Seventh Grade

The seventh grade will continue to develop their knowledge of technical skills by continued use of more complex art media and processes (i.e. printing press, computer graphics software…). Drawing will be used as a basis for all their artwork, beginning with an extended look into organic and geometric line and shape. The students will complete a woodblock print that emphasizes expressionism and emotion through portraiture. Studies in sculpture will be developed through ceramics and mixed media. Continued use of art history will reinforce artistic perspective and critiquing as they are pushed to think about why they respond in certain ways to certain artwork. The focus of this course is placed on experimentation, process and critique in order to encourage inspired artists for life.

Our Curriculum is Inspired by...

Art from Around the World

Recycled Art Sculptures

The seventh grade students looked at many examples of recycled art in a video called, “Recycled, Reseen” in which people of many cultures utilize the junk thrown away daily to create both decorative and functional art. The students used anything they could fuse together with glue, tape or wire. They searched through campus as well as through our closet full of donated junk. While much of the work turned out conceptual in nature, the students greatly enjoyed bringing their imagination to life with trash!

Artists and Art History, Past and Present

Georgia O’Keeffe Flower Paintings

Students looked at the abstracted shapes of the flowers in O’Keeffe’s work, and learned about her early struggles as a female artist. After really inspecting images of flowers they sketched them in a large scale on paper. They furthered their knowledge of warm and cool colors by mixing tints and shades of both to create shadow and highlight on their petals and leaves.

Integrating with Classroom Curriculum

Zoom-In

One truly essential aspect of being an artist is developing the ability to look closely at an object, to examine and focus on the details of that thing which one is drawing. Yet, it is not only art for which this skill is necessary. As the students began to learn how to use a microscope in science class, they simultaneously began to “zoom in” on a picked art supply. The students were asked to complete two drawings; in one drawing students used colored pencils to try and accurately render the art supply object they had chosen. In the second drawing, students used hand held magnifiers to get really close to the objects they had chosen to further inspect and study , to SEE their object.