This is the art blog for Fayston Elementary School, located in the Mad River Valley in Central Vermont. This blog is updated frequently to showcase the artwork of Fayston's students and celebrate all things creative!
Amate paintings are a traditional art of the Mezcala region of Mexico. Amate refers to the type of paper the paintings are done on. It is made from processed tree bark that is boiled, sometimes dyed or bleached and pressed into paper. Amate paper was traditionally used to record data, pass along communication or for ritual purposes. Today it is used to create decorative art that the artists sell to support themselves and their families.
First and second graders watched this video about making Amate paper. We discussed reasons for making art and how an artist chooses the subject or his or her artwork. We planned Amate-inspired drawings featuring colorful birds, other animals, flowers and plants. We will paint them with brightly colored paints.
Kindergarten Artists listened to "The Transportation Song" (see below). Then we looked at several of our favorite books about trucks, cars, construction vehicles and more. These inspired our colorful vehicle collages.
Third and fourth grade artists looked at several examples of leaf artwork, including Georgia O'Keeffe. We also examined Stained Glass Windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Then we went outside to collect fallen leaves to inspire our work. Artists traced their leaves on the paper to create a balanced composition. Then they traced their lines with black glue (glue+black tempera paint). When the glue dried (into a giant black puddle on my art room floor... oops!), they used warm and cool color groups to paint their leaves and backgrounds. We used liquid watercolors.
Stained Glass window by Louis C. Tiffany and Leaves by Georgia O'Keeffe.
