Functional Art!

Students in grades 2-5 created functional ceramic artwork by using a mold to give their clay shape. Different grades used different materials for their molds. 4th and 5th graders used silver pie tins, 3rd graders used pencil boxes and 2nd graders used french fry holders. We learned about different design types including radial designs and symmetrical designs. We then used a variety of found objects (including marker caps, keys and pencils) to create designs in our functional art by stamping these objects into the clay. We then learned about between warm and color color schemes and painted our projects with tempera paint. Lastly, we finished them off with a clear-coat to seal them up and make them nice and shiny!
Please note this are not safe for food or drink.

Jackson Pollack Action Paintings!

First grade artists learned about Jackson Pollack's way of painting. He would splatter, fling, drip, and pour his paint onto his giant canvas to create his abstract paintings. We did some splatter painting, but the action in our painting came from using straws to blow paint around our papers. We reviewed our primary colors, tints and shades. We used red, yellow, blue, black and white watered-down tempera paints to create these paintings. This was a fun project!

Cat in the Hat cross-hatching

First and Second grade artists learned about Dr. Seuss. His middle name was Seuss and he was both a talented author and illustrator. We discussed how he created visual texture using a drawing pen and an art technique called cross-hatching to create texture in his art. These cross-hatch lines also create the illusion of being 3-D.

Digital Art show!

Thank you to everyone who attended the celebration of Youth Art Month at our District 97 Art show!!! We had a awesome turn out. Thank you for your support! Mr. Leban (art teacher at Brooks) and myself photographed the art show and made it available online. You can view the whole show in a cool video slide-show or click on each individual school to see the artwork they had in the show. Check it out!! District 97 Art show

Mondrian's chair

2nd and 3rd graders had the opportunity to paint this Mondrian-inspired chair during lunch art. We learned that Mondrian's artwork uses bold black outlines, squares and rectangles and the three primary colors. We modeled our chair after his artwork.  Ms. Lacey will be using the chair to raise money for Haiti.

Rain Barrel!

Here's the Romero Britto inspired Rain Barrel 3A artists made for the PTO Auction. Britto's work has has bold black outlines, bright colors, and fun patterns. We tried to pattern our work after his as we painted the four seasons on the barrel. This was a blast and has received tons of compliments.

Art Shows and Youth Art Month

Happy March Art Parents!
March is nationally recognized as Youth Art Month. In celebration, O.W. Holmes is involved in two art shows. The larger of the two shows is a District wide art show featuring artwork from every school in D97, including the middle schools, at Oak Park River Forest High School. Every classroom at Holmes is represented and has a few pieces of artwork in the show. If your student has work in the show, you will be informed via a letter in the mail very soon. The opening reception is Wednesday March 9th from 6 pm-7:30 pm at OPRF. OPRF art students will be giving tours of the high school art department as well. The artwork will be on display there until 3/23. Please stop by and see the great things that are happening this year in art rooms across the district. The official invitation is printed on the back of this sheet.
The second art show is happening now at the Oak Park public library from until 3/31. This show features the artwork of Holmes students only. Ms. Bernstein’s, Ms. Anderson’s and Ms. Peterson’s and Ms. Rehfield’s entire classes have art work on display there. There are also about 20 students from various classes that have work in the show as well.
Please come check out our hard work!