Middle School Printmaking

The go-to project for MS art...block reduction printmaking. This year's theme was birds because there seems to be an endless supply of them visiting the grass field on campus. The school's adopted feral cats sit on the side lines licking their chops hoping for the catch of the day. The feathers on my morning walks is a constant reminder of the cycle of life. Cheers for the birds that got away and for the cats that caught their meal.

If you'd like to see a more in-depth step-by-step process, visit my older post:  http://schutzart.blogspot.com/2011/10/block-reduction-printmaking-with-grade.html.

Below are a few recently finished student prints.

Chalk Pastel Birds Grade 7

We went big on this project, 20" x 24" charcoal paper. You can say it was like a mini dust storm in the art room. I was going through a drawer of supplemental materials I inherited several years ago and came across a stack of bird photographs. I prefer live drawing but you can't really get that from birds so the photos were put to use.

We looked a couple of neo-expressionist artist such as Carlos Almaraz to get a feel for how they use line and color to create energy in their work. Blending of 2-3 colors was expected. The background was their own choice as most went with a more natural surrounding.

If I haven't already mentioned this I love my grade 7 class, they will try anything and as a teacher that is really all we ask for.