Katherine Avra’s art classes kicked off the year exploring the ELEMENT OF LINE. All classes started out by learning about line, utilitarian art, and Florida license plate designs. Students created their own personalized license plates with colored pencil. 6th graders learned about Notans, a Japanese term for the harmony of light and dark. We discovered the connections between positive shape, negative space and symmetry.
Our theme was sea life; students drew 6 sea life examples, carefully cut them out on black paper and flipped them outward to show symmetry and reveal the positive and negative harmonies. The work was mounted on hand-marbleized paper to represent the color and feel of the ocean by using food color, water, and cooking oil.
7th graders discovered ancient art through cave paintings around the world. They created their own cave art murals with partners including animals, plants, sea and landscapes. Their media was pencil, oil pastel, black paint real leaf printing, and metallic paint.
8th graders learned about Japanese Kirigami. Contrasting Japanese Origami which emphasizes paper folding, Kirigami explores paper cutting. We learned about radial symmetry, pattern, and how to use a compass. Our finished art works alternated marbleized construction paper rings with repeating patterns that were mounted and connected to create 3D lanterns.
