Each month one school from the Waltham Public Schools will have their artwork spotlighted in the Superintendent’s office. Every student that participates in this show will receive a certificate of participation. Public may come Monday-Friday during the hours of 8am-4:30pm. Show your support and come see the wonderful artwork that is created in all our schools throughout the district.

1. Waltham Public Schools Superintendent’s Artist Spotlight

2. Whittemore Elementary School Animal Painting: Grade 5 Materials: Animal toy, pencil, white card paper, tempera paint, brushes, water. First, the fifth grade students chose a small animal toy to draw. They drew the animal carefully and added details such as texture . Next, the students painted a picture of the animal with the neutral colors (black, white, brown and grey). The students mixed the colors in order to get the right shade or tint. Color was then mixed from the primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) to finish the painting and complete the background Arts Standards: Standard 1, Methods, Materials, and Techniques : Students will demonstrate knowledge of the methods, materials, and techniques unique to the visual arts. Standard 3, Observation, Abstraction, Invention and Expression : Students will demonstrate their powers of observation, abstraction, invention, and expression in a variety of media, materials, and techniques. Standard 4, Drafting, Revising, and Exhibiting : Students will demonstrate knowledge of creating and exhibiting artwork: drafts (the first drawing), critique, self-assessment, refinement, and exhibit preparation .

3. Kennedy Middle School Artist: Stephanie F. Grade 8 Illuminated Manuscript Letter Students became familiar with the art of Illuminated Manuscript Letters and how the book-making process was drastically changed in the 15 th century with the invention of Gutenberg’s Press and movable-type (standard 9.2). With the use of French Curves, students were able to draw curvilinear lines and overlapping shapes to form their decorative initial. The students learned how to create the illusion of three-dimensional space by weaving imaginary animals and flowering vines throughout the positive and negative spaces (standards 2.10, 2.11, 2.12). Students chose a complimentary color scheme (standard 2.7) and explored different blending techniques with metallic pencils to achieve dramatic contrast with values and shading (standards 1.5, 2.7, 2.12). Standards: 1.5, 2.7, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 4.4, 9.2

4. MacArthur Elementary School Contour Line Drawing Julia M., Grade 5 Students observed the outside line, ‘contour line’ of their sneakers/shoes and proceeded to draw them (Standard #3). Upon completion of the contour line drawing, students observed the design on the sides of their shoes and added it to their drawings. For the final rendering, students were encouraged to be creative and choose their own color combinations to color inside the shoe using water color markers.

5. They created a balanced composition reflecting knowledge of scale, proportion, emphasis and the illusion of 3 dimensions from the Elements and Principles of Design Strand. In researching the biomes the students needed to create a rough draft and revise it, which is another strand in the Art Frameworks. Finally, the most important Standard is the Connection Standard. Students took knowledge from Science and interpreted it in Art and then expressed that knowledge through poetry. McDevitt Middle School Marissa’s Photoshop illustration is part of a collaborative project involving Art, Science, and Language Arts. This project involved standards from many of the strands of the Art Frameworks. From the Methods and Materials section they learned the use of electronic technology for researching and creating original artwork.

6. Plympton Elementary School DANIEL, Miss Villa’s room Mrs. Coughlan, Art Teacher Grade 4: DRAWING A TREE With our new report cards in Waltham Public Schools we now will be covering drawing in grade 4 at the beginning of the school year -from observation, imagination and memory using a variety of materials, both dry media and wet. Here, the students went outside and drew with pencil a tree of their choice on Drake Playground first, by going up to the tree and touching it to explore the actual texture, then backing away to see the ‘whole picture’. Second, we used our own drawings as references to make pen and ink drawings to explore a variety of lines to show texture, and differing from pencil. We will use charcoal, and be painting them next….. Learning Standards: 1.1, 1.2; 1.13 and 1.4 pg. 74 Mass State Frameworks; Visual Arts Standard 1: Methods materials and techniques; Students will demonstrate knowledge of the methods, materials, and techniques unique to the visual arts.

7. Stanley School Students learned about the artist Wassilly Kandinsky and the differences between his realistic and abstract work (standards 1.3). Within studying his abstract work, students worked with geometric and organic shapes using rulers and cylindrical measuring tools (standards 2.1, 2.2, 2.4). Students completed their pictures by expressing their moods and feelings using watercolors (standard 3.2).

