This is the blog for the Waitsfield Elementary School Art Program in Waitsfield Vermont. This site is maintained by Nora McDonough. It contains photographs and information about past and current art projects completed at all levels, K-6.
Fifth and sixth grade artists used nothin' but paper to create some of the Seven Wonders of the World. We considered the Original Wonders, the Modern Wonders and the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. We looked at different ways for making paper into three-dimensional constructions.
First and second grade artists read the beautiful book "Home," by Carson Ellis. The words in this book are simple, but the drawings are exquisite! This book illustrates all different types of homes, some real and some made up. After reading the book, first and second grade artists imagined homes that felt special to them, either based on their real homes or on fantasy.
This beautiful video shows author and illustrator Carson Ellis working on "Home" in her own home and studio.
In the book "Material World," photographer Peter Menzel photographs families around the world sitting outside of their homes with their prized possessions on display. This images show the many different types of homes that exist in the world, as well as the differences in what people value.
First and second grade artists drew homes, either real or imagined or a combination of both. We used black oil pastels to outline and liquid watercolors to paint.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000) was an Austrian painter, architect, and sculptor best known for his architecture characterized by colorful, ornamental, and biomorphic shapes. He initially gained acclaim for his paintings, but later became more renowned for his unique architectural styling. In the 1950s, Hundertwasser began designing architectural projects. These designs use irregular forms, and incorporate natural features of the landscape. The Hundertwasserhaus apartment block in Vienna is one famous example. This building has undulating floors, a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with limbs extending from windows. He took no payment for the design of Hundertwasserhaus, declaring that the investment was worth it to "prevent something ugly from going up in its place".
Hundertwasser was against monotonous architecture, and called for a boycott of architecture with straight lines, and demanded instead creative freedom of building, and the right to create individual structures.
Fifth and sixth graders are using cardboard to make their architectural creations. We watched this video that describes unique ways that cardboard is used for construction.
