Art Beat

By Nancy Hoover

The kiln has been cooking with clay creations by all grades!

Kindergarten through Fifth Grade have formed their hands in clay, with decorative symbols on the fingers and palms. We have learned much about the unpredictable art of kiln glazing! Sixth through Eighth Grades have focused on the human body, the head and various body parts, and have "aged" their sculpted works with faux finishes and acrylic glazes. With inspiration from the work and lives of Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel (1840-1917, France) our students' sculpture is exquisite and impressive!

All classes have begun our studies of artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954, Mexico) and are working on portrait miniatures of her iconic face, using acrylics on canvas, for an assembled mosaic for a gallery show. We are also delving into the what, whys, and hows of the celebrity portrait art of revolutionary Pop artist Andy Warhol (1928- 1987, USA). We will learn about his techniques of silk screening and back painting, and hope to create our own screen prints in the process!

Next up are our self portraits! Each girl needs to bring in a current color photo of herself (traditional head and shoulders only, full or 3/4 face), preferably 8 .5 x 11, for her reference. Middle School students may bring in a less traditional pose (profile, dramatic lighting, etc.). We need these by March 2nd!

SAVE THE DATE! The 6th Annual GSA Self Portrait Show will be Saturday, April 25th from 5-8 pm at the Maranda Pleasant Gallery on East 6th Street. If you are interested in helping with this amazing event, please contact me.