8. Stanley School Textured Trees Ms. Dubin, Art Educator Stanley Elementary School Students learned about texture, warm and cool colors, and drawing the basic shapes of trees. First the students drew their winter trees using concept of tapered tubes ; tubes that get smaller as they go up. They also expanded their trees at the base for the roots. They used “y”, “u”, and “v” shapes to create their branches. They filled in their trees with ripped pieces of paper towel and glue to create the rough bark and learn the concept of texture. The final part was using warm and cool colors in top and bottom of page and creating their own browns, from various “recipes” I provided, for the trunk. This project employs Massachusetts Visual Arts Standards 2.1 and 2.3 in the realm of color and texture in elements and principles of design.

9. Fitzgerald School Pond Scene by Kayla D. Grade 3 Art Teacher, Emily P. Smidt Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden , as well as springtime, animals in their habitats, and ponds were our inspiration for this project. We read from Thoreau’s “Spring” chapter, imagining what a pond-side habitat looks like, both above the water and below the water. We referenced many books about animals, trees, seasons and ponds. We talked about how plants start to bloom, April showers fall and the other changes that come with winter’s metamorphosis into spring. Students were encouraged to not only use watercolor, crayon, and colored pencils, but to also create textured areas within their compositions by using found objects, like yarn, string, sand paper, and scraps of different kinds of paper. We touched on many of the 3 rd grade benchmarks for Waltham Public Schools, as well as the Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Frameworks. Standards addressed: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 7.1,10.1 Interdisciplinary Connection Strand: Students will apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English language arts and science.

10. Kennedy Middle School Watercolor Landscape The students learn how to use a variety of watercolor techniques to paint a landscape. ( Standard 1.5) Emphasis is placed on those effects that create the illusion of depth on a two dimensional surface; linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, size relationships, overlapping etc. The next step for the student is to transfer those skills into an original painting that expresses something that interests them about landscape.

11. McDevitt Middle School Puppets Standard 5.9 says that students will use published sources, either traditional or electronic, to research a body of work or an artist, and present findings in written or oral form. Here students have researched various American artists and created puppets of the artists. On the left is John Singleton Copley and on the right Grandma Moses. To share their findings with the class the will interview the artist puppets about their lives.

12. Plympton Elementary School The 3 rd grade made Renaissance Portrait in a circular format. This example illustrates the relationship of ‘Mom and me’ based on Christmas stamps. Students were shown the stamps issued by the U.S. Post Office of various Renaissance ‘Madonna and Child’ portraits owned by the Fine Arts Museums in the United States. They then created a multi-media drawing. Standards 1.1, 2, 3

13. Stanley Elementary School Name of Artist: Cobie A. Rainbow Fish Creations Materials: pencils, 8.5” X 11” white paper, black markers, crayons, glue and glitter The first grade students read The Rainbow Fish , by Marcus Pfister. A story about a colorful fish that learns that sharing with others is extremely important and rewarding. The students drew rainbow fish with the correct features, proportions and details. They added oceanic life into the drawings with the knowledge of perspective and overlapping. Next, the students decided what essential colors they were going apply to their drawing. Each student then applied a single shimmering scale to his or her rainbow fish to symbolize the moral of the story. Standards: 1.1, 1.5, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, and 3

14. Fitzgerald School Name of Artist: Trevor M. Georgia O’Keeffe Flowers Materials: pencils, 12”x18” white paper, silk flowers, oil pastels The fifth grade students learned about the art of Georgia O’Keefe and studied the non-objective qualities of her work. From direct observation (Standard 3.1) the students used a viewfinder to emphasize one area of their flower. We discussed the differences between organic and geometric shapes. Students were taught several blending techniques to achieve a range of values. Students also used complimentary colors to show contrast. “Nobody sees a flower really, it is so small; but I’ll paint what I see…what the flower is to me, and I’ll paint it big…” - Georgia O’Keeffe Standards: 1.1-1.5, 2.2, 3.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1

15. Mac Arthur Elementary School In this lesson the students were asked to look for the outside line or contour line of their shoe. The students then create 2D artwork from direct observation (Standard 3.1) Upon completion of the contour line drawings students continued to observe and draw the inside pattern and design of the shoe. Students then decided on the essential colors they were going to use in the shoe. Finally, students drew imaginary figures at play in and around the shoe (Standard 3.3).

16. Whittemore Elementary School Fall Leaf Painting Materials: 12”X18” white paper, fall leaves, crayons, watercolors First, the second grade students read the story The Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert; it is about a man who travels the world on a gust of wind. Second, we traced an actual leaf on paper, and overlapped some leaves. (Standard 2, “Elements and Principles of Design”) Next, we drew the veins of each leaf. (Standard 3,” Observation, Abstraction, Invention, and Expression) We painted the inside of the leaves with warm colors , and the background was painted with cool colors . (Standard 1, “Media, Materials, and Techniques”).

