Young at Art

NASA and the Art of the Cosmos

Media: Black mixed media paper, Oil pastels, & baby oil.

At first glance, art and science may not seem to commingle, but the first NASA scientists realized the importance of art and its ability to describe events in a way no other medium of communication could when they created the NASA Art Program. Students will learn the importance of art in relation to space exploration, including its documentation and story-telling ability. As future artists and scientists, they will describe their own impressions of space, inspired by the Hubbell Space Telescope, using oil pastel painting techniques.

Manga

Media: Bristol vellum paper & chalk pastel pencils

Inspired by the ever-growing popularity of manga comics and animation, "Manga" will give students a lesson in stylized portraiture. Using many reference samples of facial elements in the manga style, students will draw a portrait of their own manga character.

Become
the
Canvas

Media: Unprimed Canvas, Gouache  

Inspired by the works of Helen Frankenthaler, one of the most important Abstract Expressionists of the 20th century and a leading female leader in the movement, this project will experiment with a version of Frankenthaler's famous "soak-stain" method to create abstract landscape images and explore the concept of emotive beauty in nature and its colors.

Media: Card stock, watercolor paper, Water-based markers

Socially Conscious Art, in short, is art that seeks to make the world a better place. When boiled down to its most basic ideas, this genre deals with concepts like peace, freedom, expression, hope, truth, kindness, fairness, love, caring, human rights, and the environment. Students will learn about the Socially Conscious Art movement through examples by well-known artists such as Norman Rockwell, Dr. Suess, and others. They will then create an art piece using a process made of multiple techniques: Watercolor, ink blot, and collage. Students will come away with an understanding of how art can be a form of voice.

Gen X
Skater

Media: Canvas paper & Acrylic paint.

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We are going to paint a Gen X Skater or Surfer in an "abstract & gestural" style, using quick brush strokes and lots of colors with textured layers. We will also be adding tribal symbols, designs and textures, celebrating the distinct style of the 1980's surf style created by Australian artist and former Quicksilver designer, Peter Webb.

Outside
with 
Van Gogh

Media: Canvas paper and acrylic paint

Plein air

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Students will get inspired by the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh before setting out on their own outdoor adventure to view their familiar surroundings with an artist's eye. They will notice colors, shapes, and textures that they might not have noticed before. Using a viewfinder to help find their composition, students will make a "plein air" painting, mixing paints on a pizza box easel/palette, discovering and appreciating the beauty around them, just like Van Gogh.