Kinetic Art and Charcoal Trees

My students have been looking forward to this kinetic art based on the artist Yaacov Agam. Agamographs can be difficult especially if a student has had little practice with a ruler. There is a bit of measuring involved and my 8th grade students learned fast after some practice. First, two images are drawn, colored and then cut into one inch strips. They are then glued onto folded paper that will serve as the support while on display. Whenever my office door is open I enjoy hearing comments in the hall like, "Those are cool!" and "How did they do that?"
The charcoal drawings are always a fun project too. I remind students to add and subtract charcoal in order to create the different values. The charcoal can be messy but they enjoy seeing their work on display.

September Creations

The new school year has started and students are doing a great job of making art. Henri Matisse said "Creativity takes courage." so I encourage them to be creative and to use their imagination. I'm proud of their efforts and I tell them this daily. Below are examples of their clay coiled pots, clay monsters, and a color wheel.