17. Kennedy Abstract Painting Students became familiar with the artist Georgia O’Keeffe and learned how abstraction can be used as an art form (standard 8). They were asked to recreate a painting of O’Keeffe’s using a style unique to their own (standard 1). By creating a cartoon (blue print) drawing they were able to understand how to make a flat two dimensional drawing become a three dimensional object using value and shading. Through the process of editing, revising, and drafting they were able to translate their gray scale drawing of five values into color using analogous and complimentary colors. Their choice of color was to create emphasis within their paintings (standard 2). Recalling previous color theory applications the seventh grade was able to make connections with color mixing and developed unique palettes thru experimentation in color tinting (standard 1,2,8,). The result of their hard work was fantastic as they created beautiful abstractions of their own (standard 5).

18. Fitzgerald Elementary School Name of Artist: Thomas M. Toy Truck Still Life Materials: 12”x18” white paper, pencils, crayons The first grade students learned about Primary Colors. From direct observation (Standard 3.1) the students used a wide variety of lines and shapes to draw their trucks. After sketching with pencil, the students traced their lines with a black permanent marker and then colored in the shapes with crayons. Standard 1: Methods, Materials, and Techniques 1.1 Students used a variety of materials and media for this project 1.3 Students learned and used appropriate vocabulary related to the methods, materials, and techniques of this project. Standard 2: Elements and Principles of Design 2.1 Students explored and experimented with color in dry media 2.2 Students identified a wide variety of lines in the environment and explored the use of lines in their artwork. 2.4 Students identified a wide variety of shapes in the environment and explored the use of these shapes in their artwork. Standard 3: Observation, Abstraction, Invention, and Expression 3.1. Students created 2D artwork from direct observation.

19. Mac Arthur Elementary School In this art lesson the first graders were asked to trace their arms and hands in order to create a “Monstaseur” standard 3.3. Upon completions of the outside line the students continued to draw inside features and texture. A background was drawn in and color was added.

20. Plympton School This Kindergarten art lesson was done in 2 steps. First, we read “The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush” by Tomie DePaola. We discussed the main character, where he lived, and what happened to him. Next, we painted with red and yellow tempera to make our own sunsets. The students discovered that they can make orange from only using two colors. The students practiced making triangles, patterns and designs according to what they saw in the illustrations. They cut and pasted the triangles onto their ‘sunset’ to make an Indian village. Standards: Methods, Materials, Techniques - 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Elements and Principles of Design - 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.4 Observation, Abstraction, Invention, Expression - 3.1, 3.2, 3.3

21. Stanley Elementary School Students learned about the artist Wassilly Kandinsky and the differences between his realistic and abstract work (standards 1.3). Within studying his abstract work, students worked with geometric and organic shapes using rulers and cylindrical measuring tools (standards 2.1, 2.2, 2.4). Students completed their pictures by expressing their moods and feelings using watercolors (standard 3.2). Standard 1: Methods, Materials, and Techniques Students will demonstrate knowledge of the methods, materials, and techniques unique to the visual arts. 1.1 Students used a variety of materials and media for this project 1.3 Students learned and used appropriate vocabulary related to the methods, materials, and techniques of this project Standard 2: Elements and Principles of Design Students will demonstrate knowledge of the elements and principles of design. 2.1 Students explored and experimented with color in dry and wet media 2.2 and 2.4 Students explored the use of line and shapes in this project Standard 3: Observation, Abstraction, Invention, and Expression Students will demonstrate their powers of observation, abstractions, invention, and expression in a variety of media, materials, and techniques 3.2 Students created 2D work that explored abstraction

22. Whittemore Elementary School Piggy Bank Lesson Grade: Kindergarten Materials: Plastic bottle, masking tape, newspaper, Paris craft, acrylic paint, brushes, water. First, we read the story A Pig Is Big by Douglas Florian; it is a story comparing a pig with things that are big, such as a town, a continent, and the universe! We talked about what we can do to make our own pig, or piggy bank! Second, we started to create our own piggy banks using an empty plastic soda bottle. We rolled newspaper into cylinders and taped them for the legs, then carefully taped them to the pig’s body. We covered the entire piggy bank with masking tape and added details such as eyes, ears, nostrils, and a tail. Next, we covered it in Paris craft, a sculpture material that is made from gauze and plaster. After our piggy banks had dried, we painted them with our choice of color; we added pupils and hooves as well. During one class, we drew a pig together step by step using curved lines and the basic shapes such as an oval and triangle. The piggy banks were displayed in the art room for two weeks.