Art-Line.

Drawing I-
We will be discussing the difference between content and composition. You will be rendering objects from a still-life using shading and modeling so that I can see what you remembered from your Elements of Art class.

Drawing II-
We will be discussing the Elements of Art as a review and then focus on one of the Principles of Design. The first principle we will be exploring will be Rhythm. Similar to rhythm in music, visual rhythm has to do with how the eye travels around the page responding to a focal point and positive and negative space.

Studio Art-
This class is a little different from Drawing, we will be using the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design, to respond to themes. We will spend the first cycle or two experimenting with different art materials that you might not have had a lot of time to use in previous classes. We are going to start with colored pencils.

Digital Photography-
Although we are using a different format, this class will also be studying the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design. As we discuss the difference between a "snapshot" and a "photograph", we will identify how the photographer used the Elements and Principles in their art work.

3D Design-
Once again Elements of Art and Principles of Design will be the backbone of the class. However, we will primarily be creating projects that have height, width, depth and volume. Throughout the year we will be using paper mache, wire, wood, and found objects. We will also be studying the history of sculpture from prehistoric times to modern day. The first project is going to focus on primitive art and symbolism.

.......  See you soon!